July Question of the Month - Join the conversation and receive a badge

hamelatasq

LISTENER

Mentors who actively listen with curiosity, interest and empathy, because they want to know about my experience before giving advice, make me feel visible, respected, and comfortable sharing the issues or challenges I may be facing.

Shannon R.

I think the best mentors are the ones that embrace the ideas of empathy and "radical candor" - they know how to acknowledge things that are happening and hold you accountable for your role in stewarding your own life and career. They ask great "how might you…." and "what if you reframed it as….." questions to help shift you into new and different ways of thinking. In short, they don't solve things for you but they help you get to the answers yourself!

Cindy Schick

Dependable

Ipshita

To learn, we all need to ask questions. So for me, a good mentor has to be one that’s APPROACHABLE so that we never hesitate to ask more questions and feel free to reach out to our mentor.

Lora_la

Empowering

When I started as a project manager, I had a mentor who trusted me to do the work, provided support and advice in private, and allowed me to lead meetings and presentations. They were encouraging and always treated me as a peer. This really boosted my confidence and I never had imposter syndrome. It was great to have that type of trust and empowerment as someone just starting a new profession.

Rebeca S.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/446117#Comment_446117

Love the concept of "radical candor," truly a great quality for a mentor to have. And these questions are such a good idea!

Paul Newcome

Trust

Cathy Betzer

Collaborative

dgarnas

Accepting.

I believe that in order to get the most from a mentor, they have to first and foremost be accepting of differences and accepting of different types of learning. (as we all know, no 2 people learn the exact same way!)

Sespedido_23

Spot-On

I just joined a new company, and my mentor is always spot-on in terms of understanding my challenges when it comes to learning Smartsheet. He's more than attentive and given this quality, he's able to give me new ideas that are really helpful for my next steps.

Shawn Cullen

Empowering

TerriS

Insightful

ss_innovation

Empathy

Matt Lynn-PCG

Servant [Leader]

The best mentors I've had, have led with Servant Leadership. They put their time into walking with / beside me in the course of teaching or setting expectations rather than before me. Their actions are more than telling me or showing me, but doing things WITH me and our TEAM. The other layer of importance here is at times having to humble themselves to "bring up the rear", getting their hands dirty and not simply directing the same instructions or expectations repeated times. They see the shortcomings and help fill the gaps for the benefit of all; actions speak louder than words. They leave the 99 to support the 1. There's always been a single best example of servant leadership, and this has always been the best quality in business mentorship I've received and try to use as well. I'm sure I fail and may never fully meet my own expectations here, but that servant leadership is my goal as a leader.

ShereeJ

Guidance

"Guidance" encapsulates the essence of what makes a good mentor, as it signifies the ability to offer direction, support, and wisdom, helping mentees navigate their personal and professional development effectively.