Who Can Be a Mentor?
Don’t say, “All sorts of people are becoming ‘Mentors’; why couldn’t I be one?” As it turns out, being a Mentor comes with a few unwritten rules. First, let’s recall what a Mentor is.
Traditionally, the term “mentor” may bring to mind “a wise, white-haired man or guide.” In fact, the word mentor, often also used to mean a trusted adviser, comes from Homer’s epic, the Odyssey. Before leaving for the Trojan War, Odysseus entrusts his son and all his property to his friend Mentor. Mentor guides young Telemachus so that he is educated and raised in the best possible way.
Mentoring is a relationship focused on mutual development, in which the mentor guides the person being mentored (the mentee) by sharing important knowledge, thoughts and work experience.
In today’s business world, a mentor can be thought of as someone with more knowledge and experience who is willing to steer a young professional’s career and support their development by sharing knowledge and views.
Based on this, if you ask who can be a Mentor:
For example, people who are:
- more experienced than their mentee and in a higher managerial role in the organization, or who have very deep and rare technical expertise in their field,
- not in a hierarchical relationship with the mentee within the same organization,
- role models within the organization through their knowledge, experience and behavior, and who represent the corporate culture and values accurately,
- highly motivated to put effort into the mentoring relationship and to grow and help others grow,
can be mentors.