What are the qualifications to be a mentor?

Be one!

Mentoring is about doing it then showing it. If you want to be a mentor then just BE one!

Top 5 Key Factors for being a successful mentor:

1) Expertise in the area required. The expertise may be in a specific function (R&D, Marketing, Sales, etc.) &/or from the behavioral side of life/business. Being an expert in a specific technical aspect is great, but don't forget about the people side of the equation as well as the politics

2) Being able to "connect" with the person. The less solid the bond is between the mentor and the person being mentored, the less successful the mentor relationship will be.

3) Time commitment; it doesn't have to be extensive, but you need to make yourself available

4) Passion: If you like the subject the more effective you will be. It can't be looked at as a job; it should be more like a hobby and you should be energized by it

5) Been in their shoes before. The more you can relate to the person's situation, the better advise you can provide and it will better resonate with the person.

When I was asked to be a mentor, it was because the person, a women, wanted my position -- well one like it. It as a formal arrangement. She's call me when she had questions or to help her plan the next steps. At times I called her to see how she was doing. I was the only women doing my job at the first at that time. Four years later she and a few other women I mentored did have "my position" -- but in other departments.

My qualifications were my position in the firm, knowledge of the industry, listening, questioning and guiding.

Prior to that time I had a mentor. I didn't ask him to be my mentor. He just saw something in me and helped me move up the ranks from a clerk to a trader. He actually wanted me to do more than I wanted, and at one point I had to tell him what I wanted from my career.

I'd like to chime in on the "experience" band wagon.

Here on FOCUS, we're having a conversation, even if in a "thread". I'm sure that the answers that don't include experience, do so because this is a "conversation" and most often during a conversation, people don't always repeat what has already been said.

So I wouldn't be harsh regarding someone not including experience, when it's already been mentioned.

I use two main qualifications:

Mentor’s proficiency level is a “5” in competency area*
Mentor’s style lends itself to a constructive mentoring relationship

*Performance System rates employees from "1" (very poor) to "5" (exceeds all expectations).

I would agree with Bob. Having a desire to be a mentor is very time consuming and creating a bond with the person you are mentoring is very important - it is much of what will give you the energy required to mentor. If the relationship is not working out well, then recognize that and let it go. I know that sounds self-serving; but to be a good mentor, you have to really have a desire and passion for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I also agree with Bob's comment about having been in the new person's shoes before to the extent that you can remember when you were learning. It's easy to forget that and get frustrated - but when you see the other person beginning to 'get it' mentorship can be very rewarding for both of you.

The key qualifier to mentor-ship is simple; experience.

Quite interesting, since my best mentors completely lacked most of Chip's top features but imparted wisdom and knowledge rather than showing delicate consideration for my ignorance. Granted, they were not popular or diplomatic people, but they were extraordinary experts and tremendous teachers. They focused on output product rather than input process, on substance rather than style, and thus would probably rank quite low in polls based on their interpersonal behavioral sensitivity. No regrets, because I would rather learn a lot from an arrogant judgmental selfish SOB than have a pleasant experience from a gentle affable generous and benevolent patron. Most of the latter crowd are long on patience, which is frequently inconsistent with excellence since it permits mistakes to go long uncorrected.

Good points Chip, but without experience all of those great ideals are worthless to be a true mentor. The dictionary definition of the word mentor has two main parts: 1) a wise and trusted counselor or teacher and 2) an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

Both of these definitions relate to experience, for without experience there is no wisdom and without experience one can not be labeled as a 'senior' anything. The problem I see today is that there are a ton of nubiles out there with VERY little experience calling themselves 'mentors', business coaches, etc There are a ton of such people all over LinkedIn, for example. It's getting to the point where the old adage about teachers is starting to ring true for mentor-ship...'those that can do, those that can't teach' All I can say is thank God for those that can do both!

My advise to anyone seeking a true mentor is to get with the person in your organization that's been DOing the job for 20 years and ask him whatever it is you want to know...not some 28 year old dweeb with a few years experience behind his still very wet ears.

Agree with Mr. Brennan 1000%.

I’ve found one of the best resources for mentoring sessions is the book “Monday Morning Leadership” by David Cottrell. I’m aware this is not a true story – but the lessons are on point and the tips are a great reference. This easy read (100 pages) helped keep me focused on what’s important when mentoring. As Sandra noted, “doing it and showing it” are key – meaning as a Mentor you should have scheduled meetings (and stay on schedule), set grounds rules (and live by them), set goals/objectives (and how to measure) and share the lessons you learned (so they can act to avoid the same problems). Most importantly is to be available, be present, and communicate!

Above all else, the ability, desire, and need to simple LISTEN.

Give me a mentor who is a great, active listener, and has the attributes that Chip enumerates, and I'd sacrifice industry experience all day long.

the ability to connect you with other mentors.

I haven't read the book he references, but I agree with Chip Bell and all of those who agree with him. I would add one thought: The best way to confirm that you're qualified to be a mentor is when you're able to recognize that you can benefit from a mentor yourself.

From my perspective, most anyone can be a mentor. However to be an exceptional mentor who truly supports the mentee, that requires these three qualities:

1 - Truly care about the other person
2 - Balance and perspective (leave your ego at the door)
3 - Ability to hear beyond the spoken words

It is probably easier to be a mentor, if you are mentoring in something you enjoy. Displaying the enthusiasm that you have for what it is you will mentor the mentee will be absorbed by the mentee.

I find it totally unbelievable that so many describe mentorship as a matter of style alone without any reference to competence in the subject matter. An empathetic humble perceptive listener is nice as an audience, but I would have expected "mentorship" to involve more than being an affable ego-booster. Isn't a mentor supposed to teach you? All the warm & fuzzies in the world won't do the trick if the mentor has no useful knowledge to impart, cannot provide accurate guidance and lacks wisdom.

Exactly Mr. Brennan...so many of these answers refer to what a mentor's personality or style should be and have nothing to do with the core competencies that ONLY experience can yield. If you look at the majority of answers given here they reflect what is going on in management today...a ton of fluff with not much substance at all. The sad thing is that these answers ARE believable.

The very word 'mentor' comes from the name of the Greek 'Mentor', friend of Odysseus, who IN HIS OLD AGE (get it? experience?) tutored Odysseus's son Telemachus. Historically, and directly because of the relationship between Mentor and Telemachus, the word 'mentor' represents "SOMEONE WHO IMPARTS WISDOM AND SHARES KNOWLEDGE WITH SOMEONE LESS EXPERIENCED."

One more thing, if you can't mentor or think that by reading a book on the subject that you will be able to please get the hell out of the business of mentoring! You will do far more damage than good.

Mark and Jim, with all due respect, I don't believe that anyone is suggesting that a grocery store cashier can mentor someone who wants to be a brain surgeon. I'm assuming the responses that don't address the issue of experience only do so because it's so painfully obvious that mentorship requires a given level of knowledge and experience.

I would also point out that many coaching skills aren't readily observable because they aren't necessarily "technical" in the traditional sense. They are, rather, what we might refer to as "soft" skills, such as leadership, managing people effectively, and even coaching. If you don't think these skills are a rare commodity in the corporate world, Mark, I would urge you to re-visit the comments you posted.

Be careful with the requirement for all mentors to have deep experience in the area they are mentoring. The goal of mentoring is learning--i.e., the facilitation of insight and discovery, not the transmittal of expert knowledge. What should be the experience of a psychiatrist who mentors a patient with psychological issues? If you go very far down the "deep experience" requirement trail, you could get: "I am perfect as your mentor. In addition to graduating from a great medical school, I spend several years insane!"