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1. Get Ready for Mentoring

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22 mins

How to Be a Good Listener

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Listening is key to most relationships. We all know how it feels when someone pretends to listen, but does not give us their full attention. Mentoring requires strong listening skills.
A good listener hears not only what’s said, but also what’s left unsaid.

Here are some tips to become a better listener -
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1. Be present

First, put your phone on silent and keep it aside. Face your body towards the other person, and if culturally appropriate, make eye contact. Show you are interested. Check your posture–are you relaxed and open? Give your full attention.

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2. Stop talking and just listen

So often we do not give other people the space to talk. We interrupt them, finish their sentences, or talk over them. This shuts the other person down. Be silent. Give non-verbal cues showing you are listening. Allow for pauses so your mentoring partner can think more deeply.

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3. Remove distractions

If you are meeting virtually, set your cameras in a way that you can make eye contact. Remove distractions. Avoid distracting behaviors such as doodling, checking your phone and yawning. Offer your undivided attention.

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4. Be non-judgmental

Try to remove your prejudices and judgments from your interaction. Keep an open mind and fully listen. Show empathy. Try to step into your partner’s shoes and understand their perspective.

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5. Pay attention to non-verbal communication

Watch your partner and notice their gestures, expressions and body language. Are you sensing how they are feeling? What are they saying through their body language?

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Up Next

How to End the Mentoring Journey With Your Mentee

Your mentee’s mentoring journey will eventually come to an end.

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xyz_mentor

2 mins

Your mentee’s mentoring journey will eventually come to an end, based on the duration set on the MentorCloud platform. Ending it thoughtfully will ensure it’s perceived as successful, and both partners can feel positive about the experience.

You and your mentee will have acknowledged that your next meeting will be your last. Here are some tips to successfully ending a mentoring journey -

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1. Prepare for your final meeting

Set aside some time to reflect. Did the journey meet your expectations? What would you do differently? What did you most and least enjoy? Would you do it again?
Go through the goals your mentee set at the beginning. Were they achieved? Why or why not?
What would you like to discuss and what advice would you like to offer during your final meeting?
What would you want to acknowledge and thank your mentee for?

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2. Your final meeting

This is a time to celebrate your journey together. If possible, make your final meeting special by choosing a different place to meet, such as meeting for lunch in a nice restaurant. You can choose a location to meet and enter it under Sessions by selecting Physical Location and add the address within the Location details text box.

Reflect on what has been achieved so far and celebrate your successes. Reflect on where your mentee started and how far they’ve come.
If some goals have not been achieved, discuss how they can be addressed going forward.

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3. What’s next?

The formal mentoring journey has ended, but maybe you’d like to remain in contact. If so, discuss how you can stay in touch.
Appreciate each other and sincerely thank your mentee.

Don’t let your mentoring journey fizzle out without concluding it with an organized final meeting. When a mentoring journey ends well it increases the overall success of the experience.

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