The Magic of Mentorship: How To Make a Lasting Difference

One of the most rewarding roles you can take on during your career is that of a mentor. No matter your field or long-term goals, demonstrating strong mentorship is a valuable skill that leaves a long-lasting, positive legacy for you, your team, and the surrounding community. 

What Is a Mentor?

A mentor provides guidance, advice, and support to their mentee, helping them support to their mentee, helping them to reach their goals and fulfill their potential. A mentor can provide valuable insight into industry-specific practices and offer advice on navigating challenges. The best mentors are committed to their mentee's growth and development and understand the importance of investing time, energy, and resources into helping future generations succeed.

The Importance of Mentorship

A strong mentor serves as a guide, providing valuable insights and advice, while also helping their mentee build their confidence, expand their professional network and navigate unfamiliar challenges. Mentors help develop new skills, provide constructive feedback, and model positive behavior and leadership qualities.

Become a Memorable Mentor

Make an impact as a mentor to those around you. Use these helpful tips to become the best mentor possible to your community.

• Self-Reflect: You don’t have to be in a leadership position to be a mentor in someone’s life. Think about an individual who had an impact on your development. Whether it’s a classmate, a coach, or a neighbor, reflect on the kind of qualities and actions that stuck with you.  
• Commit to Communication: A strong mentor listens carefully to their mentee, asks questions, and responds with empathy. This allows the mentor to understand the mentee's goals, concerns, and challenges, and provide effective guidance and support.
• Build Trust and Rapport: People are most likely to flourish in environments where they feel comfortable. An environment that encourages growth is built on trust, which is why a mentor is expected to build a trusting relationship with their mentee, resulting in a space where the mentee feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, and goals. 
• Lead by Example: To successfully lead by example, mentors are expected to demonstrate strong leadership skills, an impressive work ethic, and a commitment to lifelong learning and development. By modeling these qualities, the mentor inspires the mentee to develop similar traits and achieve their own success.
• Use the P.R.I.C.E. Model: Herzing University’s P.R.I.C.E. success model reflects Herzing values and is a helpful guide for mentors to use throughout their professional and personal lives. P.R.I.C.E. stands for Professional, Respect, Integrity, Caring and Engagement, all traits possessed by the mentors we’ve all remembered for their impact on us. 

What is the P.R.I.C.E Model?

Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Caring and Engagement are key pillars in the foundation of a mentor. Focusing on each pillar will better position you for long-term success in both your personal and professional life, so let’s break each part down.

• Professionalism: Mentors should always be professional in their interactions with their mentees, including being punctual, reliable, and respectful.
• Respect: Treating everyone with respect isn’t just a trait of a good mentor, it’s a sign of a good person. Mentors should treat their mentees with respect, recognizing their unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.
• Integrity: Carrying yourself with integrity makes you more trustworthy to those around you. Demonstrating integrity sets the example for the honesty, ethical behavior, and accountability that you expect from your peers.
• Caring: No matter your role, showing that you care about your performance, your peers and your community will make you a better leader. At the end of the day, we are all human, and a little kindness goes a long way.
• Engagement: As a mentor, you can show the intent and support that will make a world of difference in someone else’s success.

Herzing University is proud to offer a variety of educational pathways to propel motivated individuals like yourself toward the career of their dreams. Or, if you’re a current student, take advantage of our comprehensive career development services. Get one step closer to being the mentor you’ve always known you can be and start your journey today.