Leadership Matters: 7 steps to effective mentorships

In my life I’ve been part of several mentorships. Whether I was the mentor or the mentee, I have found there are seven key requirements for success in these exchanges.

1) There has to be a connection between the mentor and mentee. 
That connection can come from either personal or professional experiences, but it has to be felt by both parties. Let me describe how I form such connections. I am a huge fan of music—specifically, I love jazz—and I have found a common love of music to be a great way to start conversations with others. Because my musical tastes are so diverse, I’ve been able to make connections with people as both a mentor and a mentee. And because a love of music spans the ages, it’s proven to be an effective way to bridge generational gaps.

When I was a mentee, my love of jazz and classical music was a way to establish a connection with people who were more mature than me. If they loved jazz or classical music as well, it was something we could have a conversation about, and it often turned into a foundation we could use to build a relationship. Now that I am a mentor and interacting with mentees, the flip side is that I am also a big fan of modern music—so I use hip hop and indie rock as a way to connect with younger people.

 

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