Madalyn McLane, account director, Deutsch NY
Bridge the gap of uncertainty for your mentee. Reaching out to a mentor, or even knowing how to ask for help, can be wildly intimidating. So, initiate the first couple check-ins/conversations and let them know early-on how you can/want to support them.
Dani Balenson, design director, Stink Studios
Respect their individuality. A lot of the time, mentors tend to say things like “I see a lot of myself in you” or “so-and-so went through this once..” which devalues the specific experience that their mentee is going through. Keeping the conversation and the advice about them, while referencing past events in a broader non-person-specific way, is really important to the mentee’s personal growth and development.
Sandy Rubinstein, CEO, DXagency
The best part about being a mentor is the opportunity to help someone navigate areas that are unfamiliar and that you may have already experienced. The opportunity to guide someone on their path using the wealth of your experiences helps them move forward in ways they would have never considered.