Be confident and assertive – doesn’t mean to get cocky or grow a big ego. Rather, you need to have the ability to be critical and challenge your learners’ view in a way that is not dangerous, but helps them see situations from a new perspective. Being a confident and assertive mentor means communicating with others in a direct and honest manner without intentionally hurting anyone’s feelings.

Be an active listener – be careful to process all the information that the trainees are saying. Watch body language, maintain eye contact, and understand what topics the learner is uncomfortable discussing. Showing that you are listening is a valuable skill in itself. It shows that you value what the person is saying and that you won’t cut them off. It requires patience and a willingness to postpone premature judgments.

Ask the right questions – the best mentors ask questions that make their mentees think. However, it is not as simple as it sounds. As a simple tip for you, if you want to be a good mentor, by asking questions you need to get the mentee to think about what you want to say and come to the same conclusion over and over again. To do this, try asking open-ended questions that cannot be answered with only yes or no. Or ask more direct questions that offer multiple answer options and then analyze together why they chose that particular answer.

Provide feedback – do it in a way that accurately and objectively summarizes what you’ve gone through, but also interpret what the learner said in information that adds value to them. In particular, use feedback to demonstrate that you understand the learner’s way of thinking. This is key to helping them see the situation from a different perspective.