For mentors, the most important thing, really, is to ask questions, to be this guide on the side, rather than the sage on the stage
Lisa Z. Fain, CEO of The Center for Mentoring Excellence
Takeaways of Note:
8 Questions Good Mentors Ask:
1- What Does Success Look Like To You? – another version of asking about goals… big-picture scenarios or specific situations
2- What Is The Outcome You Want? – effective when there is more than one equally viable solution or course of action
3- What Do You Want To Be Different in 3-5 Years? – focuses on a long-term outcome that may require growth or change
4- What Are The Obstacles You’re Facing? – allows the mentor to explore the challenges faced and to discuss the mentee’s strengths & weaknesses in addressing them
5- What Can You Control? – shifts the focus to what can actually be done about a situation
6- What Are The Options You’ve Come Up With? – ensures that the mentee has given the matter some thought and isn’t just relying on mentor for answers
7- Tell Me More – can help reveal biases or blind spots that are affecting judgment
8- What Are You Reading? – get to know mentee on a more personal level… giving a more holistic understanding of who they are as people
Gwen Moran, co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Business Plans