How can team mentors build trust and rapport with their mentees through effective communication strategies?

Setting SMART goals linked to your organization's strategy roadmap helps establish a context for expectations and clarifies the mentee's role and responsibilities over the short and long term.

Trust is an outcome of a psychologically safe relationship. When people can show up whole, feel seen, contribute their unique value and express themselves in authentic ways. Mentors can build trusting environments by being vulnerable themselves and demonstrating how they trust their mentees.

Developing a coaching perspectives as well as a culture of coaching is the most effective method. I have seen this work quickly & in the most successful ways in my private executive as well as in leadership/team development & strategy work. I’ve even created three & six month coaching accelerated programs for companies to integrate. This is a key driver of employee satisfaction as a result.

in order to create trust and rapport with mentees. Mentors must practise active listening, then establish open and honest communication, provide regular feedback, demonstrate empathy and understanding, and always offer encouragement and support

Some of the ways to mentors can build trust and rapport with their mentees is to have an open line of two way communication where mentees gets to share their perspective. This allows the mentees to be able to share without holding back thus building the trust between mentor and mentees. It also generates the synergy and momentum for rapport building. In other words, mentors are allowing the mentees to be comfortable and be real (authenthic). At times, its not just about giving, it is also about accepting.

Active listening isn't natural to some of us. To do this effectively, you must practice holding back your immediate desire to share a "me too" experience, which could cause your mentee to feel like the discussion just became all about you. One trick I've used to get myself to remember this is the 3:1 ratio of three questions about what someone is saying to one observation or experience of mine. This helps me really dig into what they mean, perhaps finding out what's beneath the surface and how they are feeling about it. It can be a profoundly gratifying experience that leads to a deep level of understanding and connection.

Empathy requires active listening to build trust. This process requires consistency. Any lapse will be breakdown trust and could become irreversible. Therefore, mentors need to tread carefully before they embark on building trust with a mentee. Does the mentor have the capacity to be consistent over the long haul? By becoming conscious about the demands, empathy coupled with active listening requires, a mentor can begin this process.

A great listener will ask enhancing questions and is sure to clear any doubt or ambiguity. As a mentor, your listening skills to what is being said and not being said assure your mentees that you are on the journey with them, it gives them a safe space to be open more to you.

Curiosity and openness to me are key practices for listening. A conversation between mentor and mentee can be generative for both, if both bring the gifts of generous questions, deep and embodied listening, silence and reflecting. Referring to i.e. Presencing practice by the Presencing Institute and Onbeing Podcast "A good conversation is an adventure" and "Living the questions".

Definitely! By openly sharing stories of setbacks, mentors reveal vulnerability and offer valuable lessons, portraying setbacks as a part of the journey. This transparency reduces the fear of failure, fostering a deeper connection and encouraging open dialogue. In this environment of understanding, mentees feel acknowledged and supported, setting the stage for a meaningful and collaborative mentorship.

I agree, but it’s also important to teach your mentees the paths to find solutions. I don’t always know the answers so introducing them to people and resources who can assist them when you aren’t there is also a key tool to give them. Teamwork is truly a crucial component towards success.

Storytelling is one of the most effective tools for creating a haven for your mentees. I call personal storytelling in mentor-mentee coaching the magical wand that breaks the ice, it also serves as a subtle way to show diverse perspectives to providing solutions.

Absolutely agreed. Sharing personal stories with your challenges, experiences and learnings are insightful and connecting. Yet, everyone has to learn their own way and write their own story. There is no formula to success and happiness. Reflecting on learnings and resonance from stories of each others lives can add another layer of insight.

Feedback is great, however in giving feedback make sure your feedback are solution solution-providing, they are enhancing, and building the self-esteem of your mentees. In giving feedback your body language speaks louder than what is being said so while you are providing your feedback make sure you do it wholesomely. Your feedback means a whole lot to your mentees.

This is important. What I usually do is to have a conversation with them and ask for their honest feedback. What things can I improve and how can I better cater to their needs and address their issues.

Sometimes ask for anonymous feedback and you will be amazed at what you will get. I once had feedback that said I give compliments a lot but I shut down when I am being complimented and this affects the person, I had to start saying 'Thank you' when I get compliments.

Some of the most potent motivation I have received in my career came from my leaders or peers celebrating and recognizing my hard work. I have adopted this style in my leadership whenever possible. This includes shout-outs here on LinkedIn, internal messages of praise, or spot bonuses. Recognizing and celebrating the achievements of your mentees or team can significantly impact their confidence, motivation, and overall sense of well-being. It's also a great way to show them you appreciate and are grateful for their hard work.

A great mentor takes this a step further. Team Mentors who truly have positive intentions for their mentees advocate for them. This does include but also goes beyond celebrating successes. When given a chance to call out a mentee's impactful contributions, yes, they will take the opportunity to credit them, but they'll also address a mentee's big wins with senior management or suggest the mentee attend a brainstorming session relevant to some prior achievement, idea, or work contribution that the mentee may not have been invited to. When a mentee sees you paving the way for their advancement, not just because it's in your job description, that's when true reverence, trust, and allyship are built - in that position, organization, and beyond.