.....Are You Ready to be a Mentor?, by Donna Deeprose

.ASSESSMENT:

1)	To be a mentor, you should:

	Have a wealth of experience and knowledge in your field.
	Have a desire to help others attain their potential.
	Have a high position in your organization.

2)	It's best to mentor someone who:

	Reports directly to you.
	Is two or three levels below you in the organization.
	May be anywhere in the organization but is someone with whom you relate well.

3)	To choose someone to mentor, you should look for a person with:

	Enthusiasm for learning and trying new things.
	High potential for moving up in the organization.
	Skills and knowledge that are unrecognized in the organization.

4)	As a mentor, the best thing you can do is:

	Guide your mentee up the corporate ladder.
	Teach your mentee the necessary knowledge and skills to get a better job.
	Open your mentee's eyes to a wide range of options and experiences.

5)	If your mentee needs help solving a problem, one good approach is to:

	Share your own comparable experiences.
	Offer the mentee options for solving it.
	Discuss it with the mentee's supervisor.

6)	If you think your mentee is about to make a big mistake, the best thing for you to do is:

	Say nothing. Mistakes are how people learn.
	Advise your mentee against doing what you think would be a mistake.
	Guide your mentee into seeing the results of the proposed behavior.

7)	If a job opens up that reports to you and your mentee wants it, you should:

	Give it to your mentee only if he is the best person for the job.
	Give it to your mentee, even if he is not fully qualified. With your relationship, you can trust him to grow into it quickly.
	Avoid giving it to your mentee. It will look like favoritism.

8)	You should generously share with your mentee your knowledge of:

	Company politics.
	The company's present and future direction.
	The idiosyncrasies of the leaders of the organization.

9)	If your mentee is having difficulty getting cooperation from people outside her own department, it is reasonable for her to ask you to:

	Intervene for her, going over the heads of the people who are failing to cooperate.
	Open some doors, getting her access to people in authority in the other departments.
	Call in some markers to help her get the cooperation she needs.

10)	If you come to realize your mentee will never be able to rise high in your organization, you should:

	Help him accept his limitations.
	Find her a job elsewhere.
	Help him identify realistic options both inside and outside the company.

Would you like to help a newcomer by sharing your knowledge and skills? This quiz will reveal how ready you are to become a mentor and provide some tips for building the most profitable mentor-mentee relationship.

Click here to start this assessment!