Refrain from Instant Disagreement

A willingness to hear the mentee out and to refrain from instant disagreement will communicate the critical acceptance dimension so necessary to the creation of trust between the participants. By accepting the mentee’s legitimate right to hold very personal and different views, the mentor conveys the relevant message that the mentee is respected as a unique individual.

Mentors must remember that mutual agreement regarding ideas and beliefs may not occur between themselves and mentees, and that such an agenda should not necessarily be viewed as the primary goal of mentoring.

The ability to constructively debate differences, however, should in fact be considered a paramount benefit of such spirited exchanges. The goals of mentoring are not conversion and cloning; they are learning and reflection.