What roles do I play as a mentor? I seem to be changing hats.

Mentors play different roles according to the needs of the mentee. A mentor wears all these hats listed below. Observe your mentee and decide what she needs at each meeting. 

• Sounding board: helps the mentee think through their own ideas, out loud. Ask good questions to help the process.
• Experience sharer: shares their own experiences in areas that are relevant for the mentee, when appropriate.
• Critical friend: speaks the truth as they see it, and challenges and tests the mentee’s ideas.
• Listener: listens carefully, allows time, and encourages the mentee to reflect.
• Counselor: focuses on the emotional aspects of issues, discusses and explores with empathy.
• Career coach: helps think through career options, goals, and learned lessons.
• Networking coach: discusses how to build, maintain and use a professional network.
• Behavior coach: helps with the personal behavioral change of the mentee on specific issues.
• Motivator: offers encouragement and helps the mentee build self-belief.