Mentors need to be empathic. We all perform best in situations of trust and understanding. When a Mentor is able to demonstrate that he/she
understands their mentee’s point of view and feelings on an issue, then the path is clear to help build a great relationship that can grow over the course of the mentoring experience. Trust naturally grows out of understanding and respect.
Research has shown time and again that having empathy in the mentoring relationship is an important characteristic and the best mentors are also those who have highly developing empathic abilities. But what is empathy, there are so many different explanations about what it can be that sometimes it may be easy to become confused by the descriptions so that you aren’t sure that this is the same skill we are all discussing.
According to Wikipedia, “Empathy, which literally translates as in feeling, is the capability to share another being’s emotions and feelings.”
To show empathy is to identify with another’s feelings. It is to emotionally put yourself in the place of another. The ability to empathize is directly dependent on your ability to feel your own feelings and identify them. However, it would be easy to assume that this means you have to experience the same emotions and become the same as the other person – this is not in fact what empathy is. Rather you can identify with another’s feelings whilst retaining your own individual boundaries. In other words, I can understand why someone feels as they do, but I don’t necessarily have to a. feel the same or b. think the same in order to have empathy with them.
About Linda Parkinson-Hardman
Linda Parkinson-Hardman is a social media strategist and website developer with Internet Mentor and the Founder and CEO of the Hysterectomy Association. She worked with the Mowgli Foundation between February 2009 and August 2011 managing their social media accounts and strategy, she still takes responsibility for the website and it’s hosting providing support to the staff team.
