Your mentee looks to you for many things. They look to you, as their mentor, for guidance; they look for advice, and they look for wisdom. Sadly, though many mentees feel that their mentors satisfy all of these basic mentorship needs, they also feel that they’re lacking in encouragement. If you want to be the best possible mentor, coach, and leader, you need to be well-equipped to encourage your mentee. For all those instances, there are multiple ways to encourage your mentee. Here, we have gathered the top three.

Encourage Your Mentee to Set Attainable Goals  

Nothing’s quite as discouraging as setting a goal only to fall short of it—by a longshot or by a fraction of a second. When this kind of scenario happens to your mentees, it’s important, as their mentor, for you to encourage them that it’s not their fault. They simply set unrealistic goals for themselves. They’ll do better in the future.

To avoid this entire situation, you can start by encouraging your mentees to set more attainable, realistic goals. Use what you know about them from the mentoring relationship you’ve built with them to inform the goals you help them set. That way, you can encourage them along the way, knowing full-well that they’re able to reach those goals.

Keep Your Mentee in Mind for Different Opportunities

One of the best ways to encourage a mentee is to let them know that you’re keeping them top-of-mind for different opportunities.

When you’re able to introduce them to new and engaging challenges, they’ll feel encouraged simply by your thinking about them—as well as by their ability to overcome the challenges you present to them. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Show Your Mentee You Care Through Your Actions

Finally, it’s important to demonstrate to your mentee that you care and that you’re there for them through your actions. Showing your mentee you care by being there for them in their times of need as well as in their times of celebration and triumph is the absolute best way to encourage your mentee.

And, when your mentee feels empowered and encouraged, they’re better able to pay that kindness and caring forward, thereby making the world a better place.