Active listening benefits both mentors and mentees in equal measure. Both develop a deeper trust in the other person because the practice demonstrates a willingness to elevate the speaker’s needs above theirs.
It aids mentors in fulfilling their responsibility to help their mentees elucidate difficult personal experiences and gain a better understanding of their development. It also prevents mentors from unintentionally belittling, criticizing, or talking over them when they’re feeling vulnerable.
Mentees can use the process to get out of their heads. Instead of dwelling on their own interpretations of things, they can listen actively to what their mentor is saying, sans any judgment, to gain a different perspective. It’s a critical skill that’s worth developing because it will pay dividends both inside and outside of the mentoring relationship.