Communicating honestly with your mentor
The importance of honesty
Honesty is vital in all relationships. Relationships can build or break down depending on the level of trust that individuals have with one another. All it takes for trust to break is one lack of honesty, and then once trust is lost, it is near impossible for it to be regained.
It is the same between a mentor and a mentee. A mentor is not just simply a person who gives you advice. A mentor is your friend and confidant. Both counterparts should trust each other, and a mentee should be able to confide in their mentor without feeling scared.
Why is honest communication important in mentoring
This is a fundamental question to ask. Communication is an essential factor in relationships. A person cannot know what a person is thinking if there is a lack of effective communication. It gets even worse if the communication between the two lacks trust and honesty. A healthy mentoring relationship consists of open communication.
One critical reason for honesty in a mentor-mentee relationship is that a mentor cannot truly help without knowing the full truth. In such a situation, the mentor’s advice will not be wholly applicable.
Trust takes time to develop, especially if the mentor and mentee are strangers, but over time, a mentee should be able to share achievements and challenges with their mentor.