The two most common mistakes mentors make are: 1) not holding the guys to the covenant, and 2) using the meeting to teach instead of facilitate. It’s critical to set the tone early regarding the level of commitment expected. The mentees signed a covenant, committing to the process and they need to know that everyone around the table is just as committed to this as they are. Don’t take the covenant lightly. Read more on why we use the word covenant here.
Mentoring is about modeling and sharing your life experience, not teaching. The best mentors can listen, ask good questions, bring others into the conversation, and tell a relevant story to make a point. They let the conversation run when it’s going in a good direction but cut it off as soon as it loses its point. There are moments when it’s appropriate to put on your teacher hat (think Scripture memory), but for the vast majority of the time, you should be in facilitation mode.
