Being a great technician doesn’t automatically make you a great mentor. To be a great mentor, it takes a special skill set not everyone can master. In this article, we’re going to share tips on how you could become a great technician mentor.
Preparing To Be a Mentor
Build Skills
Just because a technician may know how to fix an engine doesn’t mean they could teach someone how to fix an engine. It is important to take classes or read books on how you can build your leadership/mentoring skills.
Demonstrate Leadership
Be a role model and someone a mentee and look up to. Show them what it means to be a great technician and the characteristics it takes to be a good mentor.
Learn About the Mentee
Mentees don’t want to feel like just another number in the shop. Get to know them on a personal level. What are their hobbies? How do they learn? What are their future goals?
Expectations and Responsibilities of a Mentor
Help Mentee Grow and Thrive
Show the mentee the opportunities in the industry and explore different career aspirations. Help them develop skills and lead them in a point of direction that will set them up for success.
Set Goals
Like most careers, it is important to set goals for new mentees. What do they want to achieve? Where do they see themselves in 5 years? 10 years? Have them write these goals down, and track them once accomplished.
Provide Feedback
Sometimes you need to make a mistake to learn, and as a new technician, your mentee will make a lot of mistakes. Provide your mentee with constructive feedback that is going to help them learn and improve in the future.
Ways to Help The Mentee
Shadowing
Let the mentee see what a day in the life of a technician looks like. This is a great opportunity for them to get a feel if this is a career they want to pursue, or realize they might have an interest in something else.
Hands-On Training
This is a hands-on career, and the best way to learn is with hands-on training. Allow your mentee to get involved in projects and get their hands dirty. This is one of the best ways for them to learn quickly.
Work Sharing
Mentees want to work on a project they could potentially be working on someday. Find projects where the mentee can help and assist. Talk them through it, and help them understand why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Want more advice? WrenchWay Top Shops, login to your WrenchWay account to view the full guide, “How to Be a Great Mentor” under the “Tips – Performance Management & Retention” category. The full guide includes helpful worksheets and forms for your mentorship program.
Not a WrenchWay Top Shop? Learn more about becoming a WrenchWay Top Shop.
