“What do I, as a mentor, get out of mentoring?” is an appropriate question because it presupposes that the “mentee” is not the only one benefiting from the relationship. The mentor stands to gain as much, if not more.
The reason? The moment I step into the role of mentor, my sensitivity to modeling good, caring and responsible behavior is sharpened so that I automatically begin living out of my “higher self”. No longer is it I alone who benefits or suffers from the consequences of my actions but now so does someone else – the “mentee”. Younger people tend to follow the behavioral tendencies – for good or ill – of their elders.
Notwithstanding the responsibilities of mentoring, or perhaps because of them, the relationship serves to make each of us feel good about ourselves. My attempt to encourage the new employee’s self-esteem and confidence bolster my own. In mentoring, as in gift giving, there is a fine line between giving and receiving.