No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Be an Attentive Mentor

December 5, 2018
No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Be an Attentive Mentor
Being a good mentor takes time. How can you make sure your schedule full of meetings, speaking engagements, and travel doesn’t hinder your ability to be an attentive mentor? 
First, appreciate that some time is better than none. If 60-minute meetings aren’t possible, try to set aside 30 or even 15 minutes. These smaller windows will force your mentee (and you) to get to the point. 
And face-to-face meetings aren’t your only option: text messaging, email, video conferencing, and phone calls can all help you connect with your mentee. 
Most important, be fully PRESENT and engaged during mentoring sessions. Whether you are meeting in person, over Skype, or even having a text conversation, demonstrate to your mentee that for the next few minutes, they are all that matters. 
If you start to get distracted by other tasks or your next meeting, refocus your attention and remind yourself: Be here, now.

Adapted from "How Doctors Can Be Better Mentors," by Sanjay Saint, MD and Vineet Chopra, MD