**5.3 Being altruistic**

The mentor should always act and advise in the best interest of their mentee. It is crucial for a good mentor to be altruistic and have selfless concern for the progression and goals of their mentee's career. Inattention and exploitation are counterproductive to effective mentoring. A mentor should not make much distinction between proposals or projects where he or she may or may not be a co-author between themselves or mentees. Mentees gain even more admiration for their mentors when the mentor looks for little to no professional recognition or benefit. A good mentor should put the mentees' careers before their own and introduce key collaborators that can further the mentees' careers [12, 14].

#### **5.4 Being approachable and available**

A successful mentor-mentee relationship requires the mentor to have a strong commitment to being available and accessible. The mentor should not only be initially meeting with the mentee frequently but also stay in touch with the mentee for the duration of the mentee's career. There should also be a certain quality of effort given to the mentee. During the meetings, the mentor should not be distracted and should give his or her full undivided attention to the mentee [11].

Approachability is an important characteristic that goes hand in hand with being a good mentor. There should be scheduled, consistent meetings and an open-door policy, so the mentee always feels comfortable reaching out to the mentor. This

is crucial for a longstanding, stable mentor-mentee relationship. Mentors should always be encouraging and check in with their mentees to show how they are progressing [12].

#### **5.5 Have professional experience**

Credibility is a very important characteristic of a good mentor. A mentor should have a good network of colleagues and collaborators that can help also guide and optimize the chances of success for the mentee. The mentor should continually create opportunities that bring value to the mentee. While mentors should always allow their mentees access to their network and connections, they should also warn and protect the mentees from harsh interactions [12].

Good mentors are able to effectively cultivate and develop highly productive faculty members. This leads to higher retention numbers of faculty at institutions. These faculty members are also able to obtain more grants, get more articles publishes, and promoted sooner than their colleagues without mentors [15, 16].

#### **5.6 Promote a balance between personal and professional goals**

Successful mentors should be able to provide a good balance between personal life and professional work to the mentee. The mentees should not only look at their mentors as role models at work or in a professional setting but also at home in their personal life. Good mentors are able to show the mentee how to deal with stress and are able to support them through their struggles. A mentor should be a guide and not force a mentee down a particular path. This requires the mentor to be compassionate and to stand by the mentee to offer emotional support. The mentor should be able to identify factors that might contribute to the mentee's stress and then teach the mentee how to deal with the stress or problem [11].

It is the mentor's responsibility to guide and transform the mentee toward their goals, but to also unlock their full potential. Mentors should be able to see the big picture and identify the mentee's potential. They should then set high standards and give a vision to help create a plan that can prioritize and achieve the mentee's goals. The mentor's advice should be specifically tailored to each mentee and offer a unique perspective to help expand the vision and ambition. The mentee should be allowed to fail, but it is important for the mentor to be present to advise and be a pillar of support as the mentee's career progresses. It is also important that the mentor allows the mentees to find their own way by leading instead of direction [12].

#### **6. Mentoring: the traits of a mentee**

Persons who would especially benefit from mentoring include those recently entering the profession or transitioning to a new position, those experiencing personal or professional difficulty, and those seeking to become organizational leaders [17]. It is important for the mentee to drive the relationship with the mentor and take the responsibility to seek out the mentor. Mentees should be respectful of the mentor's time and input. An effective mentee is able to make the most out of their time with their mentors by being prepared before sessions: come to the session with a structured plan, list of discussion points, timelines, and questions. During the session, the mentee should actively listen to the advice given by the mentors and be open to the criticism or feedback given by the mentor [9].

The mentee should feel inspired by the mentor and gain motivation to pursue their career. They should think of their mentors as a resource and not rely on their mentors to obtain their goals. Having someone to lean on and go to for advice can then inherently lead to more confidence and a greater chance for them to reach success [18, 19].
