b'INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLECommunication skills are going to playKF:The mentor needs to be openall a matter of being open, engaged and a major part as well, and the motivationto being asked questions, and theinconversation. to work with the mentee. You cant justmentee needs to be open to being assign someone to mentor, because ifquestioned and [receiving] feedback.DG:The mentor needs those qualities theyre not the type of personality thatBoth need to be able to talk throughand abilities I mentioned [earlier]. The is going to be motivated to do it, theythings and not be locked into the ideamentee needs to be attentive, ready to wont be very effective. that their way is the best. I alwayswork and engagedthats the biggest promote two-way mentoring, becausething. They need to be invested in the KF:Knowledge is key, along withmore veteran staff can also learn newidea of mentorship in general and then patience and the ability to transitiontricks from younger generations aboutinvested in getting the most out of how you explain and present things. Indifferent ways of doing things. Itsthatprocess.other words, a natural teacher.DG:They should be a well-rounded tradesperson with a good variety of skills. I always look for people who are professional, who take pride in their appearance, who can communicate with people without yelling and swearing or being offensive, and who have a high energy level, because even just those attributes will affect everyone around them. Once we identify that person as a potential mentor, we work with them on areas like the DiSC personality profiles and how to communicate with those. Then it goes from therethe actual skill is only part of the equation for what we need in the industry, as far as leadershipgoes.MENTORING IS A TWO-WAY STREET. WHAT CAN BOTH MENTORS AND MENTEES DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE RELATIONSHIP?DC:They must be open, honest and capable of listening. At some point, if someone is taking you under their wing to mentor you, you need to close your mouth and listen, take the advice and try it. That applies to the mentor as well. Ive even seen it at the apprentice levelwhere theyll suggest a new approach, and Ill try it, and it works much better. It doesnt hurt to listen. There is soTRS BUILDING ENVELOPE much going on in our trades that there is no way to know everything, no matter TOMTAR ROOFINGhow much experience you have. Thats& SHEET METAL what makes a good leader, too. They will take all the relevant information, assessUnmatched Industryit and go from there. They shouldntExperiencebe turning down the information just because theyre trying to defendServing the Interior & Western Canadaaviewpoint.SICA CONSTRUCTION REVIEWFall 202243'