One distinguishing feature of mentoring is that the mentor has some level of benevolence towards the mentee. Benevolence is a sense of goodwill towards the mentee, or the qualities of compassion, care and generosity. As a mentor these qualities help you to create a personal sense of commitment towards the person you are mentoring. The levels of compassion, care and generosity a mentor feels will vary from relationship to relationship and need to stay within boundaries of professionalism and effectiveness. Reasons for this include:

Your mentee needs to feel ownership for their own learning. Your mentee must not be protected from life’s formative lessons like how to cope with disappointment, pressure or fear. Your mentee is empowered when they are successful through their own efforts. The principle of benevolence will help sustain your commitment and flexibility towards your mentee, while not suggesting responsibility for them. If, as a mentor, you don’t feel benevolent or compassionate towards your mentee, it does not mean that you are unable to work with the mentee in a way that is helpful. After all, you can still share knowledge and give advice that they are likely to benefit from.