Empathic Mentoring for Developers - Why Should You Care, and How? by Dervis Mansuroglu

Build trust and psychological safety first - spend significant time (6-12 months) establishing trust before focusing on technical skills

Focus on empathy over sympathy - deeply understand mentees’ perspectives and feelings rather than just showing concern

Adopt a growth mindset - help mentees believe their talents can be developed and that mistakes are learning opportunities

Create a structured mentoring plan with regular feedback sessions (bi-weekly/monthly) while remaining flexible to mentee needs

Understand the whole person beyond just technical skills - consider their background, values, communication style, and life circumstances

Provide safe spaces for failure and learning - encourage experimentation and frame mistakes as discoveries

Connect mentees to broader networks and opportunities - share your connections and help them build relationships

Be patient with the process - mentoring is a long-term investment that requires consistency and dedication

Support underrepresented groups by actively working to remove stigmas and barriers while advocating for inclusion

Combine technical guidance with soft skills development - balance programming knowledge with communication and collaboration abilities

Maintain clear boundaries and know when to refer mentees to other resources when issues are beyond your expertise

Practice honest, direct communication while remaining respectful and empathetic