Guidelines for Mentors

 

THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP

Great relationships can empower great careers at all levels. Wherever you are in your career, mentoring can provide an opportunity to learn and grow, whether you are a mentor or a mentee. There needs to be a collaborative effort and joint accountability about what is being learned, how learning can be best communicated and evaluated to create a successful learning outcome.

Development in a mentoring relationship means identifying and encouraging growth. In your role as a mentor, please remember to keep your mentees professional and personal development goals at the center of your conversations and shared activities.

WHAT IS MENTORING?

Mentoring is a powerful personal development and empowerment tool to facilitate the development of another by sharing known resources, expertise, values, skills, perspectives, attitudes and proficiencies. It allows the mentee to build skills and knowledge while working toward attaining career goals. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for the mentor to further enhance his/her skills and knowledge areas through exposure to fresh perspectives.

BENEFITS OF MENTORING

Mentees have an opportunity to gain wisdom from an experienced professional. Mentors have an opportunity to invest in someone who can benefit from their skilled guidance. Both mentors and mentees can learn from one another. There is much potential to transform lives. 

WORKING WITH YOUR MENTEE:

– Communicate consistently with your mentee. Encourage the importance of maintaining and adhering to the schedule you agreed upon. Communicate immediately if there is a change to the schedule.
– You may choose to have a working agenda for the topics during your meetings, phone calls or emails.
– Please remember that the relationship between you and your mentee is professional and that communications should remain confidential.
– Please use your discretion regarding sharing personal contact information with your mentee.

PROVIDING FEEDBACK:

– Please make sure that your comments are constructive. Consider using the “sandwich approach”: first praise then constructive criticism, then praise.
– Encourage your mentee to seek out other people’s opinions and advice, not solely yours. Your mentee should appreciate different insights.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINE TIPS FOR MENTORS

It’s not possible to anticipate every situation and the appropriate behavior to apply when one is mentoring. However, here are a few tips to use as general guidelines:

DO:

– Early on, set expectations.  Work with your mentee to confirm a monthly schedule or a schedule that is mutually agreed upon.
– Get to know your mentee. Try to understand the challenges he/she faces.
– Be positive, patient, and dependable.
– Be consistent, but flexible. Expect changes in plans.
– Encourage, praise and compliment – even the smallest of accomplishments.
– Be an active listener. Use language that’s easy to understand.
– Be considerate of each other’s time.  If you can’t connect for any reason.  Let your mentee know.
– Be honest and sincere.
– Ask for opinions and participation in decision-making.
– Work with your mentee. Share your knowledge.
– Be enthusiastic – it’s contagious.
– Stress the positive.
– Be firm. Have your mentee assume responsibilities and hold him/her accountable.
– Help your mentee use mistakes as learning experiences.
– Be fair – they’ll notice if you’re not.
– Help identify your mentee’s talents, strengths and assets.
– Tell your mentee about yourself, especially what you remember from your early career experiences.
– Be open to what your mentee can teach you or share with you.
– Honor your commitment – This is extremely important!
– HAVE FUN!

BRINGING THE RELATIONSHIP TO A CLOSE

– Your role as a mentor is voluntary. The Licensing International Mentoring Program is a yearly program.
– If the mentorship is ending, bring it to closure. If you so choose, you can decide to continue with the relationship.

If for any reason you feel you need to discuss your mentoring relationship or the mentoring program, please contact Maria Ungaro mungaro@licensing.org. We are here to help enhance your mentor-mentee relationship experience.