This stuff requires a little forethought...

Be sure to

Clarify and establish what goals you will be working on during the Mentoring Program

Decide where meetings or will be held and allow for sufficient time

Listen actively and mirror your understanding by repeating what your mentor has said

Keep the tone positive and emphasize your intention to be supportive

Ask questions to gain more information and ensure understanding

Create action items to be achieved by each meeting that support desired outcomes

Review action items and evaluate what worked and what didn’t

Be willing to give and receive positive and negative feedback

Build on past achievements and give encouragement and praise

Challenge what is being said and ask how it is relevant to established goals

Enjoy watching your mentor achieve great things!

Try not to

⌧ Set unrealistic goals that are difficult to achieve

and measure

⌧ Hold meetings where distractions are likely

⌧ Interrupt except to clarify points or statements

your mentor has made

⌧ Evaluate, pre-judge or cast blame

⌧ Be afraid to ask clarifying questions if the

conversation is confusing or losing direction

⌧ Create unrealistic action items that you know

you won’t complete

⌧ Forget to follow-up on the action item(s) your

mentor committed to

⌧ Be vague and inconsistent with giving feedback

⌧ Avoid asking what can be learned from past

mistakes to problem solve obstacles

⌧ Miss opportunities to pinpoint achievable goals

⌧ Be condescending as an all-knowing expert.