How to get more out of your mentoring?

A short check list for mentees

What should a mentee do?

• Consider what you need a mentor for?
• Be prepared to be open
• Expect and welcome challenge
• Allocate sufficient time for preparation and the mentoring session
• Accept the mentor as a conscience
• Be realistic about the mentor as a role model

How well have you set direction?

• Are you working with clear direction?
• Do you have specific goals?
• Or general themes?
• Who is in the driving seat in the relationship?

Techniques to get more out of your mentoring

• Manage the relationship generally
• Achieve clear focus (what do I want to achieve?)
• Prepare for the mentoring sessions
• Articulate issues clearly
• Develop your learning net
• Overcome “guru syndrome” (don’t be in awe of your mentor!)
• Integrate appraisal data, career management and other sources of achievement goals into the mentoring dialogue. This may be useful

Reviewing your relationship

• How have the mentoring sessions helped so far?
• Have we begun to make progress towards realising my learning goals?
• What is our greatest success so far? And our biggest frustration?
• Are you preparing adequately for meetings?
• Are you reflecting sufficiently after meetings?