1. Preparation is key

Nothing is more valuable than the time spent together. Benefit from Mentor Lane’s existing materials and resources to use your time with your mentee as efficiently as possible. Review materials from past sessions before moving on with the next meeting.

2. Send and receive

Act as both a contact person and listener. Develop a better understanding of your mentee’s situation, self-assessment and perspective.

3. Create trust

Share anecdotes from your personal and professional past with your mentee. Help them identify with you, so that they can transfer possible options of action to their own circumstances. Create a foundation of trust and sharpen your mentee’s competence to judge.

4. Recognize and understand perspectives

You and your mentee are in different phases of your lives. Depending on personal and cultural backgrounds, you are a testimony of different experiences, values and ambitions. Acknowledge and develop an understanding for those versatile perspectives and benefit from them. Develop an understanding of the existence and validity of these differences. Having an objective view will help you have fruitful discussions, which will bring you closer to your common goal.

5. Give advice without giving advice

Do not give instructions for action. Rather, ask guiding questions, so that your mentee can identify potential consequences themselves. The objective is for them to draw their own conclusions and correctly assess upcoming decisions. Offer orientation, but allow your mentee to develop her own solutions. However, it is not forbidden to suggest solutions.

6. Maintain professionalism

Clear and sincere communication is not always pleasant. Maintain discretion in every respect, admit mistakes and take accountability for them. Always keep your goals in mind. Avoid inappropriate topics, remarks and gestures. Always remain professional in your handling with each other.

7. Be a role model

You have a role model function. Your mentee strives for the success you may have already achieved. Be careful that your mentee does not try to copy you. Potential weaknesses and skeptical behavior should not be adopted and become a habit. Rather, support your mentee in finding out which behavior is appropriate in which situation. All decisions should be made according to the personality of your mentee.

8. Encouragement and support

Your mentee is in an emotionally exciting phase of their life. There will be times you need to assist your mentee. Listen to your mentee and provide support during setbacks to regain optimism, self-confidence and self-esteem. Don’t solve their problems, but help them help themselves.

9. Success through structure

Establish clear and unambiguous conditions for both parties. The more concrete your planning, the more efficient the mentoring. Help your mentee to identify specific goals and become aware of necessary steps. Avoid ambiguity. Effective questioning and analysis as well as insightful feedback lead to clear reflection and better learning outcomes. A clear and comprehensible structure is half the way to success. Use our planning game to structure your mentoring.

10. Commitment

Being a mentor is a commitment. Take enough time for your mentee. The more work you invest, the greater your yield. Be punctual, avoid canceling meetings at short notice and make sure you are available for important issues.