Tips for Successful Mentoring
Important Clarifications
- Mentorship starts after the mentee has been in their role for >6 months.
- Mentees decide who is the best fit to be their mentor. Mentors can be a peer or supervisor.
- To develop a skill, meet monthly then less frequently based on mentee needs.
- For long-term career planning, meeting may occur quarterly or semi-annually.
- Present the mentoring relationship as a growth and development opportunity.
Use adult learning principles.
- Exhibit exemplary/role model behavior.
- Be interested. Don’t appear rushed.
- Be clear about the necessity of meeting on a regular basis, even if your mentee doesn’t appear to have any issues, problems, or development needs. Expect mentee to participate.
- Make appointments in advance.
- Meet in an environment where there will be few, if any, interruptions.
- Introduce your mentee to coworkers, physicians, and other significant individuals.
- Offer guidance on the customs/culture of the unit/organization.
- Remember, consistent interest, quality time, and friendliness builds a relationship of trust, wherein positive development occurs.
- Publicly praise your mentee’s accomplishments and abilities.
- Recognize and encourage potential.
- Provide support in times of personal crises or problems.
- Monitor your mentee’s progress.
- Assist in making decisions through listening, support, and feedback.
- Apply situational leadership.
- Share appropriate life experiences to personalize and enrich the mentoring experience. Describing mistakes made in a humorous way can be especially helpful (“You wouldn’t believe what I did/said...”).
- Encourage the mentee to take risks and learn from mistakes.
- Agree to a no-fault termination of the relationship if it isn’t working or when the time is right.
- Prepare your agenda to meet with your mentor considering the following:
- Your immediate needs for the month
- The current demands of your work
- Feedback received from others
- Something that went wrong recently
- Something that went very well that you’d like to utilize more often
- Short-term goals
- Long-term goals
- Questions
- Concerns / Issues
- Wishes
- Meet in an environment where there will be few, if any, interruptions.
- Clarify roles, responsibilities, and confidentiality with your mentor.
- Utilize the relationship as a growth and development opportunity.
- Refrain from saying, “Oh I don’t have any issues, problems, or development needs this week/month, so we don’t need to meet.”
- Make appointments in advance and keep them. If you need to cancel, re-schedule immediately.
- Hang in there…as you know, good relationships take time. It is the consistent, quality time together that can build a relationship of trust, wherein positive development and success can occur.
- Agree to a no-fault termination of the relationship if it isn’t working or when the time is right.