Mentoring Tips for Mentors: How to Prepare for Your First Meeting With Your Mentee?

How exciting! You have been matched with a mentee and are now getting your first meeting.  

We have created a short checklist for you. 

• Try to collect information prior to the meeting
• If possible, meet in person for the first meeting
• Take time to get to know each other
• Define your roles, goals, and expectations
• Sign off on your mentoring agreement
• Determine the logistics
• Work on a development plan
• Discuss how you will give and receive feedback
• Discuss development activities and how you will measure
• success
• Discuss career development objectives
• Make an action plan

Getting Ready

• Review the mentee's LinkedIn profile and mentoring objective
• Reflect on how you will introduce yourself to your mentee
• Check out SWOT or GROW models to frame your mentee's development journey
• Leave your day-to-day activities behind.

Questions To Simmer On

• What kind of assistance can you provide to your mentee?
• Where were you physically and mentally in your mentee's age or work stage?
• What kind of meetings will you have together?
• How often will you meet?
• Where will you meet?
• What are the key factors you believe are important for a successful mentor-mentee relationship?
• Think about what the basic principles are for you in the mentoring relationship.
• Think about how you find meaning in the mentoring process.
• Think about what you might have in common and differing aspects. These conversations help initiate and strengthen the relationship.
• Think about what subjects you can experience and contribute to your mentee.
• Am I a good listener? Can I listen effectively? How long can I keep my focus? How much of my focus is on myself and what I want to say?
• How open are my questions? How many questions do I ask to understand the other party, to make them think, and to broaden their perspective? How much and/or in what situations do I tend to ask closed, judgmental questions and narrow down the options?

We hope this checklist was useful for you! 

You can join the TurkishWIN Mentoring program by joining us as a member. Our membership application is online at this link. Our dues are annual and you can join us any time based on a 12-month  rolling subscription. We cannot wait to meet you!