Perfect Pair: How To Maintain A Great Relationship With Your Mentee

It’s an exciting opportunity to mentor and educate an individual on the ins and outs of your industry. According to Guider AI, over 80% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs for their employees to take advantage of.

The mentor-mentee arrangement can be a validating experience. However, learning how to maintain a successful relationship with your mentee takes dedication. That being said, here are a few helpful tips to start your connection with your student on the right foot.

Who said that progress reports are only for elementary school? Have your mentee send quarterly updates on their journey throughout their career, documenting the highs and the lows. Utilize the time to address their weak areas and provide expertise to transform your mentee’s weaknesses into positives. 

Forbes shared that you cannot be afraid to point out flaws when navigating mentor-mentee relationships. Be upfront with how they can improve. If you hold back while sharing feedback, your mentee may get a false view of their progress.

Per Michigan State University, mentors should do something special for their mentees now and then to show that they care. If they are making tremendous progress on their journey, reward them and your stellar leadership skills by throwing a small party or surprising them with a thoughtful gift. Taking the extra mile and congratulating your student will create a relationship between you two that could last a lifetime.

No mentee wants a relationship with someone who is frequently missing in action. Take the necessary time to respond to emails, calls, and other forms of correspondence. If you will be unavailable due to business or personal obligations, share that information with your mentee. This practice will allow your mentee to feel supported and not doubt your dedication to helping them grow. 

You are helping your mentee blossom, but at the same time, you are managing your busy career. To prevent yourself from being burned out or overwhelmed, consider asking a few colleagues to pitch in and help guide your mentee. Harvard College advised that having multiple mentors at their disposal will create more opportunities for your mentee to learn different perspectives on various situations. As a result, this will help them become a more well-rounded individual.

According to Indeed, the GROW model is an incredible structure you can utilize with your mentee to help them assess their goals, reality, obstacles, and intentions/way forward. The first step is for your student to identify their short-term and future goals. Next, highlight the reality of achieving the goals. Then, address any obstacles that could impede on their dreams. Finally, outline how your mentee should achieve their goals and watch how they work toward them.

If you choose to implement these tips, they will help you learn how to maintain a successful relationship with your mentee. Moreover, it’s a great idea to be forthright and ask your mentee what qualities they would like to see in you as their mentor. Listen to your mentee’s feedback and apply those notes.

The author’s content and opinions have not been pre-reviewed, approved or endorsed by Discover.