Previously discussed topics were the importance of mentoring and leadership, as well as the roles of a mentor and roles of a mentee. To view the entire series:

• Part 1: Interlacing Leadership and Mentoring
• Part 2: The Many Roles of the Mentor
• Part 3: The Roles of the Mentee

This post will dive into what is required to build the mentoring relationship. I’m going to take a different approach this time; instead of writing a bunch of paragraphs, I am going to summarize the phases of the mentoring relationship by using an outline. Let’s see how this goes!

At the beginning of the mentoring relationship, the mentor and mentee should discuss how the partnership should be structured. Regardless of whether the mentoring relationship takes a formal structure, there are typically a few phases that take place:

• Building rapport
  • In this phase the mentor and mentee are exploring whether or not they can work together.
  • Simply get acquainted with one another (number of years in the industry, technical skillset, common skills, similar career paths, etc.)
  • Determine purpose of relationship and establish expectations.
  • Active listening, being respectful, being open and honest help build reciprocal trust in this stage.
• Setting direction
  • This phase is all about setting goals. Once there is rapport and the relationship has established its sense of purpose, then determine what should be achieved.
  • Discuss the overall mentoring goals; for example, the following questions could be asked:
    • What are your visions and career aspirations?
    • Where is your career right now?
    • What are your strengths, weaknesses?
    • What is your behavioral style?
    • What is your leadership style?
    • What are your top three goals?
    • How can the mentoring relationship help to build new technical skills, explore new ideas, forge a new career path, expand your network, etc.?
  • If this is a formal mentoring process, a “Mentoring Partnership Agreement” could be established to determine clear goals, roles, and responsibilities, as well as setting a schedule.
• Recap and progress
  • Recap the mentoring sessions at the end of each session. Also consider reviewing the progress between sessions at the beginning of the session.
  • The progression piece is typically the longest of all the phases. This phase can be perpetual depending on the length of the mentoring relationship.
  • Work together to accomplish the established goals.

Qualities of a successful mentoring relationship:

• Articulation – the mentor should be able to help the mentee articulate their feelings, thoughts and ideas. The mentee may still be learning this skill.
• Listening – both the mentee and the mentor should exhibit active listening skills.
• Respect – without respect, the relationship will not achieve a level of openness required for successful mentoring.
• Goal clarity – both the mentee and mentor need to have a clear understanding of the mentee’s objectives. It would also be good for the mentee to know the mentor’s goals in order for the relationship to be more reciprocal.
• Challenging – the mentee and mentor should both be challenged during this relationship.
• Self-awareness – the mentor should be proactive and insightful in order to appropriately guide the mentee using his or her own experience. The mentee should be self-aware in order to be able learn from the mentor’s example and advice.
• Commitment to learning – both the mentor and the mentee should be learning and growing as a part of this relationship.
• Reflection / preparation – a common reason why mentoring relationships fail is because one party or both fails to invest time preparing for or carrying through with the time investment.