For mentees, building nurturing mentorship relationships is critical from the start. If you’re new to mentoring, however, it can be difficult to know what to do. Aimlessly wandering into a new relationship can result in a low-impact experience that leaves both parties unfulfilled. Read on to learn how you can establish a positive connection with your mentee.
Focus on Transparency and Openness
In the early stages of your relationship, spend time getting to know your mentee. Doing so can help establish a relationship built on trust and honesty. While you don’t want to probe too deeply, you do want to understand your mentee’s needs and obstacles, and how their environment impacts them.
Set aside time for informal conversation where you ask your mentee to share their interests, challenges, and questions. Be an active listener so you can use these early conversations to inform the guidance you offer in future sessions. Assure your mentee that you are eager to help and avoid judgment when they share information with you. Further, encourage ongoing feedback. Ask your mentee how things are going periodically and let them share which strategies, programs, or interactions have been beneficial, and which ones have not.
Set Parameters and Responsibilities
Mentorship relationships differ from traditional friendships or work relationships. As a result, it is imperative to set some ground rules to maximize the potential for a positive outcome. Not taking this step can lead to frustration and wasted time. You can set parameters by determining what information is confidential and outlining what respectful communication looks like.
Additionally, make a point of setting a schedule. This is an important step toward developing structure and helping your mentee learn how to budget time effectively. Let your mentee know that you expect them to be on time to meetings or communicate if they are unable to attend. At OhanaHC, we provide new mentors with an onboarding process to help with this critical step.
Create Nurturing Mentorship Relationships with Goals
Lastly, be sure to enter your relationship with short-term and long-term goals. As the mentor, you should involve your mentee in the process of constructing goals to build buy-in and a sense of collaboration. As one approach, ask your mentee what their aspirations are during the current academic year, as well as after graduation. If they cannot articulate specific goals, work with them to understand their options and help them overcome insecurities. For instance, a short-term goal could be to commit to more diligent study habits to achieve higher marks in the classroom. This goal could then feed into achieving a longer-term goal, such as attending college.
OhanaHC works to empower new mentors as they embark on enriching relationships with area youth. Even if you lack experience serving as a guide and resource in this manner, we can equip you with the essential tools to be successful and make a difference. Simply fill out the contact form on our website or email us at info@ohanahc.org to learn more!