Stepping into a mentorship role can be extremely rewarding, but it also comes with some risks. Mentor-mentee relationships don’t always come naturally. And it may take some strategizing to make the relationship fruitful for both parties. Obstacles don’t have to derail a potentially life-changing experience. Continue reading to learn how to overcome challenges in connecting mentors and mentees.
Create Clear Guidelines
One of the best ways to avoid conflicts in mentor-mentee relationships is by establishing concrete guidelines at the onset. Doing so holds everyone accountable and clarifies roles. Make this a priority at the first meeting.
Start by determining the frequency of meetings. Perhaps the organization overseeing the mentorship program has established guidelines on how meetings should run. Plan on adhering to them. This can help manage expectations in case one party wants weekly meetings and the other wants monthly meetings, for instance.
Other ways to set parameters include setting goals at one of the first meetings. You don’t want the mentee to feel overwhelmed with homework assignments. At the same time, the mentor should not feel overburdened in their role. Be clear on what the expected workload between meetings should look like.
Provide Socialization Opportunities
Establishing mentor-mentee relationships doesn’t come naturally to every pair. That’s where intentional social situations can be a useful way to encourage relationship development. Plan on attending career fairs, seminars, and other events. They provide an outlet beyond standard meetings to build connections.
Attending events together provides a mutual talking point for future mentorship meetings. Mentors can use the experience to develop questions or assignments for their mentees. Meanwhile, mentees who may feel inadequate can feel like they have a shared experience.
Exploring mentorship through an organization that is dedicated to the process is the best way to go. OhanaHC brings years of experience in facilitating healthy and beneficial mentor-mentee relationships. We work to build an active programming schedule. You can trust that there always will be new opportunities to strengthen relationships.
Emphasize Empathy When Connecting Mentors and Mentees
Lastly, developing stronger soft skills can aid any type of relationship. Mentors and mentees who come from different walks of life may be especially in need of savvy when it comes to soft skills. Perceived social or economic differences can become barriers that thwart the potential for strong mentorship connections.
For starters, mentors should focus on improving their listening skills. At every meeting with a mentee, they should use questions to guide the conversation and offer space for the mentee to respond. It is easy for a mentee to feel too much like the wise sage, when, in fact, they should step back and listen. Additionally, mentors should be encouraging and cheer on their mentees.
At OhanaHC, we value mentor-mentee relationships and provide the scaffolding to make them successful. If you want to pursue mentorship, we will help you make meaningful connections with young people in our area. Please fill out the contact form on our website or email us at info@ohanahc.org to learn more!