Running productive mentorships

Our best mentorships go on for over 6 months or until a goal is reached – and sometimes longer.

But what makes a productive mentorship last this long? And how do you know if things are working out?

Setting yourself up for success

Did you know that the majority of mentorships end in the first month? If you make it over that curb, there’s good success you’ll keep working with your mentee for multiple months.

So while the first few weeks of a mentorship are rarely the ones that create wonders – they are a big opportunity for you to show your mentee that this works out.

Here’s what we’ve seen working very well:

Taking the first day(s) of mentorship to understand goals, the current situation of the mentee, and the timeline they are looking at
Working out a roadmap for collaboration over the suggested timeline. What's expected from the mentee? What's expected from the mentor?
End every call with an actionable or even take-home assignment to be done until the next call
Meet regularly – at least bi-weekly

Regular check-ins

As a mentor, it seems simple enough to wait until a mentee gets in touch with you, but that’s rarely effective.

When mentees leave us, the most common feedback is that they would have appreciated more, quicker or better check-ins.

Check-ins leave mentees with a source of accountability. So make it a priority on a regular basis to send an unprompted message, set up a call or get rid of blockers.

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