The Mentor-Mentee Arrangement: What are the fundamentals of an effective mentoring arrangement?

For this article, here are two requests:

1. Reflect on your current mentor mentee arrangement
2. Review the fundamentals of an effective mentor mentee arrangement. 

Consider these mentee/mentor relationships … Reflection:

Aristotle had Plato, 
Mark Zuckerberg had Steve Jobs, 
Dr Phil Mcgraw had Oprah Winfrey, 
Luke Skywalker had Yoda, 
Eliza Doolittle had Professor Henry Higgins, 
Daniel LaRusso had Kesuke Miyagi, 
Oprah Winfrey had Maya Angelou, 

And you had/have? ____

I had Dr. Gerard Grant who guided my understanding of organization culture/workplace culture and how to measure it through a participatory action-learning approach. Unfortunately he left the physical world too soon.

Yet, I continue to advance his work now called TRIPIS. Over the last 4 years I have used TRIPIS during two Merger and Acquisitions and many 1to1 consulting contracts with entrepreneurs. I tip my hat to Dr. Grant for his groundbreaking ideas. 

Now – let’s expand on your mentor mentee arrangement …

About Your Mentor Mentee Arrangement … Reflection:

Who‘s currently mentoring you – at work? Along your life journey? How are you organizing your mentoring arrangement?
Who were your mentor(s)? How did you organize those relationships?
Do you have more than one mentor? If yes, How have you organized these multiple mentoring arrangements?

OR

Who are you currently mentoring at work? Along another’s life journey? How are you organizing your mentoring arrangement?
If you’ve mentored others  – How did you organize those relationships?
Do you mentor more than one mentee at a time? If yes, How are you organizing these multiple mentoring arrangements? 

Would appreciate reading about your mentor or mentees … as a way to celebrate your mentor share a short story in the comments section. And to celebrate you as a mentor share a story about how you organize your mentee arrangement. 

What is an effective mentoring arrangement?

The mentoring arrangement is about structuring (organizing, forming) the mentoring system and processes.

In dealing with the structure, both the mentor and mentee are answering the question, “How do I/we establish and sustain a working arrangement through which we can use collaborative conversations for mutual benefit?”

An Effective Arrangement From Mentee’s Perspective:

The mentee usually approaches the mentor and requests the relationship (unless the mentee and mentor are involved in a formal Organizational Mentoring Program). Whatever the organizational agreement that frames the mentor mentee arrangement, let’s look at the person-to-person arrangement itself. 

Based on research and personal experience here is the mentee’s action list. She or he will:

• ask for what s/he wants and needs
• choose someone s/he respects and views as having success in her/his chosen career path (or similar one)
• choose someone who embodies the professional characteristics worth achieving
• close the arrangement when time arrives with explanation
• consider someone with different viewpoints and lis experiences for the purpose of challenging thinking/feeling
• decide how to approach the chosen mentor
• define roles in the relationship like time keeping, documentation, etc
• ensure clarity on the details of the arrangement – review and revise as she/he moves forward
• follow-up, appreciate, follow-up, appreciate, etc.
• listen responsively, clarify points as they arise or later after reflection
• reflect on the fact “s/he does not know what s/he does not know – therefore, will use questions to explore and discover”
• remain open to adoption of new behaviors
• set an intentional agenda
• take action – based on learning – with insights from the mentor 
• consider involvement of more than one mentor at a time

An Effective Arrangement from a Mentor’s Perspective:

The mentor will contribute in the following ways. He or she will

• agree on a meeting schedule
• agree to mentor
• ascertain the financial commitment required re: travel, technology use, phone costs, etc. and assign responsibility
• ask questions that guide the mentee to her/his best answer – now the mentee has a decision making framework for later use
• assign time to the relationship
• decide on the level of formality
• demonstrate effective and relevant communication verbally and non-verbally
• demonstrate emotional intelligence via awareness of his/her personal emotions and is sensitive to the emotions and feelings of the mentee
• ensure that when he/she does not know the answer, he/she will pause and decide how best to find the answer
• explore … contract or not to contract
• get to know the mentee personally – education, current experience, aspirations, etc.
• identify intention of the arrangement near the beginning = mentee goals
• introduce mentee to his/her network of opportunities = sponsorship
• leave decisions re: action with the mentee
• listen then share (when you listen you learn, when you share you educate)
• remain alert to the arrangement should it move away from the agreement – then, review and revise to move forward
• share knowledge and skill

When you identify new mentoring arrangement insights through your mentoring experiences, whether as a mentor or mentee … please share your new insights in the Comments section below … 

For follow up about workplace experiences and facilitative mentoring … 
https://wellthmovement.com/workplace-experience/