Mentoring - Making the most of your Mentoring Partnership

This time last year the WorkLife Central Mentoring Programme 2020 had just launched with a live webinar, ‘The Power of Mentoring’. Matches were made in June and, for the first time, the whole cohort started virtual mentoring partnerships. There is no doubt that few, if any, would have guessed that we would be working remotely for the duration of the programme. As we approach the end of the twelve months, it is a good time to check whether there are still objectives to focus on, review progress made so far, as well as draw a conclusion together at the end of June.

There is nothing like a deadline on the horizon to sharpen the focus. Have you, as a mentee, anything more that you would like to explore with your mentor? Perhaps there is a question that you have been meaning to ask, but never quite got around to. Or maybe something new has come up for you since your last meeting. Either way, now is the time to take advantage of the time you have left and seize the opportunity for some more valuable guidance.

For your last meeting together, you might also want to include some time to reflect on your mentoring journey. Mentees, what were your original objectives when you applied to join the programme? It could be that your motivations changed along the way. Now is a lovely opportunity to reflect with your mentor on the successes, as well as what you have learned and, just as importantly, what you still have to learn as you look beyond the programme and your mentoring partnership. It is a good idea to consider where you might be struggling, and what opportunities you have ahead that may well help you to explore, try new behaviours and approaches, make any changes, and continue to grow. What would you like to be saying to your mentor in six months’ time, if you were to catch up over a virtual, or even real, coffee? For mentors, now also signals a good point at which to reflect. What have you enjoyed about being a mentor? Have there been any challenges, and if so, what have you learned from them?

Which leads us beautifully to the question of how you both feel about your partnership coming to an end, once the programme closes. How are you with endings? What do you need to move through this transition? How will you show appreciation, and will you keep in touch? All good questions to consider ahead of the last meeting. From the feedback we have received so far, many of you have really benefitted from this support during such a challenging time. Thank you all for taking part and particularly to our mentors, for giving your time so generously.