Stages of Mentoring
4.3 Selecting and Understanding a Mentee
Potential mentees may be recruited from structured and unstructured programs. Such programs may include honor societies, diverse interest groups, and clubs. Potential mentees may also be selected from classes that are taught by mentors. Mentees can be recruited by way of recommendation from another faculty member.
Each mentoring program has specific eligibility requirements. Some of these requirements include course prerequisites, academic merit (GPA), number of credits completed, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, and residency status.
Initiating the Mentoring Process
After potential mentees are selected, it is incumbent on the mentor to get to know the mentee. Getting to know the mentee will require effort and some time commitment. Some initial mentor actions and strategies for information gathering are suggested in the following table.
Table 2: Initial Strategies and Considerations for Building a Mentoring Relationship
| MENTOR ACTION | STRATEGIES FOR INFORMATION GATHERING | MENTOR CONSIDERATIONS |
| Take time getting to know each other | Obtain mentee’s résumé prior to initial conversation | Establish rapport, exchange information, identify life journeys, and address issues of culture and their importance |
| Discuss mentoring | Ask about any perceptions of what mentoring is, any past experiences of mentoring relationships, and what was learned from them | Talk about what mentoring is and share one’s own mentoring experiences, both positive and negative |
| Determine mentee’s goals | Ask what the mentee wants to learn from the experience and set goals | Determine if the mentee is clear about one’s own goals and objectives and if the goals and objectives are attainable and measurable |
| Determine mentee’s expectations and relationship needs | Ask what the mentee expects or wants out of the mentoring relationship | Discuss communication styles and ways of learning and be clear about the mentee’s expectations and needs |
| Define the concrete deliverables and expectations | Ask the mentee what would demonstrate personal and professional growth or success | Provide immediate feedback on the deliverables and determine if expectations should be reevaluated |
| Honestly share assumptions, boundaries, expectations, limitations, and needs | Ask for feedback and discuss implications for the mentoring relationship | Determine how much time and effort can be contributed to the relationship |
| Discuss options and opportunities for learning | Ask how much can the mentee be challenged | Provide the mentee with opportunities to present and publish with the mentors at local, regional, and national conferences |
Advising the Mentee
Once a mentee has been identified, specific guidelines should be presented in a forthright manner. It is best not to assume the mentee knows what to do and how to do it. The perspectives of mentees may differ from those of their mentors; therefore, it may be prudent to advise the mentee of the following:
- Be mindful of the mentor’s time;
- Be on time for meetings and on assignments;
- Ask for clarification if expectations and goals are not clear;
- Commit to making the time to meet on a regular basis and for research;
- Review the research plan on a weekly basis and prior to meetings with mentor;
- Consider multiple mentors, especially those who have different expertise;
- Keep both the resume and cover letter up to date;
- Keep the content of mentor-mentee research conversations discreet;
- Look for opportunities to suggest new ideas to the mentor;
- Practice active listening and self-reflection;
- Take the initiative to learn new skills; and
- Support other peer mentees.
