Deborah Radman: Mentoring Tips

A poorly planned and unstructured mentoring relationship can be a waste of time.

Using a systematic process, mentors and mentees can be more effective and productive in their relationships, says Deborah Radman, senior vice president/director at CKPR.

Here are her four steps, which can help both sides of the equation in this all- important relationship. The steps overlap a little bit, so you sometimes may work on more than one step at a time.

• Building the relationship. Don't rush this first step. Building a trusting relationship requires sufficient time and dedicated effort. Sometimes we're tempted to hurry the process or neglect this step altogether. When we do, we cheat ourselves out of valuable mentoring experiences and decrease the likelihood the relationship will succeed.

  Focus on getting to know each other and establishing a foundation of trust. Begin to explore the experiences and goals of both the mentee and the mentor. Relax and realize that becoming acquainted is a critical step that will lead to positive results. While you build your relationship, this step also includes planning your meetings, making them more frequent at first, and ensuring that both of you are involved in the mentoring process.

• Negotiating agreements. After you've become acquainted, you're ready to create a set of operating agreements for your mentoring relationship. For example, define your role as a mentor or mentee, determine your schedule and meeting logistics, and clarify any limitations or preferences in the relationship.

  Negotiating clear expectations will help the relationship run smoothly and help each partner achieve his or her mentoring goals. This step includes establishing measures of success, discussing confidentiality, determining the role of the mentee's manager (if any), and clarifying the expectations of the mentor and mentee.

• Developing the mentee. Nurturing the relationship is the longest step in the process and will comprise most of the effort. Mentoring partners should:
  • Set one or more goals
    
  • Choose objectives to reach the mentee's goals
    
  • Select development activities to achieve the objectives
    
  • Maintain regular contact with each other
• Ending the relationship. Scheduling a formal ending is an important event in the mentoring relationship, a time when you can celebrate your accomplishments and plan for the future. A formal ending prevents the relationship from dwindling without focus or disintegrating from inactivity.

  It also gives each mentoring partner a needed sense of closure and a transition into a less formal partnership or a new mentoring arrangement. It's an excellent time to evaluate your work together, finish your last objectives, and plan for future options.