The mentoring relationship, acting either as a mentor or a mentee, may present you with a number of issues or dilemmas. Often, there are no easy or obvious solutions and there may be no clear-cut sense of 'right' or 'wrong'.

The aim of these simple guidelines is to highlight a set of behaviours which might impact upon the mentoring relationship or, indeed, when using mentoring/coaching techniques in other situations.

Roles

The role of the mentor is to assist the mentee through a process of self-reflection, questions and support, signposting challenges and offering feedback.

The role of the mentee is to work with the mentor to set goals and carry out a plan to meet those goals, using the mentor as a sounding board for reflection and decision making.

Responsibilities

Both the mentor and mentee should carry out their roles with professionalism, consideration and support.

Personal information

Please do not pass on any personal information, including any contact details, to anyone else unless required to as outlined above or as agreed between yourselves. Any personal information you receive should be kept in accordance with the data protection laws for your country.

Communication

Please communicate through safe and secure channels, such as email or through the online mentoring platform. Please keep your conversations as confidential as possible; mentees may wish to record a video meeting, but please gain consent from all parties before doing so. If there is a concern of harm to one person, please speak to your mentoring co-ordinator or another trusted person in the organisation.

Competence

Mentors need to be conscious of their own levels of mentoring competence and experience and to never overstate them. Instead, they should help the mentee to practice self-reflection and ask questions about their own development, rather than advising the mentee specifically. Remember that the mentee has the ability and the potential, the mentor's job is to help them realise it.

Other Useful Links:

Best Practice Guide for Mentors

Giving back to your Community through Mentoring

A Guide for Mentees: How Mentoring can help you

Goal Setting for Mentees

How to be a Mentor