Part II – The Art of Being a Mentee

In addition to the duties of a mentor, the protégé, disciple, apprentice or student being instructed has responsibilities to make mentoring systems work. It may seem to most people as a top-down arrangement at first glance, but one thing is true in all mentorship programs: The mentee is responsible for making the system work. This is not typically a supervisory/subordinate relationship, but one of partnering to impart wisdom and knowledge to the mentee. Often when these programs are working at their best, the reverse is also true and mentors also gain a broader insight into their area of expertise. In Part I – The Art of Mentoring there was a list of ten minimum standards that must apply to the mentor. In a successful relationship the person being mentored must also display these same characteristics. It can be assumed that the purpose for creating the mentorship is to improve the knowledge, skills and experience of the mentee, but if the foundation skills are not present in the relationship then it is an uphill battle to catch up. For the mentee, the most important aspect is entering into the arrangement with the basic skills to reach a higher level and a certain humility that allows for intense listening and practice.

The source of mentees has no impact on the rules for making the relationship work. In formal mentorships, the individuals chosen to participate can be either by company selection or by employee application. As already stated, a commitment to allocate resources toward the success of the program is an important factor in gaining the support of those who enter the program. The credibility of the participants is the genesis for believability by the rest of the company. This is a big factor in sustaining a desirable culture that is an attraction to new hires and a retention factor for those already employed. The scope of a program must be within affordable resources, but care must be taken to prevent “second class” employees who do not participate. Some of the best programs assign appropriate mentors to all new employees. Others market the mentorship program to all employees and establish a standard application process. The best programs are also scalable to allow for growth when necessary or reduction when business needs call for it.

Mentees must assume the responsibility for the relationship, but their demands for certain standards must be provided by the program administrators. It will be seen to be a contract between the mentor and mentees, but standard goals and objectives are needed to insure consistent application to all.

1. Each mentee must contribute to their learning goals. There must be an agreed upon set of expectations. Establishing standards for performance and interim goals are instrumental in setting milestones, but managing expectations is critical to the success of the relationship. If there is a failure to meet the company, mentor or personal expectations, an immediate response is sent to steer toward a new course.
2. Communication can never be guarded or hidden. Openness is essential to let the mentor know how actions are impacting the learning and if there are any unanswered questions. Reciprocal feedback insures that the messages are not lost in translation. It is not always possible for the mentor/mentee relationship to be daily or constant, so planned eyeball-to-eyeball sessions need to be built into the training plan.
3. Ego never makes the trip into a mentorship. Giving unearned trust to a new face is not an easy thing to do, but assuming that the foundation is sound allows for true two-way trust to be established. The system is doomed to failure if either party cannot give or receive the trust necessary to make it succeed.

The role of the mentee means that they never wait for the mentor to act but to actively seek out their advice. The control of the training is in the hands of the trainee and this happens by initiating, scheduling and documenting meetings. Being open and honest contributes to personal gain. By sharing personal goals and development needs with the mentor, together the team can build a curriculum to satisfy everyone… and also meet company objectives.

 
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