Quick Guides for

The ability to reflect on and summarize what your partner has said is part of being an active listener and will improve the effectiveness of your session. 

Reflect on what you hear - Listen to your partner’s words and think deeply about it. Try to understand where they are coming from, what they mean and come up with your own ideas or thoughts on the subject. This shows your partner that you are listening and carefully considering what they have to say.

Observe – You should also pay attention to non-verbal cues and behavior you see. You may say, “I noticed you looked down when you said that…”, or “It seemed like your voice softened when you mentioned that person. Is there something more you want to say about them?” 

Summarize - Periodically, summarize what you have heard and check that it’s accurate. Summarizing and checking shows you’ve been listening and understanding what your mentoring partner has said. You may rephrase what they said and ask if it’s what they meant. It also helps you recollect important points they have mentioned or clarify anything that was unclear.

Give a shortened version of what you’ve heard by stating the key facts. Don’t try to interpret or add to it. Use this skill when you feel ideas are getting confusing, or when there seems to be more than one issue on the table.

You may use the Notes tab to summarize and keep track of any ideas or key points discussed during the Session so you have it handy for later. You may also refer to it before your next Session and keep track of your progress.

The objective of feedback is to help your mentee learn and improve, and not to criticize them. Done well, feedback can:

1. Enhance communication and trust.
2. Clarify expectations, and help partners be more open and honest about what each expects of the other.
3. Increase engagement and commitment, so both mentoring partners feel they have a stake in the journey.
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Giving productive feedback

Feedback needs to be consistent and constructive. Here are some tips on how to give productive feedback. 

• Permission: Ask permission before giving feedback.
• Intention: Question your intentions. Why are you giving this feedback? Will it help your mentoring partner learn?
• Be specific: Provide tangible examples of behavior you have observed. Discuss its impact.
• Frequency: Give feedback frequently when it is still actionable.
• Positive: Also focus on positive feedback. What’s going well? 
• Two-way discussion: Allow your mentoring partner to respond and think about what they are saying. Discuss ways to move forward and potential solutions. 
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Receiving feedback

How you receive feedback is also important. Be sure to listen and think carefully about feedback. Here are some suggestions:

• Listen: Listen attentively to what is being said. Don’t begin to plan how you will respond, and tuning out what is being said.
• Be open to feedback: Try to have an open mind, and be willing to change your behavior if necessary. 
• Reflect: Reflect back to your mentoring partner what you have heard to ensure you understand it clearly. Ask any questions. 
• Two-way discussion: Together, discuss potential solutions so you can move things forward. 
• Appreciate: Thank or recognize your mentoring partner for what they have shared with you.

Listening is key to most relationships. We all know how it feels when someone pretends to listen, but does not give us their full attention. Mentoring requires strong listening skills.
A good listener hears not only what’s said, but also what’s left unsaid. 

Here are some tips to become a better listener -
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1. Be present

First, put your phone on silent and keep it aside. Face your body towards the other person, and if culturally appropriate, make eye contact. Show you are interested. Check your posture–are you relaxed and open? Give your full attention.

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2. Stop talking and just listen

So often we do not give other people the space to talk. We interrupt them, finish their sentences, or talk over them. This shuts the other person down. Be silent. Give non-verbal cues showing you are listening. Allow for pauses so your mentoring partner can think more deeply.

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3. Remove distractions

If you are meeting virtually, set your cameras in a way that you can make eye contact. Remove distractions. Avoid distracting behaviors such as doodling, checking your phone and yawning. Offer your undivided attention. 

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4. Be non-judgmental

Try to remove your prejudices and judgments from your interaction. Keep an open mind and fully listen. Show empathy. Try to step into your partner’s shoes and understand their perspective. 

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5. Pay attention to non-verbal communication

Watch your partner and notice their gestures, expressions and body language. Are you sensing how they are feeling? What are they saying through their body language?

This structured agenda is based on MentorCloud’s “best practices” learned from working with many companies across the globe. It will help your mentoring meetings be productive and successful.

The recommended time is 60 minutes. 

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1. Feedback And Update (10 minutes)

• Reminder on the importance of confidentiality and respect.
• Update on what has happened since the last meeting. Refer to Notes from last meeting.
• Feedback from the mentee and mentor on their progress regarding Tasks, Goals and  the action plan.
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2. Discussion (40 minutes)

• Discussion points to be presented by the mentee.
• Questions asked by mentors to clarify the issues or challenges.
• Guided discussion on how to address challenges. 
• Options to address challenges going forward.
• Mentor can share experience or advice if the mentee requests it.
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3. Close (10 minutes)

• New action plan for mentees.
• Update Goals, Tasks and add any new Notes
• New action points for mentors.
• Preparation for the next meeting: venue, date and time?

When you create a Session, there is an option for your to write down an Agenda. It is best to plan ahead and have a few points of discussion written down for the next meeting.

Remote mentoring can be just as successful as in-person mentoring. Here are some tips for successful remote mentoring.

1. Choose a venue that is private - where your conversation cannot be overheard. Don’t conduct a mentoring session from your desk in an open office. Both mentoring partners should be able to  talk frankly and openly and have privacy.

2. Logistics - Set a date and time. Schedule a meeting right on MentorCloud with Sessions. Ensure both your calendars have been uploaded and that the correct time zones have been chosen. You can also discuss and select your preferred video conferencing tool. Have a light facing you, rather than behind you, so your mentoring partner can see your face. Turn your camera on. 

3. Virtual platform - Become familiar with the functionality of the MentorCloud platform and the preferred video conferencing tool. Use Tasks, Goals and Notes tab on MentorCloud as well as the chat option in your video conferencing tool. Share your screen to review tasks and goals together. Do you both have enough bandwidth to connect virtually?

4. Set ground rules - How do you feel about  being on mute? What happens with confidentiality if someone walks into the room? If one of you is at home, how will you address distractions such as the doorbell ringing or dog barking? 

5. Stay focused -  As much as possible, eliminate distractions. Silence or switch you off your phone. Close your email and any other work that may be open.

6. Get to know each other first  - Don’t jump immediately into mentoring. Instead, find out things about each other. If there are cultural differences, discuss what is socially acceptable, or not, for your meetings.

7. Actively listen - Pay attention. Show you are listening by looking into the camera, nodding your head and giving an affirmative cue. Try not to interrupt or talk over each other.

Your mentee’s mentoring  journey will eventually come to an end, based on the duration set on the MentorCloud platform. Ending it thoughtfully will ensure it’s perceived as successful, and both partners can feel positive about the experience. 

You and your mentee will have acknowledged that your next meeting will be your last. Here are some tips to successfully ending a mentoring journey -

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1. Prepare for your final meeting

• Set aside some time to reflect. Did the journey meet your expectations? What would you do differently? What did you most and least enjoy? Would you do it again? 
• Go through the goals your mentee set at the beginning. Were they achieved? Why or why not?
• What would you like to discuss and what advice would you like to offer during your final meeting? 
• What would you want to acknowledge and thank your mentee for? 

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2. Your final meeting

• This is a time to celebrate your journey together. If possible, make your final meeting special by choosing a different place to meet, such as meeting for lunch in a nice restaurant. You can choose a location to meet and enter it under Sessions by selecting Physical Location and add the address within the Location details text box.

• Reflect on what has been achieved so far and celebrate your successes. Reflect on where your mentee started and how far they’ve come.
• If some goals have not been achieved, discuss how they can be addressed going forward.

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3. What’s next?

• The formal mentoring journey has ended, but maybe you’d like to remain in contact. If so, discuss how you can stay in touch. 
• Appreciate each other and sincerely thank your mentee.

Don’t let your mentoring journey fizzle out without concluding it with an organized final meeting. When a mentoring journey ends well it increases the overall success of the experience. 

Questioning is a key skill in mentoring. By understanding how to ask the right questions, you can unlock your mentee’s thinking and generate valuable insights. 

Closed and open-ended questions
Use both closed and open-ended questions in your mentoring conversations.

1. Closed-ended questions: 

Can be answered by a few words and provide information about facts. Use them when you need clarification or a specific answer. They usually begin with “Who,” “Where,” and “When,” and “How much?”.  

Examples: 

• “Who was part of the conversation?”
• “Where did you work previously?”
• “When did you join the company?”
• “How much was your quota?”
  
  

2. Open-ended  questions: 

Open-ended questions cannot be answered with one word, or a simple “Yes” or “No”. Typically, they require more thought and can lead to deeper thinking and insights. Open-ended questions often begin with “What”, “What if”,“How?” and “Why”. 

Examples:

•   “What motivates you?”
• “What accomplishments are you proud of?”
• “What if you had an unlimited budget for this project, how would you spend it?”
•   “How will you go about motivating your team?”.
  

Tip: Asking questions can be stressful for some new mentors. Remember, it’s more important to actively listen than to think about what question to ask next. After fully listening, reflecting back and summarizing, the right question will come to you.

Asking challenging questions can be helpful to encourage deeper thinking about a situation. However, these questions need to be asked with care and sensitivity.

Sometimes “Why” questions can be seen as judgmental or speculative, for example, “Why did your team react that way?”; however, when used sparingly, they can be effective. Sometimes a “Why” question can be rephrased using a “What” or “How” question. 

Asking questions that are challenging can lead to critical and reflective thinking and may help your mentee generate insights. 

Challenging questions are usually:

• difficult to answer
• slightly out of the respondent’s comfort zone 
• non-judgmental
• personal to the respondent and specific to the topic
• push the respondent to think more deeply

Examples include: “What’s unique about your situation?”, “What critical feedback do you most often receive, and do you deserve it?”, “What dream have you given up on?”, and “What are you risking by not stepping out of your comfort zone?”.

Time you spend building rapport and trust with your mentee will improve the success of the journey. 
Here are key components you need to build that relationship -

1. Confidentiality in both directions is key. Do not discuss anything your mentee shares with you unless you have their permission. Remind your mentee of confidentiality at the beginning and end of every session. 

2. Building rapport and trust are essential. Here are some ways you can build trust.

• Don’t rush. Spend enough time in the beginning getting to know each other, rather than rushing into goal setting and solutions. 
• Do your research about your mentee so you’re not starting cold. Acknowledge their strengths.
• Believe your mentee has the best answers within themselves. Your job is to ask the right questions.
• Follow through – do what you say you are going to do.
• Be prepared to be vulnerable – don’t just share your hero stories. Also share the times you failed.
• Ask for and be open to feedback from your mentee.
• Be non-judgmental.
• Listen a lot! Talk a little.‍
• Ask open-ended questions‍

3. Ask open-ended questions to get to know your mentee.

• What ^are your values? 
• What do you believe are strengths? 
• What are you passionate about? 
• What motivates you? 
• What are you most proud of? 
• What successes have you had? 
• What have you taken away  from your failures? 

Having a structure can help you and your mentee make your time more productive. The format can be adapted to suit your requirements so there’s a natural flow. 
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1. Feedback And Update 

Remind your mentee about confidentiality as well as any ground rules. 

Talk to your mentee about:

• Feedback on their progress on the action plan. 
• An update on what has happened in their work or personal life since you last met. 

• Progress on what you committed to do since the last meeting.

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2. Discussion

This is where you will spend the bulk of your time. Ask your mentee to go through the discussion points on their agenda, and identify the issues they want to discuss.
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Example of prompting questions:

“What would be most useful for you to discuss today?”

“What would you like this session to focus on?” 

Ask questions to clarify the issues your mentee has presented; be sure you fully understand before moving on.

Guide your mentee to think about their issue more thoroughly. Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to think more deeply.
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Example of prompting questions:

“What options have you considered?”

“What do you see as the pros and cons of each?”

You can then share some of your experiences and advice, if it's requested.

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3. Close

Action Plan - Ask your mentee to put together an action plan of what they would like to work on before the next meeting. If needed, help them to think through options. Make a note of anything you could provide, such as an article or video, to help them.  Make sure you send them to your mentee.

Discuss and schedule your next meeting. Set up a recurring meeting if you mutually agree on a time that works for both of you. Finally, sincerely thank your mentee for their hard work.

Your mentee is responsible for most of the preparation for their mentoring meeting; however, here are some things you can do to make it more productive -
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1. Be in the right frame-of-mind:

• Take time before your meeting to reflect on your mentee’s progress-to-date. Is the relationship working as expected?
• Be fully present. Eliminate distractions (especially your phone!).  

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2. Review the agenda and action plan:

• Your mentee should have sent you an agenda before your meeting. It should include a timeline, an update from your last meeting, and input needed from you. Be prepared to suggest any needed changes to the agenda.
• Review the action plan and tasks set from your last meeting and ask for an update at the beginning of your session.

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3. Goals: 

• Review the stated goals and milestones from your initial meeting and reflect on your mentee’s progress-to-date. 

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4. Your Action Items: 

• Have you done your action items from the last meeting? Be prepared to provide an update. 

Your mentee should be setting the agenda and sending an invite before each meeting. Be prepared to help them at first if necessary. Ensure you have synchronized your calendar so you can set up a date, time, topic and set an agenda for your session. You can also choose your preferred video conferencing platform so that you don’t have to set up new meetings every time you schedule a mentoring session.

Here are some requirements a goal should meet -

1. Inspiring

Your mentee should be excited and enthusiastic about working towards these goals. 
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2. Challenging, Yet Achievable

 Your mentee will grow if there’s a bit of a stretch to the goal, provided it’s attainable. 
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3. Measurable and Time-Based

Goals should be measurable so you both know when they are achieved. They also should have a time-frame.

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5 Steps For Goal Setting

Ideally, your mentee should have at least three primary goals. Here are steps to help your mentee set goals. Use the MentorCloud worksheet to document and track progress.

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STEP 1: Explore

You and your mentee should look at all the major friction areas of their work and personal life. Your mentee needs to identify at least three areas to focus on through their Mentoring Journey.

Here are some open-ended questions you can ask your mentee: 

• What do you want to accomplish in the upcoming months?
• What are some things you would really like to learn or do?
• What comes to mind in terms of personal or professional friction areas impacting you?
• What else have you always dreamed of doing?
• What would you like to see in your life that currently is not there?

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STEP 2: Identify

• From these areas, you can help your mentee identify their goals. Eliminate goals that are not relevant to the mentoring journey
• Encourage your mentee to record their goals using the MentorCloud worksheet. 

Here are some questions to ask your mentee:

• Does the goal meet the requirements of being motivating, challenging, achievable, and time-bound?
• How will you measure success and know when you have achieved the goal?

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STEP 3: Needs Analysis

After the goals are recorded, help your mentee think about the steps to achieve them.

Questions to ask your mentee:

• How do you see accomplishing this goal?
• What will you need to achieve it?
• What resources, knowledge, help, or collaboration will you need?

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STEP 4: Obstacles

What could prevent your mentee from achieving their goals, and how could it be overcome?

Questions to ask your mentee:

• What do you fear could prevent you from reaching these goals?
• How can I help you?

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STEP 5: Milestones And Action Plan 

Milestones will help your Mentee measure their progress. Start by identifying a milestone and timeline with each goal. Ensure your mentee has a reasonable action plan for each goal.

Questions to ask your mentee:

• What milestones will help you track each goal?
• What help, or collaboration will you need?

Once your mentee has identified some goals, discuss it with them, and ensure it’s entered in the Goals & Tasks sections under Mentorship so you can refer back to it. If a goal seems too broad or unrealistic, help your mentee break these down into doable tasks and review their progress.

Your first meeting is about getting to know each other and determining if it’s a good fit. Will you be able to guide your mentee and help them achieve their goals?

It’s worthwhile to spend some time preparing for your first meeting. Here are some useful tips to make it more productive -

1. Contact 

The mentee needs to reach out to you to set up the first meeting. Making your dates visible on MentorCloud will make scheduling easier. If you have synchronized your calendar, it’ll be easier to set up a date and time for your session without any scheduling conflicts. Ensure you have selected the correct time zones to avoid any confusion later.

Your meeting place, whether in-person or virtual, should be a quiet, safe space where you can both share openly. You could also select your preferred video conferencing tool.

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2. Background

Read up on your mentee on MentorCloud. Your mentee might also have added a link to his/her LinkedIn profile for you to learn about their background and professional experience. 

What is their background and experience, achievements and interests? 

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3. Agenda

Your mentee should send you an agenda a few days before your meeting. When you create a Session, there is space for you to note down an agenda for your meeting.

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PREPARATION

1. Who are you?

What do you want to share about yourself? 
What are your strengths, values and achievements? 
Have you mentored before? 
What lessons did you learn from that experience?

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2. Why are you a mentor?

What do you hope to get out of the relationship? 
What do you hope to learn?

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3. What are your expectations?

Reflect on what you expect from your mentee and how you see your role in the mentoring relationship. 

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4. Parameters?

How often do you expect to meet, how you want to communicate,  and any needed boundaries you want to establish? 

Mentoring partners have expectations for each other. The better those expectations are understood, the more likely the mentoring journey will be successful. 

1. Honors confidentiality - Confidentiality is the cornerstone of a mentoring relationship. Nothing can be shared outside of the meeting unless permission is obtained to do so. You can write private messages by going into a current Mentorship and clicking on the Messages tab – other mentors and mentees can’t see these interactions.

2. Roles - Mentors are there to guide their mentees and provide support. Mentors should try to withhold judgement and keep an open mind. They offer feedback and advice if the mentee requests it.
   A mentor encourages and supports their mentee, believing in them and what they can achieve. They may also be willing to open up their network to their mentee. Since mentors usually have experience in the same field as their mentee, they can provide useful real life experiences and observations. 

3. Commits to the process - Both mentors and mentees are expected to come to meetings prepared, on time, and committed to the process. Unless it’s an emergency, don’t change or cancel meetings. 

4. Honest - Mentors are expected to be open, honest and authentic. They commit the time required to build a relationship with their mentee. They give mentees honest feedback and are open to receiving constructive feedback from them. 

Why become a mentor? Many people assume mentoring only benefits the mentee. In fact, mentoring can be mutually beneficial, with the mentor gaining as much as their mentee. 

Here are some reasons why you should become a mentor -

1. Personal Reflection: Mentoring gives you the rare chance to reflect on your own career, values and purpose, and sometimes to course correct. 

2. Learn New Things: Mentoring forces you out of your comfort zone. Your mentee can share insights on new technology and trends, and you can learn new things and stay fresh. Make sure your mentee knows you are learning from them too. 

3. Improve Your Interpersonal Skills: Mentoring requires developing your social skills, such as listening, feedback and questioning. Through mentoring, you will have a lot of opportunities to practice with them. 

4. Give Back: Experience the satisfaction of making a difference in another person’s life and seeing them grow and learn. It’s the right thing to do and will make you feel good. 

5. Strengthen  Your Leadership Bona Fides: Mentor experience is required for many executive positions and will boost your career development. 

You and your mentor will have acknowledged that your next meeting will be your last. Here’s how to prepare for your last meeting. 
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1. Prepare for your final meeting

• Set aside some time to reflect on what you have achieved so far. What have you learned? Did the journey meet your expectations? What would you do differently? 
• Go through the goals you set. Were they achieved? 
• Make notes on what you would like to discuss during your final meeting. Is there advice you would like?
• What would you like to thank your mentor for? 
• Would you like to be a mentor in the future?

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2. Your final meeting

• Now is the time to celebrate your journey together. If possible, make it special by choosing a different place to meet, such as for lunch in a nice restaurant. You can choose a location to meet and enter it under Sessions. Simply select Schedule and go to Session Location and select Physical Location. You can type in the address within the Location details text box. 
• Reflect on what you have achieved so far and celebrate your successes. Share what you learned and how you have grown.
• If you did not achieve all your goals, discuss your plans going forward. 
• Share with your mentor what you felt was effective and where their mentoring could be improved.

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3. What’s next?

• Your formal mentoring journey is over, but you both may decide to remain in contact. If so, how will you stay in touch? 
• Appreciate your mentor. Thank them for what they have done for you.

Don’t let your mentoring journey fizzle out without formally concluding it. When a mentoring journey ends well it adds to the overall positive experience. 

Time you spend building rapport with your mentor will pay you back with deeper conversations and more meaningful mentoring. 

Here are the key components you need to build the relationship -
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1. Confidentiality is the cornerstone of a mentoring relationship and essential for both you and your mentor.
Do not discuss anything your mentor shares with you outside of your meeting unless you get permission to do so. You can write private messages by going into a current Mentorship and clicking on the Messages tab – other mentors and mentees can’t see these interactions.

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2. Building rapport and trust are essential. Here are some ways you can build trust:

• Spend the first meeting getting to know each other. Don’t dive into problems and solutions too soon. 
• Live up to your commitments. Keep track of your goals, tasks and notes in the Mentoring Relationship.
• Be prepared to be vulnerable. Your mentor is not there to judge you.
• Ask for and be open to frank feedback even when it’s uncomfortable to hear. 

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3. Good communication skills support strong mentoring relationships. 

Sync your calendars so it’s easier to schedule meetings and avoid conflicts. Simply go to “Settings”, then click on “General Preferences” and “Connect Calendar” to connect with your desired calendar account.

It is also important to be conscious of how you’re communicating with your mentor, both verbally and non-verbally.

• Maintain an open and relaxed posture. Turn your body towards your mentor.
• Make eye contact if it is culturally acceptable.
• Nod or make small affirmations to show you are actively listening. 

• Ask questions. 

Maintaining confidentiality, building rapport and using effective interpersonal communication skills will help you build a strong relationship with your mentor so both of you benefit from the experience. 

Mentoring works best with a structure. After having mentored thousands of people across many countries, we’ve developed a tested structure. 

A structure will help both you and your mentor make your meetings more productive. Discuss the format with your mentor and ensure it suits them as well.

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1. Feedback And Update (10 Minutes)

• Do a time check. “We scheduled an hour for this meeting. Does that still work for you?”
• Describe your progress-to-date.
• Keep track of the time.

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2.Discussion (30 minutes)

Spend most of your time on the Discussion. Your mentor may ask questions to help you think more deeply about your options. Don’t just ask for advice straight away; explore the possibilities. This is your time to have an in-depth discussion. After you’ve thought through the options, you can ask your mentor to share their experiences and advice. 

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3. Close (20 minutes)

Review your tasks and goals with new timelines. Make edits if necessary.

• Discuss each action. Do you understand them?
• Do a reality check. Is your plan doable given other constraints? Update your goals to be realistic.

• Determine when and where you will meet next. Set up a recurring meeting if you mutually agree on a time that works for both of you. Make sure this is in both of your calendars. Set an agenda, sync your Calendars, select your preferred video conferencing tool or choose a location for meetings.

• Thank your mentor.

To make your meeting productive, plan to spend at least 30 minutes preparing. Think about the following:  

1. Task list: Were you able to complete your tasks? If not, why?
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2. Notes: Use the Notes section to reflect and write down your thoughts and ideas. If you keep a journal, go through it and reflect on what’s happened in your life and career since your last meeting.
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3. Goals: Are you on track to achieve your goals? Do you need to adjust them?
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4. New Issues: What new issues/questions do you want to discuss?
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5. Sessions: Schedule meetings and send an agenda at least a few days before.
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6. Set the agenda - An agenda or discussion topics give the meeting a clear purpose and help both partners stay on track.
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To Schedule a Session, go to the Mentorship Tab and select View Relationship. You will see a button to propose a session.  Fill out the information for the session. If both parties have synchronized their calendars, you can set up a date, time, topic and set an agenda for your session. You can also choose your preferred video conferencing platform so that you don’t have to set up new meetings every time you schedule a mentoring session.

The purpose of setting specific and measurable goals in the Mentoring Journey is to identify concrete and meaningful areas to work towards. This will help ensure that the time during your Mentoring Journey is well spent.

Requirement for Goals

Inspiring - You should be excited and energized about working towards these goals.

Challenging But Achievable - Your goals should challenge you, yet be realistically achievable.

 Measurable and Time-Based - Your goals should be measurable, so both you and your mentor will know when they have been accomplished. They should be clear and well-understood, and need to be completed within a certain timeframe. 

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Steps to Identify and Set Your Goals

Ideally, you should have up to three primary goals for your Mentoring Journey. Here are five steps to help you think of some goals -

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STEP 1: Explore/Reflect

Take some time to prepare for your meeting with your mentor to discuss your goals. Reflect on your values, purpose and vision. What’s important to you? What do you stand for? What are areas in which you want to improve?

Reflect on the major focus areas of your work and personal life. You want to identify at least three areas relevant to your Mentoring Journey.

Questions to think about:

• What do you want to accomplish in the upcoming months?
• What are some things that you would really like to learn or do?
• What comes to mind in terms of work or life you are dealing with right now? 
• What have you always dreamed of doing?
• What would you like to see in your life that’s currently missing?

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STEP 2: Identify

From the areas described in Step 1, identify and record 2-3 goals related to your Mentoring Journey. Use the MentorCloud worksheet to document your goals and track progress.

For each goal, ask yourself: 

Are these goals positive, challenging and motivating to you?

• Do they inspire or excite you?
• Are they challenging? Do they need a bit more stretch?
• Is each goal achievable?
• How will you measure success for each goal?  How will you determine when you have achieved it?
• Are they time-based?

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STEP 3: Needs Analysis

Reflect on what needs to be done in order to achieve each goal and invite your mentor to brainstorm with you. Identify where you are now with each goal. 

• What is your vision for each goal? 
• What skills do you need so you can achieve this goal?
• What resources, information, knowledge, help, or collaboration do you need?

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STEP 4: Obstacles

• What could get in the way of you achieving these goals?
• Who could hold you accountable to help you achieve these goals?

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STEP 5: Milestones and Action Plan

For each goal, define milestones and set a timeline. Ensure that you have an action plan for achieving each goal.

• What milestones would help you track your progress for each goal?
• What resources, information, knowledge, help, or collaboration do you need?
• What is a reasonable timeline for you to achieve each goal? 

Once you have identified some goals and discussed them with your mentor, use the Goals & Tasks sections under Mentorship to set and document a goal to accomplish during the relationship. Break these down into tasks that need to be done to achieve the goal, and review your progress.