For Mentees

Mentoring is an age-old concept that promotes human development. Through this concept, individuals can more fully experience and realize their potentials. Through mentoring, mentees can (1) Gain an understanding of the organizational culture. (2) Obtain access to informal networks of communication that carry significant professional information.(3) Receive assistance and support in defining and reaching career aspirations. Mentors provides coaching, career counseling, protection and sponsorship, friendship, role modeling. There are three critical elements to a successful mentor-mentee relationship: respect, trust and listening skills, for both the mentor and the mentee.

Mentees are expected to (i) Initiate and drive the relationship, (ii) Identify initial development goals, (iii) Seek feedback and show receptiveness, (iv) Take actions on the feedbacks, (v) Initiate monitoring and closure sessions, (vi) Allocate time and energy, (vii) Follow through on commitments or renegotiate appropriately.

As a mentee, it is your responsibility to take ownership of your learning and development needs. You must assess your areas of strength and development so you can establish a mentoring plan and grow as a capable and intelligent employee. This plan should include goals you’d like to accomplish through a mentoring relationship, ways you will be held accountable for success or failure to accomplish those goals, and boundaries you want to place on the relationship, such as focusing it only on professional aspects of your life. It is also your responsibility to initiate contact with a mentor and ensure the mentor helps you attain your goals.