Planning Your First Mentoring Session
The following questions and suggestions may help to frame your initial meeting between mentor and mentee. Use them as a starting point to begin the mentoring conversation.
Setting the Scene
- Explore contexts and issues that the mentee would like to discuss.
- Set out the overall plan for this first session, its timing, and what you would like to discuss.
- Decide on questions to guide the discussion.
Discuss Expectations for the Mentoring Relationship
- What do we understand about this mentoring relationship?
- What are the expectations that we each have?
- What are we prepared to do and to talk about?
Commitments
- As Mentor, how will you commit to this relationship?
- As Mentee, how will you commit to this relationship?
- Use the Mentoring Agreement to frame your commitment.
Resources
- What resources provided by DS4Y will be useful to us?
- What other resources might be useful?
Time Management
- What time can we devote to developing this relationship? When is the best time for us both?
- How frequently should we meet?
- What time constraints do either of us have to manage?
Physical or Virtual Meeting Place
- Are we able to meet face-to-face? If so, where?
- Is there technology that we might like to use to connect for mentoring sessions? Telephone? Online?
Adapted with permission from the ArtsBuildOntario Arts Facilities Mentoring Network Orientation Binder 2017-18. www.artsbuildontario.ca/learning/mentoring-network/