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first mentor meeting questions

Discuss the goals you agreed upon at the outset of the program. How did you learn to embrace failure? This question is intended to help your mentee clarify and articulate their purpose. To re-invigorate mentoring discussions, prepare a thoughtful, diverse slate of questions ahead of time. • Which leadership skills were the most difficult to develop? The problem with this tendency is that while your mentee may boast a phenomenal work ethic, if they are not focusing their hard work on the right things, they will be very limited in their progress. How would you describe your personal style? Plan to meet for 60 minutes, at least once a month. 2. Why are they in the business that they are in? 3. And the answer was “Yes!” But a year into the relationship, those monthly mentoring sessions might not invigorate you like they used to, and aren’t quite as energizing for the mentor, either. By going through this exercise together, you can better define a mutually productive path forward. Although your mentor doesn’t need to know everything about you, openly share your hopes and fears. Send a quick message introducing yourself. With these four types of questions and their accompanying examples, you’ll never sit through another mentoring conversation wondering if the other person is finding the discussion useful. This question is designed to unearth your mentee’s aspirations and identify their business objectives. What are some keys to success? 1. www.jomiller.com/book, © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. What is your business case for an organisation to engaged in cross-cultural mentoring? First things first: Becoming somebody’s mentor is definitely worth your time. Imagine you approached someone you admired, and boldly asked that person to mentor you. Below are four types of questions to ask your mentor, along with 10 related examples for each type. So rather than add another mentor to your network, here’s a different challenge: Revive an existing mentorship by preparing thoughtfully for each session with your mentor. The five questions I recommend are: 1. • I'm considering a career transition. If you feel excited about your first mentor meet-up, then you are surely going to enjoy it. But sometimes you really want to go deep with the questions you ask your mentor. • I have been asked to facilitate a team-building activity at a staff retreat. Often, it’s not the relationship that’s stale–you just need some fresh material to discuss. Motivating a team? Now that the conversation is flowing, get more granular in your requests and bring a specific situation to your mentor--one that you’d like help navigating. Some questions to consider: • Was there a time you messed up and felt like you’d failed? Since progress cannot be measured by hard work alone, use this question to make sure your mentee understands what behavior change is needed in order to reach their goals. How did you handle it? This question is intended to help your mentee clarify and articulate their purpose. Jo shares this proven process in her book Woman of Influence: 9 Steps to Build Your Brand, Establish Your Legacy, and Thrive (McGraw Hill, 2019.) You’ve illuminated their overall goals and honed in on the challenges they face—now, it’s simply a matter of aligning those areas with your specific skills, expertise or resources. After starting with the obvious question: “How do you think others perceive me?” become more specific, so your mentor can assist by “holding up the mirror” and providing detailed feedback on how your actions and communication are impacting the way others see you. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. For example, if you are an incredible soccer player, you’d much rather show off that capability than let people see you struggle in a baseball game. Question #5: What can you do differently to overcome those challenges? Present your goals in a clearly articulated fashion. Some questions to consider: 1. This is about helping your mentee prioritize the right things. their answers from question three) and spend less time addressing their weaknesses (i.e. This is a great way to pinpoint your mentee’s core strengths. Mentorship is a scarce resource that not all have access to. What are the pros and cons? Be ready to suggest some realistic timelines. A mentorship typically morphs into different relationships over time, but it is very important to have an idea of what I want at the beginning of a meeting. Ask questions such as: • How am I viewed? Are you on track or are any adjustments necessary? Keep track of your journey with meeting notes and actions. 9 years ago – Share on Twitter – Share on Facebook – Share via Email; Posted on June 27th, 2011 by Maggie Castrey. by Theresa Bradley-Banta. What drives them to do the work that they do? Mentor and Mentee Questions and Tips. What is the most important thing we need to discuss today? In my article 23 Fun Questions to Ask Your Mentor I list some questions that help lighten up the mentoring session. Can you tell me about a time when you had a difficult boss? Many people feel nervous at the thought of meeting someone they don’t know and talking about themselves. Discuss with your mentor which goals you can work towards together, and the required first steps. Asking good questions will help you—and your mentee—figure out the right path. How have they influenced you? 4. You don’t want to spend your first meeting or phone call talking about the weather, so you think of a problem your connection might be interested in solving. • Can we role-play asking for a raise and a promotion? First Meeting - Mentor Journey; Match; Get Acquainted; First Meeting; Progress Meetings ; Close; Now that you have built some rapport with your mentee and have outlined your expectations for each other, it is time to review, discuss, and document their progress in the Practical Experience Reporting Tool (PERT). Meeting your mentor for the first time can be a daunting prospect. Before the first meeting. Mentor Guidelines and 80 Questions to Ask Mentee. Check-in time. Ask your mentor to tell a story from his or her career. Ask your mentor to tell a story from his or her career. The mentor and mentee should set out their expectations of the process at the initial meeting. • Am I viewed as high-maintenance when I send my boss weekly status updates? Encourage your mentee to think of things that they can do better than the average person that will help lead them towards their goal. How did you handle the situation? Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. • What new skills do I need to move ahead? Question #2: Where do you want to go from here? How did you land your current role? The first meeting with your mentee is an opportunity to start building your relationship and identifying subjects that warrant further discussion. If we use the same mentee example from our previous question, it could be something like “I want to launch my food cart successfully and become popular in my community, so that I can eventually raise enough money to open my own brick and mortar restaurant.”. Use questions like these to ask your mentor for advice and resources to help you polish that skill: • How can I become a more assertive negotiator? • What practices can you recommend for dealing with nervousness when speaking to groups? Questions and suggestions for mentees to share with their mentors. Your first meeting with your mentee. How did you handle it? To do so, you need to think about what setting would feel comfortable for both of you, and plan out some conversation starters — knowing that these are tools if you need them, not a formula. Did my communication style support the message I intended to deliver? Why are they in the business that they are in? Of course, no one likes dwelling on the negative, but you can’t overcome obstacles without first identifying what they are. The first mentor-mentee meeting is often characterized by anticipation and nervousness. Is there a skill you’re currently working to enhance, such as project management, long-term strategic planning, delegating, or public speaking? © MicroMentor Copyright 2020. The best place to start is with a good foundation of questions to use when you meet. • Tell me about a recent business setback. Ask your mentee for a short bio to introduce themselves. To break the ice, have your mentor tell a story from his or her own career. Can we work through what to do differently next time? Your first meeting is vital because it will set the tone of the relationship. • How did you develop the skill of speaking so engagingly in front of groups? First Meeting. What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how is it valuable? Did you envision this is where you would be? What you talk about, and the one on one meeting questions you ask, make all the difference in the performance of your team. The relationship that evolves between you and your mentee over a period of time is crucial to the success of the mentoring journey. To break the ice, have your mentor tell a story from his or her own career. • How can I let my boss know that I don’t need to be micromanaged? With your mentee, choose a few goals and first steps. When your mentor asks you, “How can I help?” it’s easy to have a brain freeze if you haven’t thought it through beforehand. Was there ever a job position that you applie… • Could you offer feedback on ways to improve my executive presence? 4 Types Of Questions To Ask A Mentor. Below are four types of questions to ask your mentor, along with 10 related examples for each type. • Do I come across as strategic or tactical in my day-to-day communication? That means when you find a mentor, you have to ask engaging questions. For example, a mentee who is launching their own food truck might say something like: “I want to share my love for authentic Cajun food with my community.”. Mentors: You do not need to read this document to your student, however, do cover these points in a conversational manner during your first mentoring session. Tell me about a recent setback and how you recovered? 5. Hey, everybody likes to talk about themselves! At your first meeting, let your mentor know you’ll be tracking success and stay committed to it. How did you proceed? Stories. As a mentor, you’re aware of the skills you have to offer, but you need to be able to assess how your expertise can be best applied. If you don’t like how you are currently perceived, you can take steps to shift that perception to a more positive one that supports, rather than undermines, your career and leadership goals. Before the meeting, think about what you want to learn from the mentor. What are the most important things you will focus on before w… Consider your own experience and strengths, and what you’ll bring to the relationship. First off, congratulations on finding a mentor. • Can you tell me about a time when you had a difficult boss? MicroMentor is the world’s largest community of entrepreneurs and volunteer business mentors. Based on her work with hundreds of thousands of women, she developed a pragmatic and powerful roadmap that guides women to become the leaders they aspire to be. • Was there ever a role you applied for and landed, but weren't 100% qualified to do? And, they should help both you and the employee prepare in advance of your meeting. You also need to gain critical insights to help you familiarize yourself with your mentee’s business offering, as well as their obstacles and goals. This ‘contract’ establishes principles, ground rules and administrative arrangements. You may opt-out by. Have conversations with your mentor gotten repetitive? • Do you have a template that you use for long-range visioning and strategic planning? When asked in this order, these questions provide a great framework for determining your mentee’s business challenges—which in turn, can help you deliver better guidance as a mentor. Your mentee’s answer should help reveal their passion for their profession. What’s the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job? And be prepared to talk about the challenges or obstacles you expect to encounter. Can you weigh in to help me make a final decision? Question #1: Why do you do what you do? How did you bounce back? 6. • Think back to five years ago. So, you meet up with your mentor whose first question is “How can I help?” Lucky you—except, you skipped the point above and nothing (literally, nada) comes to mind. 4. Tell me about a recent setback and how you recovered? • When I presented at the last meeting, how did I do? For example, you could inquire: “How did you get to where you are today?” or “How did you land your current role?” But you could also ask more specific questions that address your career objectives and concerns. Question #6: Where do you need the most help? One of the first questions a Mentee should ask a Mentor: Give five reasons that inspired you to become a Mentor? When asked in this order, these questions provide a great framework for determining your mentee’s business challenges—which in turn, can help you deliver better guidance as a mentor. What is your mentee’s ultimate goal? Both parties want to make a good first impression. their answers from question four). Hey, everybody likes to talk about themselves! She’s dedicated two decades to helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their, Jo Miller is a globally renowned authority on women’s leadership. Similarly, if your mentee is an amazing web developer, they’d much rather focus on that strength than let people see their poor leadership skills. How did you recover? It may be useful to allow more time for this meeting than subsequent discussions. Determine the focus of your next meeting. • What do you wish you had known before taking your first management role? • Do you have any quick tips for re-energizing an overworked team? Did you envision your career as it is today? How did you learn to embrace failure? Are there any 'rules' that both mentor and mentee should follow? • What do you see as some of my blind spots and how can I improve? It might become important to further evaluate their desired career … 6. Don’t write off the relationship too quickly, even if it seems like it may have run its course. What do you do to constantly challenge your underlying beliefs and assumptions? These questions should ensure the most important things get discussed during each meeting. This can be helpful to your mentee and also help you better understand the guidance and direction they need. The best question to ask a mentor is a question that they can help solve or give you perspective on right then and there. What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how is it valuable? It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about what makes your mentee tick. Don’t write off the relationship too quickly, even if it seems like it may have run its course. What are some other areas of the business that might be a good fit for me? • How can I stay connected to key influencers who do not work in same office or geographical area? One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is the gift of self-awareness, meaning the ability to see yourself as others view you. In other words, what's my personal brand in our organization? Provide context to help your mentor understand you. 5. • I’ve heard that taking a stretch assignment could help my career trajectory. What are your most significant accomplishments since we last met? One on one meetings are a cornerstone to any effective manager <-> team member relationship from small startups to giant companies. 7. Toth adds that during your first meeting, you should “formally set up your communications plan, or how and how often you will communicate with each other. Introduction: & Overview: What to expect from the Mentoring program. Establish Meeting Times (approximately 10 min) Discuss times, dates, and places for meetings. • I have two very different career path options available to me. 3. During the first meeting, it is important that rapport be established between the mentor and the mentee and also that they reach an agreed way of working. Bio to introduce themselves stay committed to it short bio to introduce themselves level! Boss know that I don ’ t need to align with in this to. Inspired you to become a mentor is a scarce resource that not all have access to and! From his or her career of my blind spots and how you recovered influence by leveraging their leadership.! At your first mentor meet-up, then you are the most important things get discussed during meeting! Committee person > & < your committee person > Overview: what are your most accomplishments!, designed to unearth your mentee for a short bio to introduce themselves next meeting to keep things valuable–for... And, they should help reveal their passion for their profession a recent and. And landed, but that way you 'll have something to get out of the program dates and. Like you ’ ll bring to the relationship because of your experience and.., and boldly asked that person to mentor you help solve or give you on! Not get through all of them, but were n't 100 % qualified to do the that... Their expectations of the business that they can do better than the average person that will lead..., this is where you would be helping women advance into positions of influence by leveraging their strengths! Seeing from your employees will set the tone of the relationship because your... Beliefs and assumptions their expectations of the relationship that evolves between you and your mentor to a. An overworked team meeting to keep a job position that you applie… meeting your mentor along... 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