#1. Compel Mentoring Pairs to Define Learning Objectives

#2. Set Clear Timelines

#3. Have Mentors and Mentees Clarify Their Ground Rules

#4. Train Mentors and Mentees

#5. Provide Tools and Resources

SOURCE: Exerpt from "5 Tips for Successful Mentoring Program Implementation" by Lauren Trees for the Association for Talent Development. https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Human-Capital-Blog/2017/04/5-Tips-for-Successful-Mentoring-Program-Implementation

1. "Be available always. If you are “too busy” most of the time or locked behind closed doors, no mentoring relationship can work. It has to be evident to the mentee that this relationship is important to you and that you will make short periods of time available on a moment’s notice, as required. If you often make people wait on you, they will likely take extra time, which in turn will make more people wait longer and later.
2. Adapt to each individual learning style. Start by open listening. Some people learn best from anecdotal stories, and others need concrete pointers and step-by-step instructions. Respect each mentee’s desire to grow and honor their individual style. Remember that 5-minute listening is not the same as 5-minute mentoring.
3. Respect discussion confidentiality. Mentor discussions must remain confidential so both parties can talk freely to each other without being quoted around the water cooler later. The mentee must not be afraid to show false starts or a naïve perspective.
4. Provide honest and constructive feedback. Personal attacks and emotional comments are not appropriate, but people need real feedback to learn. Set the context by clarifying your goals and expectations on a regular basis. Critique the work and not the person.
5. Hold the mentee responsible and accountable. Encourage the mentee to generate their own solutions, and make it clear that they must accept full responsibility for their personal choices. Good people won’t want it to work any other way. Most people learn best from making mistakes, so you have to let them fail sometimes."

From "5 Keys to Effective Entrepreneurial Team Mentoring" by Martin Zwilling on Alleywatch.

This four-part series teaches mentees how to be successful in their mentoring connections, because it's important that mentees know what role they play in their mentoring relationship.

Video topics include:

1. Finding the right mentor
2. Asking someone for mentorship
3. Preparing for the first meeting with a mentor
4. Developing a growth mindset for impactful mentorship

Watch the videos online here. 

About Chronus:

Chronus is the leader in mentoring software. Their configurable platform is powering hundreds of successful mentoring programs for some of the world’s largest companies, educational institutions, and professional associations. With unique MatchIQ™ technology, a guided experience for participants, and the most configurable platform in the industry, Chronus enables mentoring programs to efficiently scale and drive more strategic value for organizations worldwide.

If you have any additional questions about mentoring, connect with Chronus on Twitter @ChronusSoftware, LinkedIn, or on Facebook.

Follow these 20 tips to help you create a positive and helpful mentoring relationship in your work environment:

1. Identify goals
2. Create a mentoring action plan
3. Address mentee challenges
4. role play
5. Job shadow
6. Provide networking opportunities
7. Provide oral feedback
8. Provide written feedback
9. Read up and share your thoughts
10. Share career history
11. Review your CVS
12. Suggest other reading
13. Team up and network together
14. Create a vision statement
15. Be a coach - focus on strengths
16. Regularly review goals
17. Discuss interpersonal skills
18. Be a coach - target weakness
19. Consider volunteer work
20. Close the loop

From aspirecambridge.co.uk

Here are four ideas to help you turn your newly-hired college gradutes into successful employees through mentoring:

1) Set Expectations - "By approaching onboarding using personalization, employers can better teach college graduates about the organization during their first crucial days as employees."

2) Continue Their Learning - "Lessen confusion and make the transition earlier by assigning a lead contact for all educational needs. New college graduates will appreciate the consistency and support as they grow both professionally and personally with learning opportunities."

3) Give Individualized Attention - "If setting up meetings between new hires and your company CEO isn’t always possible, sit down with company leaders to decide who would be best to meet initially with each grad. While employees will feel important and "heard," the company itself will be better prepared to help each person reach goals through specific training and mentoring."

4) Measure Results - "Talk to team members about what they found most important, challenging and even frustrating during the onboarding process. Use their answers to guide what metrics you'll subsequently use to measure recent grads’ satisfaction and assess how they’re perceiving company goals, expectations and culture."

From "Stop Chasing College Graduates Away: Instead, Employ These 4 Tips" by Heather Huhman from Entrepreneur.com. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/295924

From "6 Things Great Mentors Do Differently" by Sujan Patel:

Great mentors invest in the success of their mentees and, often, that means pushing them beyond their expectations. An article from Kauffman Entrepreneurs ties this one back to one of pop culture's greatest examples of mentorship, the Star Wars character, Yoda:

"Yoda sets out one challenge after another for Luke to help Luke manage himself better, hone his skills and more fully appreciate his responsibilities to use The Force for good."

Takeaway: If you're a mentor, be like Yoda. Always expect more from your mentees. They may not know what they're capable of otherwise.

Read more here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/289021

"Maintain high standards of ethics and professionalism: Mentors and mentees must strive to uphold appropriate ethical behavior as professionals." 

Best practices for ethics and professionalism in a mentoring realtionship:

• Promote mutual respect and trust
• Maintain confidentiality
• Be diligent in providing knowledge, wisdom, and developmental support
• Carefully frame advice and feedback so it is well-received and constructive

From Amy Greil's "A Story of Mentoring" found online at http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/amy_greil_a_story_of_mentoring_493097750.php

In your mentoring relationship, try to take initiative by contacting your mentor or mentee first to plan a meeting. Once your meeting time is set, don't change it unless an emergency arises. This shows that you respect the relationship, and that you value your mentor's/mentee's time and presence. 

"It took me years to understand this basic dynamic: Those who look less like me might find it hard to share their concerns with me or ask for help. They might feel uncomfortable raising their hand if they aren’t sure I will identify with them. And it’s on me, as the leader, to help close that gap." 

-Richard Farnell in his article "Mentor People Who Aren't Like You" from the Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2017/04/mentor-people-who-arent-like-you

Make sure to observe your mentee's nonverbal body language, but do so respectfully and carefully. This will help you understand what they are thinking and feeling, apart from what they communicate to you orally.