Frequently Asked Questions

• What am I expected to do? MentorSHPE is designed to be mentee driven connections. This means we highly encourage the mentees to take a proactive approach by being the first one to reach out to the mentor, set up meetings, plan meeting agendas and follow up. The mentor role is to guide the mentee through this process. For many mentees this is the first time they will have engaged in this type of professional development experience. The mentor should be comfortable to reach out to the mentee encouraging them and sharing best practices to engage in the connection. 
• How long will the commitment be? Mentoring connections will last three months. Mentees and mentors will decide on the scheduling and cadence of their meetings. We encourage a one hour meeting every other week to get the most out of the experience. If a mentor must leave the relationship early, we request as much notice as possible in order to search for a replacement mentor who is a  good match for your mentee.
• Are there any potential risks to me or my company? No. It is not appropriate for mentors to engage in any business transactions with their mentees; instead, the relationship should only involve the flow of general information and advice.
• What should I do if my mentoring relationship isn't going well? We encourage letting the mentee know about the situation and contacting a program administrator as soon as possible. We will provide our full support to resolve the situation in a positive and satisfactory manner.

Mentor DO's

1. Commit at least an hour of support per month.  This could be in a single session or across several interactions.
2. Set aside time for the mentoring process and honor all appointments.
3. Invite the mentee to meetings or activities, as appropriate. Schedule meetings with planned topics.
4. Be flexible on meeting times as much as schedules allow.
5. Arrange frequent contacts through virtual meetings and messaging.
6. Respond to emails from your mentee within two days of receipt.
7. Keep information that your mentee has shared with you confidential. If something concerning the mentee needs to be discussed with others, you should first seek your mentee's permission to do this.
8. Establish open and honest communication and a forum for idea exchange.
9. Foster creativity and independence. Help build self-confidence and offer encouragement.
10. Provide honest and timely feedback to your mentee.
11. Provide opportunities for the mentee to talk about concerns and ask questions.
12. Above all, LISTEN.

Mentor DON'Ts

1. Try to give advice on everything.
2. Encourage mentee to be totally dependent upon you.
3. Provide your personal history, problems, animosities, successes, or failures, unless they are constructive contributions.
4. Be too busy when the mentee needs your friendship or your support. If you do not have time, give the mentee a heads up, so that they know when they can reach you.
5. Criticize.