b'FEATURED ARTICLETop tips for mentors Top tips for menteesWhen starting a new mentoring relationship takeDo your research before approaching a potential time to get to know your mentee. Its really importantmentor. Consider factors such as whether they have to understand what they are looking for, not justthe right mix of experience to meet your needs; and from the mentoring but also more broadly from theirwhere they are located if the possibility of meeting professional lives. Some may be 100% clear from theface-to-face is important to you.start and can simply give you a list; but for others this may take a few conversations to tease out, and guiding them through this process could be the mostTry and find someone who shares your values, as valuable thing you do for them. this will strengthen your connection and help ensure you will be comfortable accepting any guidance you receive. Some mentoring platforms allow you Block out ample time for sessions with your mentee.to highlight your values and factor this into their You need to be able to absorb yourself in thesuggested matches.conversation and feel confident you arent rushing, or leaving too many loose ends. That might mean cancelling a planned conversation if either of you isSpend a few minutes preparing for conversations feeling under pressure with deadlines. with your mentoryou dont need to stick rigidly to an agenda but if you can flag something in advance, it can help them organise their thoughts and potentially Try and have a theme for your sessions. While in anydig out resources to share with you.conversation you need to be flexible and ready to go off on a tangent, you will both have a greater sense of progress if youve worked through a series of agreedIf the relationship isnt working out, or is no longer topics in a reasonably systematic way. Knowing thedelivering what you need, dont be shy of wrapping it theme in advance helps you both into the zone andup earlier than plannedyour time and their time is allows for preparation of key questions and ideas,too precious to waste.meaning that the time spent talking is likely to be of higher quality.Dont hold back in sharing your experiences, including the failures. Be honest, and prepared to acknowledge where you dont have relevant experience, or a clear recommendation.Paul DennettDirector Of DevelopmentQueenwood School58 FACE 2 FACE MAGAZINE'