Maintaining Momentum

By now many of you will have had a couple of meetings with your mentees or mentors. Hopefully mutually beneficial relationships are developing and getting to know each other is especially helpful as we continue to navigate our way through these uncertain times. Even if you are still only in the very early stages of getting to know each other, or if you are yet to start for whatever reason, there is still plenty of time to make the most of your match. Read on for some thoughts on the importance of reflecting on where you are in your mentoring journey, as well as for some ideas on how to sustain this commitment to self-development as we start to look ahead to 2021.

It can be difficult to prioritise additional commitments at the best of times, but it is particularly challenging as we approach the end of the year. It is, however, all the more important to make time for a mentoring conversation. A few months into the annual programme is a good point at which to review how things are going in your mentoring partnership.

Mentees could consider if the reasons they signed up to the scheme are still the same, or if they have changed. As you may remember these were as follows:

  • Managing work/life balance 
  • Personal development 
  • Career development 
  • Health and wellbeing 
  • Parenting issues

 If the initial motivations have changed, what are the reasons now and how can you make sure that you get what you need as you go forward? Or have some additional challenges cropped up, and would these also be useful to focus on? In addition, have a look at the inspiring personal stories on our Mentoring and Me series from  last year’s cohort.

For mentors it is also a good time to reflect on how you are finding your role as a mentor, even if it is not the first time that you have been one. How are you helping? Is there anything else you might like to think about when meeting your mentee, that may be helpful for them? Have you asked them where they are and how they are finding things? 

Some of the challenges of working remotely can include isolation, feelings of needing to be constantly available and difficulty in switching from work to homelife. Mentoring support is a great opportunity to reach out, have a virtual coffee together and share tips and strategies. As many mentors who have previously volunteered their time for the programme recognise, these partnerships have huge potential to be mutually beneficial, never so important as now.

×

We use cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. Please read our cookie policy to find out more.