Mentors are in powerful positions to help their mentees learn. Sometimes mentors teach; most of the time they “broker” learning and help their mentees absorb what’s happening.

How are you supporting your mentees? Ask yourself if you’re doing any or all of the following.

• Acting as a Learning Broker

Mentor learning brokers serve as catalysts for network activities that enable mentees to reach development goals. That means the mentors suggest learning activities, help mentees find additional opportunities, and work with mentees to screen all the possibilities. In addition, learning brokers assist the mentees in “processing” their learning. They help them pull any new ideas, concepts, and applications from those opportunities. They ask such questions as: “What did you learn from that?” “What did you learn about yourself from ____?” “How was ___ different from ____?” “How might you do that differently next time?” They affirm mentees’ efforts (“You did a remarkable thing there.”) They also have their mentees teach them (the mentors) the new ideas as a way of cementing learning.

• Avoiding setting official goals too soon

One of the biggest challenges with formal mentoring programs is the push toward mentees’ setting goals before they’re ready. Coordinators often require potential mentees to have specific goals before they’re admitted to the program and before they know their mentors. This discourages some potential mentees from entering into the process. Or mentees choose goals that are too easy or that aren’t connected to important life changes. Although it's unwise to expect mentees to focus, rigid rules prevent participation, or many mentees write down what they believe decision makers want to read.

This can be a challenge for mentors. It’s up to you, once you actually meet, to give permission for each of your mentees to change those goals if necessary for more compelling ones. At the same time, don’t postpone goal setting too long. Start somewhere; tweak later! Even with your informal mentoring relationships, encourage your mentees to first come up with “goal areas”, and help them shape these into measurable goals as you proceed.

• Encouraging your mentee to do research

Part of your mentor role is to work yourself out of a job with each of your mentees. One way to do this is to help mentees become good researchers on at least two things: themselves and the learning possibilities out there. A way to help them “research themselves” is asking questions described above under Acting as a Learning Broker. With each of their learning attempts, you can make sure they analyze what happened and apply the situation to their lives. You can also encourage your mentees to take calculated risks—to stretch themselves in new ways—and then together process the learning, including mistakes.

You can also help them think of and investigate potential learning activities outside your meetings. What projects can they try to test their developing skills? Whom might they interview to get new information and insights? What’s on the web about x topic? What good books have they found? Could their writing something make a new idea gel? What if they set up a mini experiment to test their hunches?

• Keeping an eye out for opportunities for mentees

The most giving mentors we know are constantly looking for opportunities for their mentees. They scan the horizon for places and events to which they can invite their mentees, people who might help their mentees, places where the mentees can showcase their skills and also learn new things. These mentors also prepare the mentees to be ready for the opportunities. They coach them on what (and what not) to do and say (and avoid doing and saying) including how to follow up with an expression of thanks.

• Helping mentee evaluate the fit between goals + opportunities

Mentees often don’t know how a particular development activity could help them reach a goal. They’ll therefore choose a goal and then do not know what it would take to learn the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to reach it. Help them sift through the myriad possibilities out there. For example, if your mentee’s goal is “to get promoted to manager,” he/she could pursue dozens if not hundreds of learning activities. Which would probably be the most time and cost effective? Which would motivate your mentee the most? Which have you tried and found valuable (or not so valuable) and why? Instead of telling your mentees what to choose, help them learn how to decide for themselves.

• Acting as a teacher/coach where you’re a content expert

What “content” are you teaching your mentees? Although you’re a learning broker most of the time, you’re probably a qualified expert in one or more areas. Put on your teacher hat from time to time, and instruct your mentees in what you know. Tell stories, give specific examples, explain procedures, present scenarios and have your mentees say how they’d handle them, let them hear you think out loud, and provide other creative learning opportunities.

For more ideas on being an effective mentor, check our Archive and Products (especially The Mentor’s Guide).