Top 10 TIPS FOR MENTORS:

1. LISTEN more than talk. This is about the mentee and helping them understand themselves, connecting them with helpful resources and building their confidence to own their development.
2. Honor confidentiality. If something concerning the mentee needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship.
3. Foster mutual trust and respect. From the beginning of the relationship, you should work to communicate openly and honestly to establish a level of respect and vulnerability that will open the mentee to hearing both reinforcing and corrective feedback.
4. Foster creativity and independence. Seek to help the mentee find answers inside and outside of themselves without always offering an answer or solution. When handled properly, this will help build their self-confidence and offer encouragement rather than always looking to others for answers.
5. Share your successes AND failures, as appropriate. Remember that you are there for them, so share your stories sparingly and only if it contributes towards enriching the conversation. You are not there to share your personal problems and frustrations. 
6. Commit at least one interaction/hour of support per month. Making regular time in your schedule for a mentee will reinforce your commitment to the relationship. Reserving adequate time also allows for more in-depth discussions and planning.
7. Honor all appointments. Mentees are often eager to engage and if there is frequent rescheduling or canceled appointments, it can harm the trust you have built in the mentoring relationship.
8. Schedule meetings with defined topics. Every meeting should have a purpose that is clear to both mentor and mentee. End each meeting with mentee action items that should be followed up by the next meeting and agree on an additional defined topic for discussion.
9. Be flexible on meeting times and places. Especially as more people have alternate work arrangements, this signals to the mentee that they are important and that you are willing to make adjustments to honor the relationship.
10. Respond to emails within two days of receipt. Anything over 48hrs sends the message to the mentee that they are unimportant.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What am I expected to do? Mentors are expected to provide their mentee with at least one hour of support and interaction per month. [This interaction can take place either face-to-face, remotely using a platform like Teams/Zoom or even over the phone when necessary. We highly recommend that the overwhelming majority of your meetings be held so that you can hear AND see one another.] Mentors should work with their mentee to determine what kind of support will be most useful—specific feedback related to their career and professional development goals.
• How many mentees can I have? Two is the maximum number of mentees allowed for each mentor in the program.
• How long will the commitment be? This depends on the needs of the mentee and the agreement that you make with them for mentorship. The Chronus platform automatically assigns a 6-month time commitment to the relationship to ensure that the mentee is able to fully benefit from the relationship. If this time period is too long or too short, the system will allow for a shorter or longer time period adjustment to be made. If a mentor must leave the relationship early, we request at least one month's notice in order to search for a replacement mentor with similar background.
• 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.