Mentoring is a developmental relationship in which a trained, caring individual supports a
student through guidance, encouragement, accountability, and shared goal setting.

Core elements of mentoring:

• A consistent, trusting relationship
• Encouragement that builds confidence
• Support navigating campus systems
• Guidance in setting goals and building habits
• Accountability without pressure
• Deep listening and validation
• Disability-affirming communication

The BUILD Mentor Program ensures that students with disabilities receive the mentorship,
community, and structural support needed to thrive academically, socially, and personally.

• Promote academic excellence and preparedness
• Support self-advocacy and understanding of accommodations
• Strengthening disability identity and leadership development
• Reduce isolation and build community
• Connect students to campus involvement and resources
• Improve retention and persistence
• Foster culturally responsive, disability-affirming mentoring

• Leadership development
• Enhanced communication and interpersonal skills
• Greater cultural and disability competency
• A deeper understanding of diverse student experiences
• A supportive peer network
• The satisfaction of contributing to student success

BUILD mentors are selected for their leadership potential, commitment to equity, and
ability to support students with disabilities respectfully and effectively.

• SIUE faculty or staff
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Empathy, patience, and cultural humility
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Commitment to consistent meetings
• Willingness to learn about disability identity and accessibility
• Completion of mentor training

• Leadership experience
• Understanding or lived experience with disability
• Experience supporting diverse student populations

BUILD mentors receive comprehensive training to prepare them for inclusive, effective
mentoring.

• Dynamic mentor preparation sessions
• Online training modules
• Cross-cultural competency training
• Scenario-based practice
• Resource training

Icebreakers reduce anxiety, build trust, and establish early rapport, especially important for students who may be anxious, neurodivergent, or new to campus. Icebreakers can also help mentoring sessions begin on a positive note while strengthening relationships that create a foundation for meaningful learning and growth. A few tips for effective icebreakers include:

• Keep activities light-hearted and low-pressure to encourage participation.
• Allow conversations to flow naturally; follow-up questions deepen understanding.
• Adapt activities for virtual sessions using screen sharing, chat, or collaborative tools
• Use icebreakers to seed future discussions or introduce session topics

Example icebreakers may include more structured activities like the Autobiographical Poem, or quicker more conversational icebreakers as simple as asking: "Who was your hero growing up?". Please note there are many icebreakers to take advantage of in your mentor/mentee interactions, the key is to pick the activity or line of questioning best suited to your pairing. 

1. Two Truths and a Lie: Each participant shares three statements about themselves—two true and one false. The other guesses which is the lie, sparking conversation and revealing personal interests or experiences.
2. Quick Questions: Both mentor and mentee prepare a list of 10 light-hearted questions, such as favorite hobbies or dream travel destinations, and take turns asking each other.
3. Living or Dead: Ask who they would like to meet, living or deceased, and why. This uncovers values, inspirations, and personal interests.
4. Desert Island Dilemma: Present a scenario where participants can only bring three items to a desert island. Discussing choices encourages creative thinking and reveals priorities.
5. Three Statements Game: Share three statements about yourself, with one being false, and let the other person interrogate to guess the truth. This works well virtually and encourages follow-up questions.

Mentors support mentees in navigating university life, building confidence, and developing
independence.

• Weekly meetings
• Consistent communication
• Supporting academic and personal goals
• Encouraging study habits
• Referring to resources
• Practicing empathy and validation
• Respecting boundaries
• Documenting progress
• Encouraging self-advocacy

• Ask about accessibility needs
• Normalize disability as diversity
• Promote independence
• Avoid “fixing” problems
• Use open-ended questions
• Guide problem-solving

Create SMART goals - SMART goals are designed to help set objectives that are clear, measurable and achievable. The acronym SMART represents the following qualities that all goals should have, which are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

The point is helping the mentee break down objectives into smaller, more manageable components that can be easily monitored as well as achieved. 

Identify strengths - Identifying strengths in a mentee shifts the mentoring dynamic from a corrective model ("fixing weaknesses") to a growth-oriented model ("amplifying potential").

• Accelerates Self-Efficacy & Confidence: Mentees often struggle with imposter syndrome or blind spots regarding their own capabilities. Pointing out concrete, evidence-based strengths helps them develop internal trust and take calculated risks.
• Informs Strategic Goal Setting: Mentoring goals tailored to natural aptitudes produce higher engagement and faster progress. Building on existing strengths allows mentees to move from competent to exceptional in specific domains.
• Fosters Psychological Safety: When a mentee knows their mentor sees and values their core capabilities, they feel safer being open about areas where they struggle or need improvement.
• Optimizes Development Time: Remediating weaknesses usually brings performance up to average, whereas expanding strengths builds competitive advantages and unique professional value.
• Encourages Autonomy: Recognizing strengths empowers mentees to solve problems using their existing toolkit rather than relying constantly on the mentor's direction or solutions.

Reflect on progress - Reflecting on progress as a mentor transforms mentoring from a routine check-in into an intentional, high-impact development process benefitting both the mentor and mentee in terms of:

• Validation of growth and momentum
• Evaluation of the efficacy of mentoring strategies
• Refining goal direction and ensuring relevancy
• Deepening mutual accountability
• Sharpening your own leadership potential as a mentor 

• Time management - the process of planning and exercising conscious control over how much time is spent on specific activities to maximize efficiency, productivity and balance. This means prioritizing tasks, setting clear goals, allocating dedicated time blocks, and minimizing distractions. 
• Study strategies - unlike passive reading or simple repetition, these are deliberate techniques, behaviors and approaches used to strengthen memory, deepen comprehension and transfer knowledge from short-term to long term. 
• Communication with professors - this is critical for all college students to understand and master. Extremely under utilized but vital for academic and career success. Communicating with professors not only helps clarify expectations and course materials, but it also creates a safety net for emergencies (not in the 11th hour when an unexpected emergency, illness or crisis impacts coursework). Professors are far more accommodating when they see you engaged as a student. This is also beneficial in terms of unlocking letters of recommendation, opportunities for research or internships and potential career guidance.
• Use of accommodations - Unlike K-12 education, accommodations work differently in higher ed. Under Title II and Title III of the ADA (and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act), higher education institutions must provide equal access and reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. However, the responsibility rests entirely on the student to self-disclose and initiate the process. Furthermore, there is additional work required by the student to fully utilize approved accommodations. This includes, submitting semester requests every semester, scheduling exams with accommodations, and following up when there is new or additional documentation which may require a supplemental request. 

• Identifying resources
• Practicing communication scripts
• Understanding when to seek support

1. Emotional check-ins - this is a brief pause to tune into your current internal state- identify what you are feeling, why you might be feeling it, and what your mind and body need in that moment. Rather than operating on autopilot or reacting to stress after reaching a breaking point, emotional check-ins serve as a preventative self-care practice that builds self-awareness and emotional regulation.
2. Balance and pacing - self care requires distribution across dimensions, "balance". It's imperative to address every layer of well-being rather than fixating on just one area (like physical fitness) while ignoring or neglecting emotional or social health.
   • Physical: Sleep hygiene, movement, nourishment, and physical rest.
   • Emotional: Setting boundaries, journaling, practicing emotional check-ins, and processing feelings.
   • Mental/Cognitive: Digital detoxes, single-tasking, learning new non-work concepts, and reducing decision fatigue.
   • Social: Cultivating meaningful connections while knowing when to decline social invitations to preserve recharge time.
   • Practical/Professional: Keeping an organized environment, managing workload, and maintaining clear boundaries between work and personal life.
     
     Pacing refers to establishing your rhythms of how often you're checking your "balance". Whether daily (quick emotional check-ins, hydration, short breaks), weekly (unplugging for a full afternoon, engaging in hobbies, spending quality time with loved ones), or monthly/quarterly (taking extended time off, reflecting on long-term goals, and adjusting major commitments).
3. Use of wellness resources - SIUE has a variety of physical and mental health and wellness resources, including the Campus Recreation Wellness Center as well as Cougar Care consisting of Counseling and Health Services.

• Strength-based approach - focus on identifying and leveraging individual strengths to foster growth and improve wellbeing.
• Empathy and understanding
• Active listening
• Cultural competency
• Consistency
• Disability-affirming practice - Remember,  disability affirming recognizes that disability may make life more challenging but it isn't a tragedy that makes life not worth living.

1. Keep communication open
2. Define expectations early
3. Stay accountable
4. Communicate honestly
5. Participate actively
6. Demonstrate professionalism
7. Use creativity
8. Prioritize growth
9. Follow key dos and don’ts
10. Celebrating small wins

As a mentor, your role is to:

• Provide guidance and support in addressing identified development needs
• Act as a sounding board
• Provide encouragement & source of knowledge
• Stimulate insight
• Create new perspectives and different ways of thinking

• Clarity and respect
• Professional tone
• Reflective listening

 Whenever possible, use open-ended questions to facilitate dialogue and encourage engagement. Ask questions that invite your mentee to give a considered answer, recount an event, or think deeply in some way. This also helps you to avoid being presumptive. Good open ended questions to field test might include:

• What exciting things have you been doing since our last meeting?
• What have you been able to make progress on since our last meeting?
• What's working well for you?
• Are there any unknowns you have right now that are blocking you?
• What's on your to do list that you're avoiding?

Information pertaining to a student’s diagnosis or disability and the accommodations provided are personal and confidential in nature. As such, ACCESS does not share information with fellow students, faculty or staff outside of the expressed purpose of arranging reasonable accommodations. Likewise, as their mentor, you would be expected to maintain the same level of confidentiality. Students may choose to disclose any details related to their accommodation they wish. However, in your efforts to maintain confidentiality as a mentor, take additional caution to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the student.

There can be a certain level of confidentiality as it applies to their diagnosis, and what is held by FERPA, however, in cases of danger, abuse, or required reporting. All faculty and most staff members are required to report incidents (or allegations) of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or other forms of misconduct that violate university policy to their supervisor, and the office of Equal Opportunity, Access and Title IX coordination. 

All University employees (including student-employees), other than those deemed Confidential Employees, are considered mandatory reporters, and are expected to promptly report all known details of actual or suspected discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and/or retaliation to the EOA Director/Title IX Coordinator* (*throughout this policy, any reference to “EOA Director/Title IX Coordinator” includes “or their designee” unless specifically stated otherwise) immediately.

Avoid acting as a counselor

Mentoring requires a delicate balance: while offering support and guidance, a mentor is not a qualified mental health professional. Conflating the role of a mentor (focusing on professional development, skill-building, and goal achievement) with that of a counselor (focusing on psychological healing, personal trauma, and emotional therapy) can compromise professional boundaries, lead to burnout, and potentially cause harm to the mentee.

Maintaining clear boundaries protects both you and your mentee while keeping the relationship productive.

Maintain professional distance

• Define the Scope Early: Establish clear expectations in your initial session. Define what topics fall within your mentorship (e.g., career planning, study strategies, skill refinement) and what falls outside (e.g., personal relationships, deep-seated anxiety, family conflict).
• Focus on Actionable Outcomes: Keep conversations anchored to tangible goals, problem-solving, and professional growth. If a mentee brings up personal struggles, validate their experience briefly before steering the conversation back to actionable steps:

  • "That sounds really challenging. How do you feel this situation is impacting your ability to focus on your project goals right now?"

• Avoid Unpacking Emotional Trauma: It is natural to practice active listening and show empathy, but avoid digging into the "why" behind deep emotional distress, personal relationship issues, or mental health struggles. 
• Recognize Warning Signs: Be alert to indicators that extend beyond a mentor's expertise, such as:
  • Persistent feelings of hopelessness, severe anxiety, or depression.
  • Expressing thoughts of self-harm or harm to others.
  • Significant disruption in daily functioning (eating, sleeping, basic attendance).
  • Repeated reliance on you as their primary emotional support system.
    • If you notice any of these things, the student may be a good candidate for a care report.

Communicate the boundaries clearly

When a mentee shares personal or mental health struggles that cross into counseling territory, express empathy, state your professional boundaries, and connect them with appropriate resources.

• Acknowledge and Validate: Gently acknowledge what they shared without attempting to diagnose or fix it.
  "Thank you for sharing that with me. I can hear how much stress this is causing you."

• State Your Boundary Clearly: Explain your role as a mentor and your limitations.
  "As your mentor, my expertise is in helping you navigate your career and skills. I want to make sure you get the best support possible for what you're dealing with personally, which is outside what I can provide."

• Provide Campus Resources:
  • Counseling Services 
  • Health Services
  • Timely Care - SIUE students and employees now have FREE, 24/7 access to virtual care services from TimelyCare. Student and Employees do not need insurance to access TimelyCare services. Download the app.
    • TalkNow: 24/7, on-demand emotional support to talk about anything, including anxiety, relationships, depression, and school or work-related stressors.
    • Scheduled Counseling: Choose the day, time, and mental health provider that best works for you. (9 visits per year)
    • Health Coaching: Develop healthy lifestyle behaviors, including nutrition, sleep habits, time management, and mindfulness.
    • Self-Care Content: Visit the “Explore” page within TimelyCare for guided self-care content, including yoga and meditation sessions, as well as group conversations with our providers on a variety of health and well-being topics.

The Teams space supports communication, resource sharing, accountability, and community building.

• Announcements and updates
• Resource library
• Peer discussion
• Accountability check-ins
• Recognition and celebration

This section covers a variety of mentoring challenges experienced with evidence-based solutions.

Low Engagement

When a mentee becomes disengaged—missing meetings, giving short answers, or failing to follow through on action items—it is usually a symptom of unclear expectations, misaligned goals, or external stress rather than simple apathy.

Fixing low engagement requires diagnosing the root cause and pivoting your approach.

Diagnosing the Cause

Before applying a solution, identify why the disconnect is happening:

• Mismatch in Goals: The topics discussed don't align with what the mentee actually cares about right now.

• Overwhelm or Burnout: The mentee is drowning in academic, professional, or personal commitments and views mentoring as "one more task."

• Lack of Agency: The dynamic feels like a top-down lecture rather than a collaborative partnership.

• Intimidation or Imposter Syndrome: The mentee feels underprepared, fears judgment, or doesn't know what to ask.

Actionable Solutions

• Hit the Reset Button with a Meta-Conversation: Step out of your normal meeting routine to address the dynamic directly and without judgment.

  "I’ve noticed we’ve had to reschedule a few times and our momentum has slowed. I want to make sure this time is genuinely valuable for you. Let’s pause and check in—are our current goals still relevant, or should we adjust how we use this time?"

• Shift Ownership to the Mentee: Disengagement often happens when mentors do all the heavy lifting. Require the mentee to drive the logistics:

  • Have them draft and send the meeting agenda 24 hours in advance.

  • Ask them to open each session by sharing one win and one current roadblock.

  • Let them choose the meeting format or cadence.

• Lower the Friction and Shrink the Commitment: If the mentee is overwhelmed, a rigid 60-minute formal session can cause avoidance.

  • Pivot temporarily to 15-minute "stand-up" check-ins or asynchronous updates via email or messaging.

  • Break large goals into micro-action items that take less than 15 minutes to complete between sessions.

• Audit Your Asking-to-Telling Ratio: If you spend most of the session giving advice, the mentee becomes a passive listener. Shift to open-ended coaching questions:

  • "What is taking up most of your mental bandwidth this week?"

  • "If we could solve just one problem today, what would make the biggest difference for you?"

  • "What outcome would make you feel this 30 minutes was completely worth your time?"

• Focus on Immediate, High-Value Wins: Long-term 5-year plans can feel abstract and demotivating during periods of stress. Pivot to immediate pain points (e.g., preparing for an upcoming interview, fixing a resume, or navigating a specific class conflict) to deliver instant value.

• Re-establish Clear Boundaries and an Exit Ramp: Mentoring should be mutually beneficial and voluntary. If engagement remains non-existent despite adjustments, offer a graceful exit: 
  "I know life and work priorities shift. If now isn't the right season for a formal mentoring relationship, we can pause our structured sessions and check back in next semester/quarter."

Miscommunication

Miscommunication in a mentoring relationship usually stems from mismatched expectations, unstated assumptions, or differing communication styles. When left unaddressed, minor misunderstandings can create friction, erode trust, or lead to disengagement.

Addressing miscommunication effectively requires a proactive, low-friction approach focused on alignment rather than blame.

1. Address It Early and Directly

• Don't wait for it to pass: Unresolved misunderstandings tend to compound over time, making future interactions awkward or strained.
• Choose the right channel: Avoid addressing miscommunication over text, email, or chat apps where tone can easily be misconstrued. Use a live video call or in-person meeting.

2. Frame the Discussion with "I" Statements Avoid accusatory language (e.g., "You didn't follow through on what we agreed to") which puts the mentee on the defensive. Instead, take ownership of the communication gap: "I noticed there might have been a disconnect around what we decided in our last session regarding [topic]. I want to make sure I was being clear on my end—can we talk through how we each understood that action item?"

3. Uncover the Root Cause Miscommunication typically falls into one of four categories:

• Assumed Clarity: You gave high-level guidance expecting a specific detail, while the mentee interpreted it as a broad suggestion.
• Unstated Constraints: The mentee encountered an unforeseen obstacle (e.g., lack of time, missing resources, or confusion) but didn't know how to raise it.
• Communication Channel Mismatch: One person prefers detailed written follow-ups, while the other prefers verbal summaries.
• Power Dynamic Hesitation: The mentee felt intimidated to ask clarifying questions during the meeting and made an educated guess afterward.

4. Recalibrate and Establish "Loop-Closing" Habits Prevent future miscommunications by instituting clear communication protocols:

• The "Teach-Back" Method: At the end of a session, ask the mentee to summarize the key takeaways and action items in their own words: "To make sure we're completely aligned, what are your main takeaways and next steps from today's chat?"
• Written Follow-Ups: Ask the mentee to send a brief 3-bullet summary email within 24 hours of a session outlining agreed-upon goals and deadlines.
• Normalize Clarifying Questions: Reiterate that it is always welcome—and expected—for them to message you if they hit a roadblock or realize an instruction was unclear.

Cultural differences

Navigating cultural differences in a mentoring relationship requires shifting from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to one based on cultural humility—recognizing that your worldview, communication style, and assumptions about success are shaped by your own background and may not match your mentee’s.

Cultural differences can span national origin, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, gender identity, neurodiversity, or generational cohorts. Managing these differences intentionally strengthens trust and builds a richer mentoring dynamic.

Core Areas Where Cultural Differences Surface

• Communication Directness: Some cultures value direct, explicit feedback ("low-context"), while others rely on indirect, subtle cues to maintain harmony and protect relationships ("high-context").
• Attitudes Toward Hierarchy and Authority: Mentees from high power-distance backgrounds may view mentors as formal authority figures. They may avoid disagreeing, asking questions, or sharing personal struggles out of respect or fear of appearing disrespectful.
• Views on Self-Promotion vs. Humility: Western corporate and academic environments often reward vocal self-advocacy. Mentees raised in collectivistic cultures may feel deeply uncomfortable highlighting their individual achievements over group contributions.
• Work-Life and Family Expectations: Family obligations, religious practices, or community commitments may take priority in ways that differ from dominant professional norms.

Strategies for Mentoring Across Cultural Differences

• Practice Cultural Humility over Cultural Mastery: Avoid making broad assumptions about a mentee based on their background or demographic. Treat your mentee as an individual, and maintain a curious, open mindset: "I want to make sure my feedback style works well for you. Do you prefer direct, point-by-point critiques, or do you work better when we talk through big-picture ideas first?"
• Deconstruct "Unwritten Rules": Professional environments are filled with unspoken cultural norms—networking etiquette, speaking up in meetings, or negotiating assignments. Explicitly break down how these dynamics work rather than assuming the mentee should already know them.
• Empower Self-Advocacy Without Erasure: Help mentees navigate dominant organizational or academic cultures without demanding that they abandon their core identity or code-switch completely to fit in.
• Establish Psychological Safety: Explicitly invite questions and different viewpoints. If a mentee is hesitant to offer opinions due to hierarchical norms, create low-stakes entry points: "If you were in my shoes looking at this project, what is one risk or alternative you might consider?"
• Acknowledge systemic barriers: Be mindful that mentees from underrepresented or marginalized groups may face systemic biases or imposter phenomenon that affect their confidence or career navigation. Validating these realities without trying to "fix" their lived experience builds deep trust.

Scheduling conflicts

Schedule conflicts are one of the most common operational friction points in a mentoring relationship. Left unmanaged, frequent cancellations or last-minute reschedules erode momentum, create frustration, and can easily be mistaken for disengagement.

Addressing schedule conflicts requires a combination of clear boundaries, flexible structural formats, and open communication.

Practical Strategies to Resolve Schedule Conflicts

• Audit the Root Cause First: Determine if the conflicts are temporary (e.g., midterms, a major project launch, personal emergency) or systemic (e.g., poor time management, unrealistic meeting frequency, competing job/family commitments).
• Pivot to Asynchronous Mentoring: If live, synchronous meetings are becoming impossible, adapt the format. Use shared documents, voice memos, or brief email threads for updates, feedback on resumes/projects, and quick questions. This keeps progress moving without requiring a joint calendar slot.
• Reduce Frequency or Duration: A standing 60-minute weekly meeting is hard to maintain during busy seasons. Proactively offer to downshift: "It looks like your schedule is packed right now. Let's shift from weekly 60-minute sessions to bi-weekly 30-minute check-ins or 15-minute 'stand-ups' until your workload lightens."
• Establish a Clear Cancellation Protocol: Set expectations around notice. Agree on a "24-hour rule" for cancellations unless an unexpected emergency arises, and agree on whose responsibility it is to send the reschedule invite (typically the person cancelling).
• Anchor to Fixed recurring Slots: Trying to find a new time manually every two weeks creates high administrative drag. Set a consistent, low-friction recurring time (e.g., the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month at 8:30 AM) so it becomes a permanent calendar fixture.
• Address Chronic Flakiness Directly: If a mentee repeatedly misses sessions without notice, address the behavior neutrally without assuming bad intent: "I’ve noticed we’ve had to reschedule our last few meetings at the last minute. I know life gets busy, but I want to respect both of our schedules. Is this still a good time for us to meet, or should we pause our sessions until your schedule clears up?"

Mentor burnout

Mentor burnout occurs when the emotional, cognitive, and logistical energy required to support a mentee exceeds your available capacity. Mentors often experience burnout quietly—feeling drained after sessions, dreading upcoming check-ins, or feeling increasingly cynical—because they feel guilty for finding a supportive role stressful.

Addressing mentor burnout requires immediate boundary adjustments, structural changes to the dynamic, and personal recalibration.

Immediate Circuit-Breakers for Active Burnout

• Pause or Extend Session Frequency: Temporarily shift from weekly meetings to monthly or bi-weekly check-ins. If you are experiencing acute exhaustion, it is completely acceptable to request a 2- to 4-week pause:"I’m currently navigating a high-bandwidth period with my own commitments. I want to make sure I’m giving you my full focus when we meet, so let's pause our regular sessions for the next three weeks and reconnect on [Date]."
• Shorten Meeting Duration: Reduce 60-minute sessions to a tight 25 or 30 minutes. Setting a strict, pre-announced hard stop reduces mental fatigue and forces sharper focus.
• Switch Channels: Transition temporary or low-stakes check-ins to asynchronous communication (email updates, voice notes, or shared action-item documents) to eliminate the emotional tax of live, face-to-face coaching.

Structural Fixes to Prevent Burnout

• Stop Over-Functioning (Pass the Mic): Mentors burn out when they carry the heavy administrative and cognitive load. Shift responsibility entirely to the mentee:
  • Require the mentee to draft and send the meeting agenda 24 hours prior.
  • Have the mentee take notes and send the follow-up action plan.
  • Stop trying to solve their problems—focus strictly on asking open-ended coaching questions rather than generating solutions.

• Reinforce Firm Role Boundaries: Ensure you haven't slipped into acting as a counselor, therapist, or personal manager. If the mentee’s needs exceed professional guidance, refer them to proper institutional or medical resources (academic advising, HR, employee assistance programs, or counseling services).

• Audit Your Mentorship Capacity: Cap the number of active mentees you support simultaneously. High-touch mentorship is rarely sustainable beyond 1–2 individuals at a time alongside full-time work or academic responsibilities.

Personal Recalibration

• Detach Your Self-Worth from Mentee Outcomes: A mentor provides tools, perspective, and access—the mentee owns the execution and results. You are not responsible for their failure to follow through or achieve a specific milestone.
• Redefine Success: Shift your goal from "fixing" or "transforming" a mentee to simply being a reliable sounding board for specific growth areas.

A consistent meeting structure helps mentees feel grounded and supported.

1. Welcome and check-in
2. Review of previous goals
3. Discussion of current needs
4. Skill-building or resource connection
5. Goal setting for next meeting
6. Closing reflection

• What is working well?
• What challenges are emerging?
• How the relationship is developing?
• What support they may need?
• How they are growing as leaders?