Mentee Learning Outcomes

1 – Build effective personal and professional relationships:

Takes initiative to build and maintain relationships based on mutual trust, respect, and accountability. Actively creates intentional relationships with more experienced mentors to support work towards personal learning goals.

Strategies:

  • Keep your commitments – do what you say you will do, show up, be punctual, be present
  • Share your story – be willing to disclose your past and current experiences and future hopes and fears
  • Maintain confidentiality – build trust by honoring others’ stories as your own
  • Build your network – seek out individuals who challenge your perspective and worldview

2 – Set goals for personal growth and learning:

Creates goals as framework for mentoring relationship. Owns progress towards accomplishing goals through process of taking action, asking for feedback, and reflecting on lessons learned for future application.

Strategies:

  • Create SMART goals – write 2-3 developmental goals to work on during the relationship using the SMART goal framework
  • Identify action steps – write 2-3 concrete action steps for each goal statement
  • Share progress – regularly share progress towards goals and ask for feedback on next steps
  • Reflect and re-set – periodically reflect on progress and lessons learned to set new goals

3 – Ask for and receive feedback:

Openly shares progress towards personal goals and actively solicits feedback on strengths and opportunities for growth. Practices active listening and understands how to receive and respond to feedback in an appropriate manner that maintains relationships.

Strategies:

  • Share progress – regularly share progress towards learning goals, challenges and successes
  • Ask for feedback – seek out individuals who can give feedback on strengths and opportunities for growth
  • Practice active listening – receive feedback without defensiveness, ask for clarity as needed, express gratitude
  • Reflect and apply – take time to reflect on the message in the feedback and assess how to apply in the future

4 – Reflect on experiences and lessons learned for future application:

Intentionally engages in self-reflection after taking action towards identified goals. Openly engages in reflective conversations with mentor regarding lessons learned and future application. Becomes more self-aware of strengths and growth opportunities and how to capitalize on both.

Strategies:

  • Practice self-reflection – set aside time to ask “What?”, “So what?”, “Now what?” questions
  • Share reflection with mentor – openly share learning moments and ask for feedback
  • Acknowledge strengths and opportunities – be able to objectively assess own strengths and opportunities for growth
  • Create learning plan – develop plan to build on strengths and work on growth opportunities

Take the Mentee Beginning/Mid-Year Self-Evaluation and the Mentee End-of-Relationship Self-Evaluation to determine your progress towards developing these key skills.

© 2015 Wake Forest University Mentoring Resource Center