10 Steps to Successful Mentoring

Step 9

Address Mentor Challenges

“If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”

—T. S. Eliot

Overview

• Neutralize four mentoring relationship roadblocks.

• Succeed with mentees who are challenging.

• Manage outside influencers.

Imagine a place where you could get abundant insights from mentors’ experiences as their progressive months of mentoring unfold. Such a place exists with a mentors’ peer cohort. These groups are established for the mutual learning and support of mentors. Mentors might meet monthly, for example, to discuss successes, share resources, and, inevitably, spend the majority of the time working through their current mentoring challenges.

In observing and leading such groups, I have learned that more experienced ...