How do you talk to mentors about your mentee's development?

1 Identify the purpose

Before you initiate a conversation with another mentor, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from it. Do you want to seek advice, share best practices, give feedback, or celebrate a milestone? Depending on your purpose, you will need to prepare differently and use different communication styles. For example, if you want to seek advice, you will need to explain the situation, the problem, and the possible solutions you have considered. If you want to give feedback, you will need to be specific, constructive, and respectful.

2 Choose the right time and channel

Another important factor to consider is when and how to talk to other mentors. You should respect their time and availability, and choose a convenient and appropriate channel for your conversation. For example, if you want to have a casual chat or a quick update, you can use email, text, or phone. If you want to have a more in-depth discussion or a formal meeting, you can use video conferencing, online platforms, or face-to-face meetings. You should also schedule your conversations in advance and confirm the agenda and the expectations.

3 Listen and ask questions

One of the key skills of a good mentor is listening. When you talk to other mentors, you should listen actively and attentively, and show interest and empathy. You should also ask open-ended questions to encourage dialogue, clarify points, and explore ideas. For example, you can ask questions like: "What are the main challenges you face as a mentor?", "How do you measure your mentee's progress?", or "What are some of the best practices you use to motivate your mentee?"

4 Share your experience and insights

Another way to have meaningful conversations with other mentors is to share your own experience and insights. You can talk about your mentee's strengths, weaknesses, goals, and achievements, and how you support them along the way. You can also share your challenges, frustrations, and learnings, and how you overcome them. Sharing your experience and insights can help you build rapport, trust, and mutual understanding with other mentors. It can also help you learn from each other and improve your mentoring skills.

5 Give and receive feedback

Feedback is essential for learning and improvement. When you talk to other mentors, you should be open to give and receive feedback. You should give feedback that is honest, respectful, and constructive, and focus on the behavior, not the person. You should also receive feedback with gratitude, curiosity, and openness, and ask for clarification, examples, and suggestions. Giving and receiving feedback can help you and other mentors identify your strengths, areas of improvement, and action steps.

6 Follow up and stay connected

The last tip to talk to other mentors is to follow up and stay connected. You should not let your conversations end without a clear outcome or a next step. You should summarize the key points, agree on the action items, and set a deadline or a follow-up date. You should also keep in touch with other mentors regularly and update them on your progress, challenges, and achievements. Following up and staying connected can help you maintain a positive and supportive relationship with other mentors.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?