Making mentorship journey fruitful

However, one day, a new boy called Aziz came to the village. Aziz asked Jemimah to be his girlfriend. And Jemimah said yes. Ronald was shattered, and so were we. For almost a year, the village was in mourning and gossip. The best we could do was to hate on the couple, especially on Jemimah.

However, when I finally mastered the courage and asked Jemimah why she broke the heart of the village she, responded that Ronald never asked her if they could date. Her response taught me that one should never assume that they are in a relationship. Similarly, one must never assume they are being mentored until they have asked the simple question, “Can you please be my mentor?”

Next, arrange for an initiation meeting where you will get to know each other. The mentor could answer questions such as: tell me about your childhood. What inspires you? Who has greatly influenced your life? Tell me about your family. The questions above appear to have nothing related to business, but you cannot be in a mentorship relationship with someone you do not know. The mentee could ask the mentor to tell them about their career journey; and what key lessons they have learnt in life, who the mentor thinks they should meet, among others. 

In addition, the mentor and mentee should agree on the aims and objectives of the mentorship relationship. No one can mentor you in all aspects of your life. One will mentor you in business, another in academics, and another in marriage.  

The last thing to do in the initial meeting is to agree upon a regular meeting schedule. This could be monthly or quarterly, but please meet regularly. These meetings will become key in the monitoring and evaluating process. 

The next couple of meetings should focus on creating a personal development plan preferably in a written format. The mentee starts by stating their short-term goals (one to three years) and their long-term goals (five to 10 years). Next, the mentee should come up with three to five objectives that are specific, measurable, and time-bound. Thereafter, for each objective, come up with development activities and the proof of their completion and a deadline. 

Imagine you are interested in business and you are coming up with a business personal development plan. The short-term goal could be to start or partner in a business. 

It is recommended that during the next meetings, the mentor goes through the personal development plan, takes stock of the progress and asks specific questions about what the mentee promised to do. 

The mentee is required to be honest and share any challenges they may be facing in achieving that objective and where possible, ask for the mentor’s advice to ensure they get closer to their dream. At the end of the meeting, there should be a clear plan of action which both parties agree to. These action points will be the basis for your forthcoming meetings.

Finally, as a mentee, remember you are the key stakeholder in this relationship. Therefore, be teachable, be coachable, be hungry, and be comfortable with change. Greatness awaits you if you dare to ask for mentorship and take action on what you learn.  

The author, David Mukunya, is a medical doctor and associate professor of Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology at Busitema University