Effective relationships in mentoring are essential to ensuring a successful experience and outcome. ?The principle of creating a mentoring relationship may seem obvious. However, to ensure that both parties have a valuable and enjoyable experience, both mentor and mentee should be aware of their responsibilities within the relationship.

Joint Roles and Responsibilities

Both mentor and mentee should ensure that they:

• Understand what mentoring is and each role within the relationship
• Agree and maintain expectations and the level of confidentiality
• Prepare ahead of each meeting
• Feel comfortable to proceed
• Reflect and share feedback after each meeting
• Maintain commitment whether one-off, short-term or long-term
• Close the relationship at the right time , in line with the personal development objectives agreed

Roles and responsibilities?of the mentor

¡°The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.¡±

Steven Spielberg

A mentor should ensure that they:

• Have a genuine interest in helping someone achieve their personal development objectives
• Seek?further clarity to be clear on the personal development objectives
• Have the skills and experience to mentor
• Share your experience to provide validation of how you can help
• Increase their skills, knowledge, confidence and motivation
• Provide different perspectives on problem solving, career options and opportunities
• Be a role model and provide connection with other role models
• Deal professionally with any conflicts of interest

Roles and responsibilities?of the mentee

¡°Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction.¡±

John C Crosby

A mentee should ensure that they:

• Where appropriate, get agreement from your line manager
• Select a mentor
• Set and share your personal development objectives (using SMART) and outline how mentoring could help you achieve your outcomes
• Organise and arrange the meetings and the agendas at appropriate times and venues for both people
• Keep a record of your conversations to capture what¡¯s important
• Establish and maintain contact
• Track progress and results of personal development