Mentor training

Mentors will be required to participate in a one-hour training session so they can become familiar with the Jalawelo proram and understand how best to help their mentees.

The mentorship relationship will go through various stages over time. However, for the first meeting, it will be important to get off on the right footing.

The mentor should take the time to clearly explain his/her role and to set expectations for the mentorship relationship. He/she will spend some time learning about the mentee's background and experience. Any conclusions about the information shared by the mentee should remain tentative at this juncture. It will take time to get an accurate sense of who the mentee really is.

The mentor should also solicit information from the mentee concerning his/her expectations of the mentorship relationship. You should let the mentee know what you will need from him/her to meet the goals of the mentorship engagement.

TIP: Consider taking notes about your mentee, your interactions, and observations from the very beginning of the relationship.

Starting right

At Jalawelo we promote a culture of authenticity in our relationships with mentees.

Authentic relationships happen when the following conditions are in place:

    1. When mentor and mentee feel free to just be themselves

    2. When mentor and mentee choose to engage in open and honest conversations

When there is authenticity, then trust can be forged. Without authenticity, there is a weak basis for trust, and, without trust, the relationship will not produce the results the mentor or the mentee is seeking.

Beyond the first meeting

Once the relationship is off to a positive start, you can expect to accomplish the following:

  1. Build the relationship

  2. Develop and set goals and expectations

  3. Develop the mentee

  4. Prepare to close the relationship

  5. End the relationship.

These steps will be further discussed at the Mentor Training session.