You have asked for the meetings, therefore you are the leader of this relationship. Your mentor likely has experiences you do not have and they are here to help you. It is your responsibility to let them know the areas in which you are looking for help. It is our expectation that prior to each meeting you will provide your mentor with a list of topics that you would like to discuss. We ask that this agenda or topics you would like to cover be sent to your mentor at least two days prior to your scheduled meeting. Here is an example agenda.

From our experience, every mentor tries their best to give mentees the best possible advice. That said, this is your company. You are not required to follow through with the advice you have received. Mentors give advice based on their knowledge and experiences. As we all know, our market continues to change and evolve. It is possible their advice may work for a larger or smaller company, but may not be right for your company. It does not mean that their advice is wrong — but it may not be right for you or your company. The mentor is an advisor, not your boss.

Your mentor probably has a very demanding job. She or he has volunteered to take on the added responsibility of mentoring. Please be appreciative of your mentor’s time and investment, and respond in a timely manner to your mentor's questions and comments. If you do not have the time to respond at length, send a short message letting this person know you will be in contact when you have the opportunity.

Being a mentee is difficult. There are business challenges and personal challenges; you are probably overcommitted on most days, including on weekends. For mentoring sessions, you need to separate yourself from your day-to-day challenges and intentionally engage in meaningful conversations with your mentor.

You can expect a certain level of support and advice from a mentor, but he or she cannot solve your problems for you. Perhaps the most valuable quality a mentor can offer is an alternative point of view. A mentor can put the situation in perspective, offer feedback, serve as a sounding board, and identify others whose brain you might pick, activities in which you can engage, small ways you can position your work to meet your goals, and resources that may be helpful to you.

Good relationships do not just happen; they take work. This applies to relationships with family, friends, colleagues and your mentor. It takes time and effort to get to know each other and build trust. Establishing and maintaining trust is essential to a good mentoring relationship.