Mentoring is a supportive learning relationship between two people – usually referred to as a mentor and a mentee. Mentors support you by listening to you, drawing on their professional and personal experience, and providing information and encouragement where appropriate. A mentor would normally be a colleague more senior than you, and they may have followed a career pathway that interests you or have faced similar challenges to those you are facing. Alternatively, they may be a peer with skills or knowledge in a particular area which you’re interested in understanding more about.Common topics for mentoring conversations include:Skill development: Mentors share their knowledge and experiences, offering insights that help mentees improve job-related skills, from technical abilities through to interpersonal communication.Career guidance: Mentors help mentees navigate the complexities of career paths, offering advice on professional growth opportunities and strategic career moves.Networking: Mentors introduce mentees to professional networks, increasing their visibility and access to opportunities within and beyond their current workplace.Personal development: Mentoring often includes developing skills such as confidence, resilience, and adaptability, important for personal and career growth.Goal setting and achievement: Mentors assist mentees in setting realistic goals and developing strategies to achieve them, providing accountability and motivation.Feedback and reflection: Regular feedback from mentors allows mentees to reflect on their progress and areas needing improvement, building a mindset of continuous learning.The staff mentoring system Platform One is no longer available. While the University explores alternatives for facilitating effective mentor matches, you may find the resources on this page helpful. Introduction to mentoringMentoring TipsGetting startedThings to consider for your first mentor meeting:Outline what you both hope to get out of mentoringTalk through both of your career journeys including highlights and lowlights and what you both enjoy and dislikeAgree how often you want to meet, for how long and whereExchange contact details and agree on preferred communication method in between mentor meetingsAgree ground rules, personal boundaries and how you will both ensure confidentialityTip: Start with the pastThe first step is to understand people’s motivations and values, the things that drive them. It’s amazing what you can learn from a person’s life story.Building the relationshipCheck inWhat has happened since you last met that you are proud of?What have you found challenging?Talk about the futureWhat do you want the pinnacle of your career to look like? / How would your life at its best feel?Encourage the mentee to come up with 3 – 5 different dreams for the future.What skills do you need to focus on developing?How can you do this in your current role?How are your dreams aligned with your values?Concluding the relationshipAsk yourself...What do I need to learn in order to move in the direction of my dreams?How should I prioritise the things I need to learn?Who can I learn from?Create a plan with your mentor on how you can move confidently forward, having clarified your values and dreams and how they align with your current situation.Time commitmentAt the outset, both the mentor and the mentee must be open and honest about how much time they are prepared to give and agree the frequency of meetings.It may be useful to diary in time to meet every 4-6 weeks at the beginning of the relationship, after which timescales would be a flexible arrangement between the two parties.On average, mentoring relationships tend to last around 6 to 12 months but some can last a number of years. There is no time limit, and if you are both benefitting from the mentoring relationship, then it can continue for as long as you both feel it is useful.Staff BAME Network Mentoring ProgrammeThe Staff BAME Network Mentoring Programme pairs members of UoE staff that identify as BAME (including PhD students and those on temporary contracts) with other members of staff who identify as BAME to support their experiences with racism, discrimination, loneliness, and other challenges particular to being Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic at the University of Edinburgh.Vision: Our vision is to identify and help alleviate some of the barriers to entry and success the University of Edinburgh, for example the known BAME pay gap, attrition at higher levels, and delays on the path to promotion.If you are interested in participating in the programme, please email Lauren Hall-Lew (Lauren.Hall-Lew@ed.ac.uk), Staff BAME Network Mentoring Programme Coordinator.Information for menteesFinding the right mentorPlease refer to our guidance on Finding the Right Mentor (to be uploaded 8th May 2025).What should you and your mentor talk about?Mentoring conversations are completely confidential and can cover a broad range of topics. Some examples include:exploring career optionsplanning for promotiondiscipline-specific issuesbalancing a research career with a familyunderstanding the University structure and cultureWhat do you want to gain from mentoring?To get the most out of mentoring, you need to be clear on what you want to gain from it. This also makes it easier to identify potential mentors who may be able to help.Things to consider include:What do you need from a mentor?What would be a good outcome from mentoring?What timescales would you like to achieve this within?BenefitsPrevious mentees found the mentoring partnership to be valuable and enjoyable, and described the positive impact of talking about career issues with someone independent.Other benefits include:Help with specific research skillsIdeas for managing work loadsIdentification of training opportunitiesOvercoming feelings of isolationHelp with networkingIncreased motivationSupport, encouragement and increased confidenceHelp with setting and achieving goalsTo achieve this you must come to each session ready to:Work towards achieving your goals or objectives.Receive, accept and action feedback.Be questioned, challenged and encouraged.Listen actively to what your mentor is saying.Be honest with your mentor and yourself (e.g. about your strengths and weaknesses).Agree realistic actions.Think carefully about how you can apply learning outcomes from the sessions back on the job.Discuss the outcomes of the actions from the previous session. Making notes of any progress made, as well as problems or issues that you would like to discuss further.Provide feedback to the mentor on how useful you are finding the sessions. Image What Mentoring is notMentoring is not designed to help staff gain promotions, and your mentor is not there to act as a ‘sponsor’ for you.Through conversations with your mentor, you may discuss your feelings, emotions and how things impact you. However, it is important to remember that they are not there to provide counselling or emotional support on personal issues. Should you need extra support with your mental and emotional health, please speak with your line manager or refer to the dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub.There should always be a clear distinction between the role of your mentor and your line manager. Your mentor is not there to take on any of the responsibilities of your line manager.Information for mentorsWhy be a mentor?In addition to helping colleagues, being a mentor can help you to develop your communication and interpersonal skills and allow you the opportunity to reflect on your own practice. Mentors have noted the following benefits:professional benefits of linking to another research team / school / departmentsatisfaction from helping another person grow and developthe opportunity to review own practiceexposure to new ideasincreased self-awarenessdevelopment of interpersonal and communication skillsreflection on own career pathstimulation and motivationenhances CVMentor rolesA mentor can fulfil many roles. You might find that you take on specific roles at different times according to the needs of the person you are mentoring. Here are some mentor roles for you to consider:Listener - a supportive ear, offering your mentee observations and reflective questionsGuide - showing your mentee how the University and different systems and networks functionSounding board - acting independently, allowing your mentee to bounce new ideas and suggestions off you, without any judgementRole model - sharing your knowledge and experience freely so your mentee can learn from youChallenger - use your objectivity to challenge your mentee’s assumptions and help them see the bigger pictureMentor skillsMentors do not need to have any particular qualifications, rather the key skills required are:listening and questioningchallenging your mentee to consider their learning and what they’re going to do with itguidance and advice on the sector and career progressionbeing a positive role modelbeing curious and encouraging your mentee to be curiousencouragement and to facilitate networking and building supportive connectionschallenging negative/limiting beliefsWhat mentors can bring to the mentoring relationshipMentors bring their own personal and professional experience, knowledge and skills to provide valuable input into the mentee’s personal development objectives/goals.Support to the mentee as they identify the next steps or actions to achieve their goals/ objectives.Responding to questions or offering your own learning experiences to help the mentee understand the potential outcomes which can result from actions or decisions made.Honest and non- biased feedback to the individual mentee on their performance.Reviewing the progress made towards achieving the objectives which were first set at the start of the mentoring relationship. Image How to get involved in mentoring There are many ways you can get more involved in mentoring: Tap into your existing network and look for opportunities to mentor others; this could involve mentoring peers who would like to learn more from you in particular area of knowledge or specialismVolunteer to mentor interns or Modern Apprentices who join your team or departmentSupport new starters by helping them to navigate the UniversityExplore external opportunities to mentor, for example through your professional subject area/subscription body (e.g. CIPD)Let your manager/director/DoPS/HoS know that you’re interested in mentoring others and be clear about what areas you think you could help someone withVolunteer to mentor participants of the Aurora women’s leadership programme.Mentoring toolkitVideos to get startedWatch one of our videosThese audio videos are particularly relevant for individuals just starting a new mentoring partnership. Additional videos on other topics are also available.What does success look like for mentors and mentees?If success is achieving what you value, then what does this mean for mentoring? This video answers the question “what does a successful mentoring partnership look like?” and helps both mentors and mentees to think about their goals for this experience. Document Slides of what does success look like for mentors and mentees video (181.96 KB / PPTX) Building your Mentoring Agreement: Tips for Mentors and MenteesAll mentoring partnerships will benefit from having a mentoring agreement. This video covers the role of the mentoring agreement and includes more information on what should be covered. The issues surrounding confidentiality and boundaries in a mentoring relationship are also covered. Document Building your mentoring agreement (214.11 KB / PPTX) Effective Goal setting for MenteesOver time our personal goals will change; however you will see real value if you start your mentoring partnership with a clear set of goals. In this video we look at how to effectively set goals for your mentoring partnership. The video is primarily for mentees, but mentors may also find the content helpful. Document Effective goal setting for mentees (242.29 KB / PPTX) Getting the best out of your mentoring relationshipListening Skills for Mentors and Mentees“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This video considers how you (mentors and mentees) can be ready and able to listen most effectively in your mentoring conversations. Document Listening Skills (349.82 KB / PPTX) Giving Advice for MentorsMentors can play a number of different roles in mentoring, for example that of the traditional advisor, but they can also act as a guide or coach helping the mentee come up with their own plan. This video answers the question, “when is it most appropriate to give advice?” versus trying to get your mentee to come to their own solution. Document Giving Advice for Mentors (216.18 KB / PPTX) Using Challenge as a Mentor Another role that mentors can play is that of challenger. This video looks at how to effectively use challenge in your mentoring relationship. Document Using Challenge as a Mentor (277.44 KB / PPTX) Winding up the Mentoring RelationshipAll good things must come to an end. This video covers ideas on how to effectively wind up and move on in your mentoring partnership. Document Winding up the mentoring relationship (781.67 KB / PPTX) Different Tools and Approaches for your Mentoring ConversationsCreative Mentoring Techniques for MentorsThe mentoring toolkit introduces the three stage process as a conversation model to use in your discussions. Once you have had a number of meetings with your mentees you might be looking for new or different ways to creatively help your mentee to unlock their thinking. This video looks at 4 different techniques that can be used in mentoring. Document Creative Mentoring Techniques for Mentors (382.7 KB / PPTX) Mentoring through Change and TransitionUnderstanding change is an important part of accepting the situation; mentoring can provide a mentee with a great environment for doing this. This video offers mentors some strategies and tools to support a mentee through change and transition within their role, team or across the University. Document Mentoring through change and transition (789.25 KB / PPTX) Building your Mentee’s Self-Confidence and Self-EsteemVery few people can claim to be totally self-confident and most would like to be more confident in certain areas of their lives; mentoring can be used to help an individual focus on this area. This video looks at strategies and tools that can be used in a mentoring relationship to help build your mentee’s self-confidence and self-esteem. Document Building your Mentee's Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem Slides (351.18 KB / PPTX) About the presenterMore information on Lis Merrick This article was published on 2025-04-30