Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend or mentor.

One of the biggest hurdles in a mentoring relationship is just how to get started. Let’s talk about the first steps you will probably take in a mentoring relationship.

Key Points:

  • First steps with someone you know.
  • First steps with someone “handed off” to you.
  • Start by connecting personally.
  • Begin to introduce more structure.
  • Cast vision for the four mentoring goals.
  • Remember: We learn by doing.

[Related: Mentoring Former Mormons]

See Also: Mentoring Basics

Talk About It
  1. What’s your initial reaction to this topic?
  2. How did people initiate a mentoring relationship with you? What did you learn from their first steps?
  3. What questions or fears do you have now about how to get a mentoring relationship started?
  4. When you invite someone you know into a formal mentoring relationship, what do you need to tell them in that first conversation? Why?
  5. What are some topics of conversation you’ve heard recently that would provide a bridge into a mentoring appointment?
  6. How are the first steps after a “hand-off” harder and easier than starting with someone you know?
  7. Why is it so important to spend time right off the bat intently listening to your mentee?
  8. Review the four goals of a mentoring relationship (see “Introduction to the Mentoring Process” above). When would you introduce these goals to your mentee? How would you go about it?
  9. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.