Mentoring Tips

“Tell me, and I will forget
Show me, and I may not remember
Involve me, and I will understand”

-- Native American proverb

As you get ready to establish contact with your mentee, here are a few quick tips on connecting and communicating with success:

• Listening well is perhaps the most important skill a mentor can have. It is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and improved upon. Be mindful of how effectively you are taking in and processing what it is your mentee is telling you.
• A cornerstone to developing an effective mentoring relationship is the establishment of trust. Trust requires time, patience and commitment. Be honest with your opinions while maintaining sensitivity toward your mentee’s aspirations, needs, and interests.
• Focus on supporting and reinforcing your mentee’s strengths. An effective mentor will provide constructive encouragement to his/her mentee. Help bring out the positive and potential inherent in your mentee!
• As a “seasoned” student, you are a terrific resource for your mentee! Don’t be afraid to share stories of your past academic and career experiences. If you are unfamiliar with the options available to your mentee (as a Penn undergraduate) offer him/her a redirect. The Grad Center's Mentoring Fellow can be of assistance in this regard.

Should you have a concern or question about your mentee or other matters, please do not hesitate to contact the Grad Center Mentoring Fellow.

Some possible activities you could do with your mentee are (but not limited to):

• Getting coffee or going to lunch together (subsidized up to $8 by the Graduate Student Center and GAPSA once per semester)
• After checking with your professor first, invite your mentee to a class
• Going and sitting in lounge in the bookstore
• Going to the library together