Mentoring Messages

I wanted to add a little note to point you all in the direction of Edith page, where she has highlighted a really cool opportunity for Purdue students! The author of Hidden Figures will be here on campus tomorrow, and there are more details HERE on Edith's page! We hope you all take advantage of this awesome experience! 

Nicole

Mentoring Messages

Hello again! I wanted to share with you all some tips Edith wrote up about how to strike up a conversation with someone new/how to have more meaningful conversations! Check them out here, on Edith's mentoring page! Hope you all enjoy! Until next time, 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Nicole

Mentoring Messages

From time to time, I will have additional Monday posts featuring Mentoring content discovered and posted for you on the blog by our most wonderful mentoring liaison, Edith! I highly encourage you all to check out her Mentoring page and see what she has planned for you all this semester/year!

Nicole

Some Sticky Mentoring Situations

Hello again! Let's talk mentoring again, and, specifically, dealing with some sticky situations (paraphrased from icre.pitt.edu).

Challenge: Mentee shows a lack of commitment to the mentoring relationship
Strategy: As a mentor, seek to discern the cause of the lack of commitment. Are you two not well-matched? Is there a difference in personality that leads the mentee to find it hard to confide in you? Is the mentee lacking in the intrinsic motivation to maintain this relationship? For every action and behavior, there is a cause, and it is important for the mentor to discover this cause.

Challenge: Mismatch between mentor and mentee (personality/expectations/motivations/etc)
Strategy: If the mentor and mentee agree that the relationship cannot work out because of this mismatch, the relationship can mutually move away from one of a mentee-mentor interaction. If both the mentee and mentor are willing to learn from each other and continue on in their relationship, however, significant growth between the two people can happen that wouldn't otherwise.

Challenge: Breaching confidentiality - As in any important/close relationship, breaching confidentiality can be very significant and hurtful. Whether the mentor or mentee has broken silence, a considerable amount of trust can be lost.
Strategy: The best way to handle breaching confidentiality is to avoid it at all costs. Establish and reiterate expectations of confidentiality. If it does happen, however, and the mentee and mentor wish to continue on in the relationship, communication is key to repairing the damage. They should converse with each other about intentions, mentalities and the cause of this breach in confidentiality. Both parties must have a mind towards openness, forgiveness and reconciliation. For the hurt party, it is helpful to remember that we have all messed up in this area and we all desire forgiveness when we've done so.

"A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense." ~ King Solomon

"What are Some Additional Ways to be a Good Mentor?"

Mentoring can be a formally-instituted arrangement between two people or can be an organically formed relationship. Irregardless of the scope of the relationship, there are some universal characteristics that indicate a helpful mentor.

1. Initiates contact with mentee
2. Listens to mentee's goals and supports her in achieving her goals
3. Helps mentee make informed decisions 
4. Provides a positive role model for the mentee
5. Has a genuine interested in the mentee as a person
6. Acts as a sounding board for the mentee
7. Asks open-ended questions to get the mentee thinking
8. Reminds the mentee of her past achievements when she is feeling down on herself
9. Is open to not just guiding the mentee, but also to learning from the mentee 
10. Seeks to be mentored by someone as well

 
There are ten helpful characteristics of a mentor listed above, but there are many more qualities to be considered. Let us know what you think! Comment and join the conversation!

Announcing...The Mentoring Night Recap Series!

Hello ladies! For those of you who aren't aware, we had an optional mentoring night on August 24th for returning M&M participants. There was a lot of great information disseminated and fabulous questions asked. We received a number of fantastic questions and comments in the evals, and we'd like to address each and every one! So, thus begins the Mentoring Night Recap series! Every week, we'll pull one or two of the eval questions/comments and discuss them here. Commenting is highly encouraged! Anyways, be on the look out next week for some invigorating discussion early next week!