Tips for Protégé

How to be a good protégé

Do:

TAKE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN SHAPING THE RELATIONSHIP.
Understand what you want from the mentoring relationship and communicate your goals and aspirations to your mentor. Balance personal and professional relationships with your mentor.
Set aside time for the mentoring process and keep all scheduled appointments with your mentor and display professional behavior.
PUT THE TIME WITH YOUR MENTOR TO THE BEST USE. Come to meetings with your mentor prepared with planned topics.
Respond in a timely manner to your mentor's feedback. Respond to emails from your mentor within 48 hours of receipt.
Be open and honest with your mentor about your challenges and weaknesses.
If something concerning the mentor needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship.

Don't:

Ask for advice on everything. Have a purpose in each request.
Blame the mentor if his or her advice doesn't work out.
Expect the mentor to know all the answers.
Commit yourself to obligations you cannot keep.
Cancel meetings/visits with your mentor at the last minute.

Tips for Protégés
- Be persistent. It’s ok to call or email your mentor and follow-up if they do not respond to your first contact. You are not bugging them. They signed up to be a part of the program. Give them at least 48 hours to respond before you follow-up.
- Be prompt. Reach out to your mentor within 48 hours of your connection notification to introduce yourself and schedule your first phone call. Be on time for your scheduled calls and meetings. Respond to any follow-up emails and calls within 48 hours of receipt.
- Be prepared.
- Review the Guide to Timely and Efficient Goal Setting document and come to your first call prepared with what you would like to accomplish during the semester. You and your mentor can then discuss and prioritize the goals based on their expertise, the amount of time you both can commit, etc. Remember: You get out of it what you put into it.
- Set proper expectations. Know what you want from your relationship with your mentor and share your expectations with them. Know and share with your mentor how much time you have available for them this semester. Agree that this is acceptable for both of you. Complete the Mentoring Partnership Agreement (use as a guide at a minimum to help set expectations for your four month connection period)
- Understand the purpose of participating in the program. What it is: an opportunity to network and gain insight that may impact your career and future. What it is not: a job-hunting or recruiting vehicle.
- Set a schedule! Work with your mentor to schedule a bi-weekly phone call and make sure you keep the appointment. Treat this appointment the same as you’d treat an appointment for an interview. Who knows, your mentor could be your potential employer or a potential reference for you with your upcoming job hunt.
- Discuss issues or concerns when they arise. Try to work it out with your mentor first. If that doesn’t work, let Taylor (program manager) know as soon as possible so the issue can be addressed.
- Use your resources books, podcasts and Ted Talks are listed on the website. Utilize these and discuss with your mentor.
Tips for your first meeting
- Determine if you and your mentor are going to use the structured timeline to help keep you on track, or if you are going to use your own timeline.
- Complete Merlin Exercise and share with your mentor so that they can better understand you.