Four Ps for Mentees on preparing for your first mentoring session
Exercises and guidance to move forward in your mentorship journey with Purpose, Priority, Pitch, and Promise.
- Purpose: Understand your current concerns and drivers for change.
- Priority: Identify the most impactful items and your vision of success.
- Pitch: Practice clear and concise communication.
- Promise: Get into a mindset that fosters productive conversations.
Mentoring is a critical part of your professional growth. As a UX Coffee Hours mentor, I’ve had the privilege of advising dozens of designers and students and helping them progress to the next level of their careers. When I saw an opportunity in the rail space for a similar mentoring framework that offers flexibility and structure for both mentees and mentors, I spearheaded the Mentor Sessions pilot program that we launched at the League of Railway Women (LRW) where I serve in the Board of Directors as the Events Committee Chair.
As of this writing, we’re two thirds of the way into the Mentor Sessions pilot at LRW where we have a 46 percent participation rate. This means that less than half of the people who signed up for the program actually scheduled sessions with mentors. Apart from technical issues with scheduling and a better understanding of how the program works, we found that one of the obstacles in booking a mentor is not yet having clear objectives or a plan for success. Even though mentors do help define the path for success, people still need to take some time to self reflect and have an idea of where they want to go.
The Four Ps can help you sort out your thoughts and have a framework so you can move forward in your mentorship journey. Follow the exercises below and read on for more best practices.
Purpose: Concerns & Drivers for Change
Think about what triggered your desire for mentorship. List each of your specific concerns. Uncertainty about a project? Taking on a new role? Performance issues to address? Missed opportunity?
What are my current motivations and drivers for change? (10–15 mins)
Outcome: A full list of current concerns and drivers and a clearer mind that will help you better work out what matters most.
Priority: Impact & Vision of Success
Identify which of these concerns and drivers have the most impact on your overall growth and situation. Start by taking into account the professional, personal, social, financial, time sensitivity, and other influencing factors for each. Then rank them in greatest to least impact. Once you have identified the most impactful ones, write down what success means for each one.
What influences each of my concerns and drivers? Score each factor with 1=low impact, 2=medium impact, 3=high impact and add up the total score. What does success look like for each one? Use the scores to order items from most to least impact. (20–30 mins)
Outcome: Shortlisted key drivers with desired end states for each to strategize action plans with your mentor.
Pitch: Clear & Concise Communication
Now that you know what you want to talk about, you can turn your attention to the mechanics of the mentor encounter. Initial engagements may be short so you need to make your introduction speech short and to the point. How do you feel as a communicator? Mentors can also help with this, but by getting into the mode of pitching and practicing ahead of time means more productive time with your mentor.
What do I do, what do I need, and what do I hope to accomplish? Practice your short introduction. (1–3 mins)
- Current company, role, and key responsibilities
- Why you’re seeking mentorship
- Why you picked a specific mentor (if applicable)
- List your priorities and your end vision for each (see Priority exercise)
- What your objectives are for the specific session
Outcome: Short and sweet introduction to make a great impression and start a focused and productive conversation.
Promise: Commitment to Productive Conversations
Sharing your hopes and dreams with a stranger can be uncomfortable and may even feel risky, but it’s a necessary part of a mentoring relationship. Work out up front what you’re willing to share to know where your boundaries are and what your expectations are moving forward.
What am I willing to share with my mentor? Are there other limitations or concerns to consider?
- Level of comfort on certain personal topics
- Confidential company, employee, or individual information
To get the most out of your mentoring session, learn and practice the art of having productive dialogue. There are many methods you can try, but it boils down to adopting a mindset that fosters learning and growth.
Behaviors to engage in during your mentoring session:
- Be present. Stay focused in the moment and put other concerns aside.
- Actively listen. You can only learn when you’re giving your full attention.
- Keep an open mind. You can’t grow without experiencing discomfort and challenging your current thinking.
- Stay curious. Curiosity can make it easier to remain objective when discussing topics that spark strong emotions.
- Set boundaries and expectations. Communicate this with your mentor and send clear and appropriate signals when boundaries are crossed or expectations are not met.
- Be more self-aware. You can’t change without a better understanding of who you are and how you behave.
- Take good notes. Clearly capture insights and action items.
- Follow through. Your mentor can help, but ultimately, you need to hold yourself accountable. Experiment, learn, and keep going!
Have A Plan… Or Not!
A mentoring session is often a strategic or tactical working session to find a way forward and make changes happen. Sometimes it can be a safe space to just talk things out. It’s best to have a plan for most engagements, but sometimes a freestyle conversation can be just as effective. Either way, what matters most is to take the leap and schedule your face time with a mentor.
Free Mentoring Programs & Resources
- UX Coffee Hours: Volunteer-based mentoring program for user experience professionals and design students with a dedicated Solidarity program focused on supporting black designers
- ADPList.org: Non-profit mentoring program for product and user experience professionals
- Designed.org: Non-profit mentoring program for designers
- League of Railway Women Mentor Sessions: Volunteer-based mentoring program focused on supporting women in the rail industry
