The Mentee's Guide: Making Mentoring Work for You

SMART GOALS

Goal setting is probably the most challenging aspect of establishing agreements for both mentors and mentees. SMART goals frame and define the focus of the work to be done, eliminate ambiguity, provide a framework for gauging progress and measuring success, ground the learning, and set a context for mentoring. They harness and focus energy and invite action. One mentor we interviewed noted the importance of clarity regarding goals, “We were not really clear about the goals despite the fact that we had talked about it up front. We should have been more specific and concrete. Lack of it made our relationship a meandering process that was not as helpful as it could have been to each of us.” If goals are left too broad, neither ...