(Not Finished) TUT3 R11 Doing the Work

Zachary, L. J. (2009). Chapter 5: Doing the work. The mentee’s guide: Making mentoring work for you (pg. 79-97). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Enabling

Early mentoring involves uncertainty about compatibility, expectations, and whether both mentor and mentee can meet each other’s needs.

• This phase is where the relationship is tested and shaped through action, not just intention.

Balancing Relationship and Learning

Effective mentoring requires balancing interpersonal connection (between the mentor and mentee) with purposeful learning and goal achievement.

• Without focus on concrete developmental goals and effective use of time, mentoring risks becoming purely social and ineffective.

Time

Lack of time is one of the most common reasons mentoring relationships fail.

• Competing work, personal, and life demands make it difficult to schedule and protect mentoring time.

Perceived vs Actual Lack of Time

Mentoring problems are often blamed on time scarcity, but the issue may be poor time use rather than a true lack of time.

• Rescheduling and unfocused meetings reduce the quality of mentoring more than limited availability itself.

Shared Responsibility for Time Management

Both mentor and mentee must commit to honoring mentoring time, using it intentionally, and monitoring how effectively it is used.

• Successful mentoring requires discipline, not just good intentions.

Importance of Early Agreements

Time expectations should be discussed before the mentoring relationship begins, including how often meetings will occur and how time will be spent.

• These agreements help prevent time-related breakdowns later.

Mentoring While Busy

Once the relationship is underway, mentoring can lose priority amid daily pressures.

• Mentees must actively manage and protect mentoring time to ensure the relationship remains productive.

Dealing with Time Concerns

To deal with time challenges, mentees must actively monitor and manage how mentoring time is used

Mentoring Time Pie

A tool to help mentees visualize how they spend their time

• Draw a circle

• Divide the slices based on how that time is actually spent

  • Shadowing

  • Reflecting on practice

  • Day-to-day problem solving

  • Receiving or giving feedback

  • Catching up / social conversation

Mentoring Time Pie Purpose

• Helps you visualize where mentoring time goes

• Encourages self-awareness and accountability

• Makes time use concrete rather than vague

Mentoring Time Pie Sharing

Mentee shares the time pie with the mentor.

• The mentor gives feedback on whether the breakdown matches their perception.

• This opens up honest discussion and alignment.

Mentoring Time Pie

After sharing, mentor and mentee discuss:

• “What do we need to do more of?”

  • (e.g., feedback, goal-focused work, skill development)

• “What do we need to do less of?”

  • (e.g., unfocused socializing, repetitive problem-solving)

Other Strategies for Spending Mentoring Time Well

1. Make mentoring “prime time”

2. Come prepared

3. Stop when time is being wasted

Make mentoring prime time

• Give mentoring your full attention

• Be fully present and respectful of your mentor’s time

• Eliminate distractions (phone, email, multitasking)

• Treat mentoring time as high-value, focused work

Come prepared

• Preparation helps you use less time more effectively

• Have a clear purpose or agenda for each meeting

• Track learning through notes or a journal

• Follow through on agreed-upon actions

• Preparation allows mentoring to stay goal-oriented rather than casual

Stop when time is being wasted

• Recognize when mentoring is becoming unproductive

• Call a time-out if:

  • Life or work demands temporarily overwhelm you

  • Meetings lack focus

  • You need time to reflect and process learning

• Pausing intentionally is better than continuing inefficiently

Monitoring Mentor Meetings

Helps ensure that mentoring time

• Is used effectively

• Stays aligned with agreed-upon goals

Mentoring Partnership Accountability Checklist

The accountability tool provides a neutral and structured way to raise concerns about time use

• Supports open communication, keeps the relationship on track, and helps both partners reflect on and improve how mentoring time is spent

Keeping the Focus on Learning

• Search for learning opportunities

• Journaling

Learning as the core focus

Learning is the central purpose of the mentoring relationship, and it must remain the top priority.

• While mentors provide guidance, the mentee is responsible for keeping learning goals front and center.

Searching for Learning Opportunities

The mentee must actively seek learning opportunities, help the mentor provide the right balance of challenge and support, and track progress toward SMART goals in collaboration with the mentor.

Learning Styles as a Starting Point

Understanding one’s learning style (diverging, assimilating, converging, accommodating) is helpful, but relying on it too much can limit growth.

• Mentoring should be used to move beyond habitual ways of learning.

Avoiding Learning Stagnation

Repeating the same learning approaches can lead to boredom and limited development.

• Mentoring offers a chance to try new methods and prevent the “same old same old” learning pattern.

Expanding Learning Opportunities

Tools like structured exercises can help identify new learning opportunities as the mentor–mentee relationship deepens.

• Creativity and openness become easier as mutual understanding grows.

Cascade Approach

Brainstorming freely and using imaginative prompts helps expand learning possibilities.

• This approach encourages thinking outside the box and broadening learning horizons.