Phases of the Mentoring Relationship

There are four phases in a mentoring relationship often referred to as preparing, negotiating, enabling, and redefining.

Phase 1: Preparing
New and experience instructional specialists decide to become involved in a mentoring relationship.

• New instructional specialists identify a need for mentoring, think about the goals they would like to accomplish through this process, and request a mentor.
• Experienced instructional specialists remember beginning their jobs, recognize that they have learned a great deal and could be of help to a person just starting out, and volunteer to be a mentor.

Phase 2: Negotiating
The mentor and protégé develop mutual expectations and build a mentoring relationship.

• The mentor and mentee spend time getting acquainted and building trust; discuss common interests, their professional experiences, and share information about their programs; and identify patterns of communication.
• They communicate expectations, set guidelines for the amount of time available for mentoring, and agree on contact procedures and expected outcomes.