Page 49 - the SyI Quarterly V3 digital (1)

How to continue and deepen a mentoring relationship in a time of social distancing:

1. Communicate with each other, find time for a phone call or a video meeting, even if it is only
for a few minutes. Everyone is experiencing plenty of uncertainty and new demands. Let your
mentoring relationship be something you can depend on.

2. Make adjustments to your normal mentoring routines. Work out the best medium for
meeting in the online environment. You might need to work around childcare, or other
commitments that are now part of this new working environment.

3. Keep it real. If you have children at home because schools are closed, or if you are having to
work in a room with other members of your family, don’t hide those personal challenges. Use
them to develop a friendly connection, sharing your situation makes it more comfortable for
your mentor/mentee to share theirs.

4. Show care and compassion. Test your listening skills and focus on your mentee’s concerns.
Financial, health, job, and family matters are all likely to be pressing issues. Demonstrate that
you hear and understand.

5. Offer support that will enable mentees to overcome challenges on their own. Mentors aren’t
there to be a rescuer or fix everything for mentees. Instead, they provide strategies, skills, and
resources that mentees can use to learn and to grow so that they can address their challenges
themselves.

Although social distancing is necessary during the pandemic, it doesn’t mean you can’t maintain
a mentoring relationship. Use this time to explore new ways of staying connected, show that
you care, validate feelings of distress, develop talent, and challenge yourself to get out of your
mentoring comfort zone.

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