WHO IS A MENTEE?

Role of a mentee, features and needs

A mentee can be any person who wants or needs a figure to guide them towards or through a study, career or personal path. Specifically, WECAN mentees are adult women who have decided to undertake an entrepreneur path and need guidance from their peers. A mentee is a person willing to absorb a more experienced person’s knowledge, who has ambitions for growing, improving or develop, and considers that it is possible to do it with the support of a role model. Mentees are ready to start a relationship that can evolve from professional to personal, and have the awareness that they will need to be an open book, without hiding expectations, concerns, doubts, feelings or dreams. They understand that a coach’s role is not to judge, but support, and are willing to collaborate and do their best, knowing that it will be all in their benefit and to achieve their set goal. If the mentee is prepared to put her efforts in making it work, the collaborative partnership will be challenging, fun and, above all, rewarding (Morgan, n.d.).

Mentees can be extremely different from each other, they are unique individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, skills and personalities, but there are some elements that are needed if they want to achieve their goals. In this sense, a mentee must be an honest person, reliable, committed to work, loyal, with an open attitude to change and resilience. A non-defensive person who humbly accepts criticism without feeling their pride attacked but with the attitude to react to feedback consequently, who can listen actively and has initiative to ask for help, for answers or clarifications. A person who trusts and can be trusted.

Responsibilities and expectations of the mentee

• To have an open attitude to change.
• To take the coaching process seriously, enthusiastically embracing the opportunity given to them.
• To be clear of what they want or need to achieve, or be willing to discover it with the guidance. To show commitment and effort to get there.
• To keep their word, be committed to actions and ready to receive feedback so that the learning can be real.
• To be honest and open with the mentor. Honesty must be reciprocal for the relationship to work.