Step-by-step
guide
01 Setting goals & expectations
In this section, we'll walk you through the process of setting up goals and expectations for your mentorship journey.
02 Timeline & session planning
In this section, you'll find a step-by-step guide to a successful mentorship journey, broken down into 12 monthly sessions.
03 Feedback & evaluations
In this section, we’ll explore why giving and getting feedback during your mentorship truly matters.
We recommend having a Mentorship Coordinator who can help monitor and advise both Mentor & Mentee along the way. You’ll find all the forms and reference documents you need as you go through the guide, but you can also find all of them here. We suggest having a shared digital folder to keep track of your journey. But, feel free to chose paper or electronic as you go along.
Both Mentor and Mentee have their reasons for being part of this mentorship program. Before your first session, it's time to think about and fill out the Why I am here forms. When you meet up for the first time, sharing your reasons with each other will help build a strong, open, and caring relationship.
For the mentorship to really shine, you both need to be in it. The Mentorship agreement form is intended to help you set goals, build trust, and make the relationship work. When you meet up for the first time, fill it out together. Each of you should keep a copy, and do your best to stick to what you agreed on.
Dream big, plan real
Once you've got your initial intentions in mind, it's time to turn them into solid goals and objectives. How you structure these will be a bit different for the Mentor and the Mentee, but you’ll both be using the Mentorship agreement form.
What this means for the Mentee
As a Mentee, you’ll identify 1 main objective and 3 actionable goals. Think of the main objective as an ambitious mission statement, while the actionable goals are realistic stepping stones to get you there. These goals can be about your personal growth, professional journey, or skills you want to get better at. They have to be clear, measurable, doable, and actually make sense, and will be included in the time planning. (If you need inspiration, the Mentorship agreement form provides a few examples.)
What this means for the Mentor
As a Mentor, you’ll identify specific ambitions and skills you want to focus on during the mentorship. The opportunities to grow and mature these skills will come up more organically, depending on how the mentorship unfolds. (If you need inspiration, the Mentorship agreement form provides a few examples.)
Below is a Mentorship timeline to keep your Mentor/Mentee meetings on track for the year. Alongside this timeline, there’s a Session Planning Guide that spells out what you’ll cover in each session, plus goals, actions as well as planning for official evaluations and feedback. And don’t forget, we’ve got a few Playful Tips on how to make your mentorship journey both enriching and exciting.
Time
Let's talk timing. We recommend that sessions should take place at least once a month and during official work hours. You'll want to plan for around 5-7 hours a month. That includes your 1-2-hour meetings, plus a bit extra for getting ready and following up.
Session preparation
To make the most of your meeting time, it's key to get set up right, and the Preparing our Next Session form is what you need. Before each session, the Mentee fills it out and emails it to the Mentor, ideally a day or two ahead. This way, everyone's on the same page and ready to roll.
01 — Personal reflection
You each have your own motivations for participating in the mentorship, so please take a little time to reflect on yours.
02 — Why am I here?
Fill in the ”Why I am here” form to spell out your intentions and expectations. This will also come in handy in the "getting to know you" phase of the first session.
03 — Get ready to agree
Give the ”Mentorship agreement” form a read, and take a sneak peek at the Mentorship timeline, so you’re ready to fill it out together during the first session.
Motivations — "What’s driving you to be part of this process?"
Expectations — "What do you expect to learn or gain from this mentorship program?"
Outcome — "What impact do you want this mentorship to have on your personal and professional growth?"
Self-Awareness — "How can you put your best self forward to build a strong mentorship relationship?"
Before the first session
・Fill out the "Why I am here" forms
・Pre-read & prepare for the "Mentorship agreement" form
・Get a sneak peek at the Mentorship timeline
Ressources
↓ Mentor — Why I am here
↓ Mentee — Why I am here
↓ Shared — Mentorship agreement
01 — Getting to know you
Kick off your mentorship by getting to know each other. Share your motivations and expectations using the ”Why I am here” forms.
02 — Asking questions
Dive into each other’s career paths, celebrate the big milestones, and chat about your dreams. If you need a tool to spark the conversation, check out the Plot your journey activities.
03 — Agree to agree
Fill out the ”Mentorship agreement” form to clarify goals, build trust and make sure the relationship has a strong foundation.
04 — Scheduling
Talk about your schedules and how to set up meetings and stay in touch between sessions. Don’t forget to lock in the date and time for your next meet-up.
Specifics — "What do you want to achieve for yourself, your team and your company?"
Tuning in — "Why is this goal important to you? Why is it a priority in your career and/or your life?"
Big picture — "How will achieving your objective make a difference in your life? What will change for you, and in what way?"
Accomplishments — "What does success in this mentorship look like to you? And what about failure? Can we challenge this?"
During the session
・Review & discuss the "Why I am here" forms
・Fill in the "Mentorship agreement" form together
・Review the Code of conduct
・Review the Mentorship timeline
・Agree on the next meeting
Ressources
↓ Mentor — Why I am here
↓ Mentee — Why I am here
↓ Shared — Mentorship agreement
01 — Warming up
Open the session with one of the Melt the awkwardness activities and some casual chit-chat.
02 — Setting intentions
Using the ”Preparing for our next session” form, catch up on developments and challenges since your last meeting. Also follow up on ongoing tasks, and what you hope to achieve in this session.
03 — Space for feedback
Take time for an open and honest conversation. Both the Mentor and Mentee can freely share feedback.
04 — Working phase
Roll up your sleeves and work on your goals for today, discuss progress and how it’s impacting your overall objectives.
05 — Agreed upon actions
Discuss next steps and commit to things you need to do before your next meeting. Also make sure to schedule your next session.
Specifics — "Got any work stories that relate to what I’m going through?
Situations — "I’ve got a challenge with two different approaches in mind. Can you help me work through them?"
Self-Awareness — "How do you think people see me? Any tips to be a better communicator or teammate?"
Skill-Building — "Can you help me work on these specific skills? Want to try some role-play to help me practice my communication skills?"
Before the session
・The Mentee fills in the "Preparing for our next session" form
・Both Mentee and Mentor fill in a "Mentorship journal" entry
During the session
・Review & discuss the "Preparing for our next session" forms
Ressources
↓ Mentee — Preparing for our next session
↓ Mentor — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentee — Mentorship journal
01 — Warming up
Open the session with one of the Melt the awkwardness activities and some casual chit-chat.
02 — Setting intentions
Using the ”Preparing for our next session” form, catch up on developments and challenges since your last meeting. Also follow up on ongoing tasks, and what you hope to achieve in this session.
03 — Space for feedback
Take time for an open and honest conversation. Both the Mentor and Mentee can freely share feedback.
04 — Working phase
Roll up your sleeves and work on your goals for today, discuss progress and how it’s impacting your overall objectives.
05 — Agreed upon actions
Discuss next steps and commit to things you need to do before your next meeting. Also make sure to schedule your next session.
Specifics — "Got any work stories that relate to what I’m going through?
Situations — "I’ve got a challenge with two different approaches in mind. Can you help me work through them?"
Self-Awareness — "How do you think people see me? Any tips to be a better communicator or teammate?"
Skill-Building — "Can you help me work on these specific skills? Want to try some role-play to help me practice my communication skills?"
Before the session
・The Mentee fills in the "Preparing for our next session" form
・Both Mentee and Mentor fill in a "Mentorship journal" entry
During the session
・Review & discuss the "Preparing for our next session" forms
Session 06
・Both Mentee and Mentor fill in the "Mid-point evaluation form" and can choose to submit it to the Mentorship coordinator
Ressources
↓ Mentee — Preparing for our next session
↓ Mentor — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentee — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentor — Mid-point evaluation
↓ Mentee — Mid-point evaluation
01 — Warming up
Open the session with one of the Melt the awkwardness activities and some casual chit-chat.
02 — Setting intentions
Using the ”Preparing for our next session” form, catch up on developments and challenges since your last meeting. Also follow up on ongoing tasks, and what you hope to achieve in this session.
03 — Space for feedback
Take time for an open and honest conversation. Both the Mentor and Mentee can freely share feedback.
04 — Working phase
Roll up your sleeves and work on your goals for today, discuss progress and how it’s impacting your overall objectives.
05 — Agreed upon actions
Discuss next steps and commit to things you need to do before your next meeting. Also make sure to schedule your next session.
Specifics — "Got any work stories that relate to what I’m going through?"
Situations — "I’ve got a challenge with two different approaches in mind. Can you help me work through them?"
Self-Awareness — "How do you think people see me? Any tips to be a better communicator or teammate?"
Skill-Building — "Can you help me work on these specific skills? Want to try some role-play to help me practice my communication skills?"
Before the session
・The Mentee fills in the "Preparing for our next session" form
・Both Mentee and Mentor fill in a "Mentorship journal" entry
During the session
・Review & discuss the "Preparing for our next session" forms
Ressources
↓ Mentee — Preparing for our next session
↓ Mentor — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentee — Mentorship journal
01 — Warming up
Open the session with one of the Melt the awkwardness activities and some casual chit-chat.
02 — Setting intentions
Using the ”Preparing for our next session” form, catch up on developments and challenges since your last meeting. Also follow up on ongoing tasks, and what you hope to achieve in this session.
03 — Space for feedback
Take time for an open and honest conversation. Both the Mentor and Mentee can freely share feedback.
04 — Working phase
During sessions 10-11, you’ll focus on the Final project: identifying a format, developing the idea, and creating its final form.
05 — Agreed upon actions
Sometimes, you might need extra time between sessions to develop your project. It’s all about teamwork, so chat about who’s doing what and figure out a to-do list for your next session. Also make sure to schedule your next meeting.
To wrap up your mentorship journey on a high note, you’re invited to co-create a Final project together.
The shape and form of the project is entirely up to you, but it should reflect your time together and the things you’ve learned.
Please keep a record of your creative journey using the ”Final project documentation” form, so you can share it with the team when the mentorship is done.
Need some ideas for your final project? Could be a photo book, a playful activity for the whole studio, a mini movie, an animated story, a sculpture show, a song, or even a modern dance routine.
If you need extra tools to help you co-create, brainstorm or boost your creativity check out our Power-ups in Play Interventions.
Before the session
・The Mentee fills in the "Preparing for our next session" form
・Both Mentee and Mentor fill in a "Mentorship journal" entry
During the session
・Review & discuss the "Preparing for our next session" forms
In between sessions
・Both Mentor and Mentee work on their Final project either on their own, or together
・Both Mentor and Mentee start filling out the "Final project documentation" form
Ressources
↓ Mentee — Preparing for our next session
↓ Mentor — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentee — Mentorship journal
↓ Shared – Final project documentation
01 — Warming up
Open the session with one of the Melt the awkwardness activities and some casual chit-chat.
02 — Evaluating progress
Openly chat about how things have been going for the past 12 months. Take a look at how the mentee’s three goals are coming along and the progress on their main objective. Also discuss the progression of the Mentor's main ambition and skill development.
03 — Space for feedback
Take time for an open and honest conversation. Both the Mentor and Mentee can freely share feedback.
04 — Working phase
Wrap up work on the Final project and the ”Final project documentation” form.
The experience — "How was the experience overall?"
Self-Awareness — "What are my biggest learnings and my biggest challenges? What successes and failures do I want to acknowledge?"
Feedback — "What’s your take on what I could’ve done better? What could I work on going forward?"
Skill-Building — "What new skills have I learned? How do I keep growing them? What’s next on my challenge list?"
Before the session
・The Mentee fills in the "Preparing for our next session" form
・Both Mentee and Mentor fill in a Mentorship journal entry
During the session
・Both Mentor and Mentee fill in the "Final project documentation" form
After the session
・Both Mentor and Mentee fill in a final entry in the "Mentorship journal"
・Both Mentor and Mentee fill in the "Final evaluation" form and can choose to submit to the Mentorship coordinator
Ressources
↓ Mentor — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentee — Mentorship journal
↓ Mentor — Final evaluation
↓ Mentee — Final evaluation
↓ Shared — Final project documentation
This is intended to set a comfy vibe for your mentorship. Think of a cool spot or an activity you both like. For example — you could plan a lunch date or take a walk in a nearby park. Check out more ideas in the Mentor-mentee synergy section.
This is intended to nurture your relationship. Think of something work-related that gets you both excited. For example — going for a museum visit or attending a seminar. Find more ideas in the Mentor-mentee synergy section.
This is intended to strengthen your connection. Agree on an unexpected activity that’s a bit out of your comfort zones. Find more ideas in the Mentor-mentee synergy section.
Feedback is a super useful tool for personal and professional growth. Regularly checking in can help track confidence levels, knowledge gained and make sure you’re hitting your goals. In every session, make sure to set aside time for feedback.
Quick tips
When it comes to feedback, we should zoom in on what people do, not who they are. So, chat about specific actions in certain situations and the results that follow. This way, we can learn more about ourselves and get a better grasp of things.
Steps to follow
The Mentoring journal is a great way for both Mentor and Mentee to stay focussed on your goals, develop self-awareness, and jot down thoughts and ideas. It’s also handy for tracking progress and as a future reference.
After each session, take 10-30 minutes to write stuff in your journal. A Mentorship journal form is provided for this purpose, but feel free to make your own. Personalising it can make the whole thing more relevant and meaningful.
** Just so you know, your journal is private, meant for your own growth journey. You don’t have to share it with the Mentorship coordinator or anyone else if you don’t want to.
Evaluations are like your road markers to see how well your mentorship journey is going. They come with questions to help you think about the whole experience and the likelihood you’ll pursue it further. The Mid-point evaluation also helps you check if you’re both on the same page and make tweaks if needed.
Both the Mentor and Mentee fill out the Mid-point evaluation form after session 06, and can subsequently share it with the Mentorship coordinator, who can give it a once-over to make sure everything's rolling smoothly.
At the end of your mentorship, you'll do the Final evaluation. Same deal – Mentor and Mentee fill it out and can share it with the Mentorship coordinator, who can use the information to review the mentorship process at your workplace.
Our framework can be upscaled and downscaled to your needs, and we can create a bespoke solution for you and your team. Reach out to Lars Grarup.
Carl Jacobsens Vej 16-20,
Entrance 6, 2nd floor
2500 København
Brandts Passage 15,
2nd floor
5000 Odense