MENTICLUB

MENTOR HANDBOOK

MENTICLUB

IN THIS HANDBOOK
Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Mentoring

The Mentoring Journey

Mentoring Toolkit

Why mentoring is important

Useful tips for first session

11

5Cs of Mentoring

18

Definitions of mentoring

Confidentiality is king

12

SWOT Analysis

19

What mentoring is

Structuring your session

13

Insightful questions to ask 20

Why should I be a mentor?

What skills does an ideal mentor have? 14

How do I really know if mentorship is
working?

15

4 habits a mentor should avoid

16

MENTICLUB

ABOUT MENTICLUB
Menticlub is a P2P platform connecting mentors 1-on-1 with
students and young professionals seeking academic and
professional mentorship for JEE, CAT and MBA preparation, foreign
studies, career, placements and startup mentorship.
We believe that the purpose of mentorship is to establish a formal
relationship between two people, a mentor and a mentee, with
learning and development at its core and the fulfilment of clear and
mutually defined goals as its intention. The aim is to help the mentee
develop and hone his own abilities, skills and strategies so that they
can tackle the next hurdle much more effectively without the mentor.

SECTION 1:
Mentoring

MENTICLUB

WHY IS MENTORING IMPORTANT?

Everyones career goals are evolutionary and they need external support to aid in their
professional evolution. Having a mentor provides an easier, better and more focussed
path.
Mentoring is important, not only because of the knowledge and skills students can
learn from mentors, but also because mentoring provides professional socialisation
and personal support to facilitate success. Quality mentoring greatly enhances a
person's chances for success.

"Over the course of ones life, there are a few people who have a major
influence on the way you look at the world and define what is most
important."
-Michael Bloomberg

MENTICLUB

DEFINITIONS OF MENTORING
MENTORING IS TO SUPPORT AND
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MANAGE THEIR
OWN LEARNING IN ORDER THAT THEY
MAY MAXIMISE THEIR POTENTIAL,
DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS, IMPROVE THEIR
PERFORMANCE AND BECOME THE
PERSON THEY WANT TO BE
-ERIC PARSLOE

MENTORING IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO

INDIVIDUALS BASED ON A MUTUAL DESIRE FOR
DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS CAREER GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES.

MENTORSHIP IS A RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH A

MORE EXPERIENCED OR MORE
KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON HELPS TO GUIDE A
LESS EXPERIENCED OR LESS
KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON.
-WIKI

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WHAT MENTORING IS
Career development: Mentoring helps the mentee increase their learning to let them
develop and advance through their career. It is an opportunity for the mentor to use
his knowledge and experience to facilitate the personal and professional
development of his mentee.
Two way relationship: A mentoring relationship enriches both the mentor and the
mentee. It helps a mentee learn and grow. But it helps a mentor share knowledge,
expertise and wisdom while forcing him/her to step back and gain perspective. It also
helps a mentor add leadership skills and be a role model to others.
Motivational support: A mentor supports, motivates and provides any resources to
the mentee to assist them. Mentors also act as a mental backbone to mentees
enabling them to act more confidently.
Learning from experienced: Mentors help mentees gain insights from their own
experiences. They give mature feedbacks to mentees when in need allowing them to
avoid critical mistakes and succeed in their endeavours.

MENTICLUB

WHY SHOULD I BE A MENTOR?

A mentor is an invaluable asset. Many organisations and universities have mentoring
programs as a part of their professional and academic systems. Being a mentor can be
both highly rewarding and a great learning experience. With just a few hours a month,
you can guide and support promising talent aspiring to excel in their careers and
become influential to the lives of many others. As a mentor:
Community: You can empower the community with your experience in the most
unique way i.e. through mentoring. Connect with the leaders of tomorrow and help
others grow.
Freedom and Flexibility: As an expert in your field, we know you run on a tight
schedule. Our platform helps you choose your own availability and set your schedule.

MENTICLUB

WHY SHOULD I BE A MENTOR?

Rewards: Our platform enables you to charge as per how you value your time*. We
also offer certificates of appreciation at the request of the mentors. Plus, seeing others
grow and succeed is a reward in itself.
Skills and Network: Mentoring helps expand your network and knowledge and
exposes to new ideas and. It helps develop leadership and interpersonal skills.
Inspire: Network in a challenging yet exciting environment and motivate with your
success. We value your experience and we have a lot to learn from you. Join the
Menticlub family and inspire us!

*launching in first quarter of 2017

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SECTION 2:
The Mentoring
Journey

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MENTICLUB

USEFUL TIPS FOR FIRST SESSION

Before your session

During your session

While booking the session, the student is

prompted to enter a set of questions he/she
wishes to be addressed. As a mentor, do
have a look at it in your dashboard in the
appointment card so that it makes it easy for
both you and your mentee.

Start off by getting to know one another.

Focus on getting the session started on a
positive note.

We will send you reminders for the session.

Do make sure to mark your calendar and be
available for the session.

Answer the queries as previously asked by the

mentee and do ask for any more questions he/
she might be having.

In case you may not be available, cancel the

session 24 hours in advance. Else, drop us a
mail and we will get back to you.

Discuss how to keep track progress and try to

establish a timetable of regularly spaced
meetings if possible.

Ask and share expectations from your

mentoring relationship and establish certain
ground rules.

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12

CONFIDENTIALITY IS KING
Anything said during the course of the session is confidential to the parties involved and
should not be repeated without the consent of those individuals. This is because both the
mentor and mentee use feel that discussion of private issues or problems are dealt with
discretion which will in turn help develop the mentoring relationship. The following
points should be noted as the areas of interest:

Personal information: It is good to share personal information with one another but
as a general rule treat it as business information
Business information: Keep all business information of each other safe and secure
Concerns: In case of any concerns, do get in touch with us, at any point, in confidence

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13

STRUCTURING YOUR SESSION

Both the mentor and mentee have limited time in a session. The most productive sessions are
those which are structured. Being the mentor, you will have to take the lead. Here are a few
pointers to help you in your session:

Start the session by introducing yourselves.

Discuss the mentees short term and long term plans
Focus on the issue at hand and help out with the questions already submitted by the mentee
previously (available in the appointment card on mentor dashboard)
Resolve the issues and move forward with any additional questions mentee might be having
Ask mentee your own set of questions which would help the mentee explore further possible
consequences and solutions
Agree upon a common course of action/strategy and help set up a timeline for their milestones
Be approachable and end the session on a positive note

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14

WHAT SKILLS DOES AND IDEAL MENTOR HAVE?

Active listening Skills: Active listening is more than just hearing what the other person said. It is
understanding what they mean and contributes to effective communication
Able to clarify: An ideal mentor should be able to clarify questions with a proper understanding
of the challenge or situation
Questions and Answers: Asking constructive questions such as What is your approach to X?
or Do you know that Y college accepts freshers? will help the mentee gain much more than
they would expect and contribute to expanding their field of view
Proactive and Flexible: Be energetic in your communication and action
Willingness and readiness: An ideal mentor should have the desire to mentor and command
over subject matter and organisational knowledge
Easy going but trust worthy: Should be able to create a comfortable environment for making
way for discussions while maintaining the confidentiality of the mentee.

MENTICLUB

HOW DO I REALLY KNOW IF MENTORSHIP IS WORKING?

It is important to know if a mentoring relationship is working or not. Unfortunately there is no test
that can tell you if you are getting it right.
You are probably getting it right if:

You have regular meetings

You have a good rapport with your mentee
You are able to see that the mentee is working towards their goals and objectives
Your mentee has been able to learn something new from your sessions
You have an active interest in their progress
Your mentee seems to be evolving in his personal and professional life
Your mentee feels that mentoring has worked out well for him/her
You gain personal satisfaction from your mentees growth and success

15

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16

4 HABITS A MENTOR SHOULD AVOID

You as a mentor is more experienced of the two. Try to make it less evident in the course of
your session and keep yourself more approachable.
Sharing everything from your point of view feeling that your experience fits in directly with the
needs of your mentee
Do most of the talking and paying less attention to what the mentee has to say
Having a casual informal approach to the mentee; they expect you to be their role model in all
aspects of career development and personal values and seek a professional yet friendly
mentor

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SECTION 3:
Mentoring
Toolkit

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MENTICLUB

5CS OF MENTORING
The 5Cs model helps provide a structure to the mentoring session and will help explore and
identify the best ways to move forwards. It focusses on:

Conclusions

Challenges

Choices

Creative Solutions

Consequences
Source: Mike Pegg, Art of Mentoring

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MENTICLUB

SWOT ANALYSIS
This is a useful tool to help analyse people, businesses or situations. Mentors can help develop
strategies and approaches for their mentees using this tool. It can also be used individually by
the mentees.

STRENGTHS
WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?
1. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
2. PERSONAL RESOURCES
3. ACHIEVEMENTS

WEAKNESSES
WHAT ARE YOUR WEAK AREAS?
1. WHAT DO YOU AVOID DOING?
2. NEGATIVE HABITS
3. LACK OF CERTAIN QUALITIES

OPPORTUNITIES
WHERE CAN YOU IMPROVE?
1. AREAS OF INTEREST
2. AVAILABILITY OF OPTIONS
3. NEW LEARNINGS

THREATS
WHAT CAN CHALLENGE YOU?
1. COMPETITION
2. WHAT LIES BEYOND THE KNOWN
3. RUNNING OUT OF TIME

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20

INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONS TO ASK

Here is a set of questions that we encourage mentors to ask their mentees:

What do you intend to gain from this session?

Where do you want to see yourself realistically placed 1 year from now?
Describe your present situation in detail
How do you want me to help you achieve your goals?
Have I helped you solve your critical issues?
How frequently would you need my help?

You as mentors can ask you own questions as you deem suitable. But do remember to focus on
solutions rather than worry about what has gone wrong or what could go wrong. Spread your
positivity and make yourself a role model to them. They are here to see where they can be.

MENTICLUB