Your Mentoring Strategy

Perhaps a host of challenges face your mentee – poor grades, social hurdles, tense family dynamics, grief, learning disabilities, or any number of difficulties. Mentors might feel like they must help on all fronts, that a youth’s bright future could slip away if they don’t earn a B, make the team, fix a friendship, or talk about their loss. This is unrealistic.

Mentors are not magicians, teachers, or therapists. Your role entails showing up with an open heart, meeting your mentee where they are, being patient, and gently guiding when able. Your steady presence over the years creates a powerful connection of trust and support. Only in that context can you step in to help with schoolwork, solve problems, and plan.

Even then, your mentee’s life is still their own. Set an example. Share your experiences. Provide skills practice. But rather than an attitude focused strictly on outcomes, do it all with a spirit that says they are worthy regardless of outcome.

Achievements matter. But in the end, our joy and growth through relationships is what really counts. We can control only so many things in this life. The love pouring from your heart is one. This week, with your mentee (and forever, again and again), start and end there.