In this blog post I’ll go over a few quick tips on how to be a good mentee.

Let’s jump right in!

Have realistic expectations

First and foremost, come into this with realistic expectations.

They’re mentors, not magicians.

Yes, certain mentorship sessions can result in major breakthroughs but that’s extremely rare.

The end result of your mentorship call is going to be as powerful and impactful as the amount of effort you put to execute what was discussed.

Mentorship isn’t a silver bullet.

Take notes or record your screen

You’re not going to remember everything you spoke about, so take notes!

If you’re terrible at taking notes like me, ask your mentor if you can record the screen while you talk.

My favorite tool for this is Loom. It frees me up from worrying about the note taking.

Disclaimer: This is only valuable if you actually revisit the recording and take notes later. What I do is transcribe my mentorship calls using Descript and then clean the transcription.  

Give proper context

Give contextual information to help paint the picture of your current situation.

  • What are your goals?
  • What are your constraints?
  • What is the industry?
  • What what you tried before

Send over this info before your call with your mentor so they’re not looking at a blank sheet of paper when they jump on the call.

Having said that, please, please, please, don’t be that person that sends over a novella before the call, that’s not polite.

Be concise in your pre-meeting message and try to fit it in maximum 200 words.

Be as honest as possible

Growth mentors will be asking you lots of questions, answer them as honest as possible.

Think of your mentorship call like a session with a therapist or psychologist.

To max out the value you need to be honest.

Otherwise the advice will steer you into the wrong direction, and that’s pointless.

Be inquisitive

Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of question asking.

Stories are gold.

It’s how implicit knowledge (e.g. the stuff you can’t learn in textbooks) is passed from person to person.

  • Can you tell me about a time you faced a similar situation?
  • How did you deal with it?
  • What was your biggest fear?
  • Why did you do it like that?

It’s ok if the conversation isn’t only about you.

In fact, that’s where the real gold nuggets will be delivered to you.

Relax

Don’t feel pressure, just relax.

There’s no right/wrong way to do this.

If your call with your mentor goes off-piste’ – it’s ok to go with the flow.

Avoid binary thinking.

Try and form mental patterns

Try to form mental patterns, especially if you speak with multiple mentors.

Pay attention to metadata.

Embrace alternative views

Ask your mentor to play devil’s advocate and challenge your assumptions.

Dare to take the road less traveled.

If even for a just a half an hour mentorship session.

Be friendly and authentic

Be friendly and authentic. If you’re likable, the mentors will be your biggest supporters (even after the call is over).

Follow up

Don’t leave it for too long so they forget you.

If you’re using the GrowthMentor platform, leave a review ASAP.

Mentorship is incredibly rewarding both for the mentees and the mentors.

One of the biggest reasons mentors choose to give back is because they love the feeling of making a positive impact, even if it’s just one person at a time.

If you’re in need of a mentor to help you grow your business or enter into tech, check out www.growthmentor.com