Sunday, 25 January 2026

Easy Read: Mentoring

 


What is Mentoring?

  • Mentoring is when a more experienced person (mentor) helps a less experienced person (mentee).

  • The mentor guides, encourages, and supports the mentee.

  • Mentoring is about helping someone learn, grow, and make choices, not doing the work for them.

  • Mentoring can be formal or informal, long-term or short-term.

Why Mentoring Matters

  • Helps mentees gain confidence

  • Helps them learn new skills

  • Helps them make decisions for themselves

  • Helps them reach goals

Types of Mentoring

  1. One-to-One Mentoring

    • Mentor meets one mentee personally or online

  2. Group Mentoring

    • Mentor supports several mentees at once

  3. Distance / Virtual Mentoring

    • Mentoring through phone, email, or video

What Mentors Do

  • Share experience and advice

  • Offer support and encouragement

  • Help set goals

  • Build confidence and self-awareness

  • Connect mentees to useful resources

What Mentors Don’t Do

  • Solve all the mentee’s problems

  • Do work for the mentee

  • Act as a counselor (unless trained)

Your Experience Matters

  • Mentoring doesn’t need to be perfect

  • Lived experience, like yours, can be very valuable to mentees

  • Befriending and emotional support can overlap with mentoring

Key Tip for Beginners

If you haven’t done mentoring training, start small:

  • Listen carefully

  • Support their goals

  • Be clear about your limits

  • Ask for guidance if you’re unsure


What is Mentoring?

Mentoring can mean different things to different people, and even the internet doesn't always agree on what the “right” dos and don’ts are. That’s okay. No one knows everything, including me. But what I’ve learned, both through formal training and personal experience, is this:

Mentoring is about the mentee, not the mentor.
But that said, both the mentor and mentee deserve respect, honesty, and support in the relationship.

In 2017 and 2018, I completed Level 1 and Level 2 in Mentoring. Although I haven’t yet had formal work experience as a mentor, I hope to change that now that lockdown has eased. My passion is to support people with disabilities, mental health challenges, and those training to work in those areas. In fact, before the pandemic, I worked as a Visiting Lecturer delivering training on learning disability and mental health awareness to future professionals like student nurses.

Mentoring isn’t about being perfect—it’s about helping others move forward. And matching

 

Mentoring is a supportive relationship where a more experienced person (the mentor) helps someone with less experience (the mentee) to grow, develop, and achieve their goals. It’s about guidance, encouragement, and helping someone believe in themselves.

A mentor might:

  • Share their own career or life experiences.
  • Offer advice and feedback.
  • Support the mentee emotionally.
  • Help set goals and explore career or life paths.
  • Build the mentee’s confidence and self-awareness.
  • Connect them to useful resources or contacts.

Mentoring is important because it gives the mentee the space to build trust in themselves, develop new skills, and learn to make their own choices with confidence.

Types of Mentoring

There are several kinds of mentoring. The most common include:

  • One-to-One Mentoring
    A personal, face-to-face relationship between one mentor and one mentee.
  • Distance or Virtual Mentoring
    Mentoring that takes place online, by phone, or through other digital platforms. This is useful when face-to-face isn’t possible.
  • Group Mentoring
    One mentor working with several mentees at once, often in a workshop or group setting. It’s a great way to share experiences and learn from others.

There may be even more styles depending on the needs of the individuals or organizations involved.

For more on mentoring, visit:

Support Helplines and Websites

If you or someone you know needs help, support is available:

If you or someone you know needs help or support, the following services are available:

 

 Support Hotlines and Resources

  • If you or someone you know needs help or someone to talk to, these national support services are available:
    • Mental Health America
      Website: www.mhanational.org
      Phone: 1-800-969-6642
    • National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
      Phone: Dial 988 (24/7 support)
    • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
      Website: www.nami.org
      HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or text “HELPLINE” to 62640
    • The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth)
      Website: www.thetrevorproject.org
      Phone: 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678-678
    • RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
      Website: www.rainn.org
      Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
    • Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
      Website: www.childhelp.org
      Phone: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
    • Elder Care Locator (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services)
      Website: eldercare.acl.gov
      Phone: 1-800-677-1116
    • Victim Connect Resource Center
      Website: www.victimconnect.org
      Phone: 1-855-4-VICTIM (1-855-484-2846)
    • National Domestic Violence Hotline
      Website: www.thehotline.org
      Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788
    • 211 (Essential Community Services)
      Website: www.211.org
      Phone: Call or text 211 to connect to local resources for food, housing, mental health, and more.

 

Dos and don'ts of Mentoring.

Dos of Mentoring

  • Listen first. Let the mentee do most of the talking.
  • Show you’re listening—with body language, nods, facial expressions, and good eye contact.
  • Ask if they understand and explain things in different ways if needed.
  • Allow pauses. Don’t rush them—silence can be helpful.
  • Reflect and confirm. Show you understand by repeating back key points.
  • Use their preferred communication style. Be flexible and inclusive.
  • Stay focused. Avoid distractions and stay on-topic.
  • Be clear and direct. Use simple, understandable language.
  • Use open-ended questions. Encourage the mentee to think for themselves.
  • Stick to what you know. Don’t mentor in areas you’re not confident in.
  • Focus on their goals and needs. This is their journey.
  • Point out areas for growth gently and constructively.
  • Set a good example. Be a role model in both words and actions.
  • Support their independence. Let them learn by experience.
  • Balance personal and professional support. Be human, but stay focused.
  • Believe in their potential. Mentees may one day outgrow even the people who mentored them.

Resource: Communicating with People with Disabilities

❌ Don’ts of Mentoring

  • Don’t try to solve all their problems. You’re a guide, not a fixer.
  • Don’t do their work for them. Help them find solutions, don’t hand them over.
  • Don’t let the relationship become just a friendship. Mentees still need to take responsibility for their growth.
  • Don’t ignore anxieties. It’s okay to talk about worries—mental health matters.
  • Don’t use body language that shows disinterest. Yawning, checking your phone, or staring out the window sends the wrong message. (Though let’s be real—everyone yawns sometimes. The point is to stay engaged.)
  • Don’t get distracted. Stay mentally present.
  • Don’t interrupt or rush the mentee. They may need extra time, especially if they have disabilities. Be patient, or talk with your manager about allowing more time.
  • Don’t finish their sentences. Let them speak in their own words.
  • Don’t be unclear. Make sure you explain things properly and confirm their understanding.

Resource: [Mentoring Etiquette –Here are your downloadable files containing both the UK and US versions of the mentoring guide:

  • 📄 Word Document – Mentoring_Guide_UK_US.docx
  • 📕 PDF Document – Mentoring_Guide_UK_US.pdf

Let me know if you'd like a separate document for the “Dos and Don’ts of Mentoring” next!

ere are your downloadable files for the Dos and Don’ts of Mentoring guide:

  • 📄 Word Document – Dos_and_Donts_of_Mentoring.docx
  • 📕 PDF Document – Dos_and_Donts_of_Mentoring.pdf

Let me know if you’d like to combine this with the earlier documents or need help with anything else! 

Here are your downloadable files containing both the UK and US versions of the mentoring guide:

  • 📄 Word Document – Mentoring_Guide_UK_US.docx
  • 📕 PDF Document – Mentoring_Guide_UK_US.pdf

Let me know if you'd like a separate document for the “Dos and Don’ts of Mentoring” next!

ere are your downloadable files for the Dos and Don’ts of Mentoring guide:

  • 📄 Word Document – Dos_and_Donts_of_Mentoring.docx
  • 📕 PDF Document – Dos_and_Donts_of_Mentoring.pdf

Let me know if you’d like to combine this with the earlier documents or need help with anything else!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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