The Mentoring Manifesto, Vol. 35: Leading One-on-One Meetings with Mentees
When most people think of mentoring, they picture two people sitting in a coffee shop, talking about whatever, one has grey hair, and the other is asking questions. At Radical Mentoring, we mentor in groups…one to two mentors, four to eight mentees. I could give you a lot of reasons why but that’s not the topic at hand today.
The reality is, while deep bonds of community form inside of Radical Mentoring groups, ultimately, all relationships are individual. You can’t have a relationship with a group…it’s one-on-one, both between mentor and mentee and between mentees. That’s why we do growth partners in between mentoring meetings, so the mentees can get to know each other on a personal, individual level.
It’s also why we highly encourage mentors to connect one-on-one with each mentee at some point during the mentoring season…the earlier, the better, ideally within a month or two after everyone tells their story on the Story Retreat. This is an important time for the mentor to dig deeper into the mentee’s story and background. And for the mentee to have a chance to ask questions he might not feel comfortable asking in the group setting.
Your mentees want to connect with you because they look up to you. So don’t hold back when it comes to one-on-ones, and definitely don’t put them off. They are too important. The resources below will give you some ideas and tips on making the most of these times.
ARTICLE: HOW TO LEAD MENTEE ONE-ON-ONES
VIDEO: LEADING ONE-ON-ONE MENTEE MEETINGS
PODCAST: THE BEAUTY AND BROKENNESS OF OUR STORY
FAITH AT WORK: PROUD, SECRETIVE, OR HUMBLE
Breathe New Life Into Your Discipleship
Small group mentoring can help you engage your people, build your core group of leaders, and transform your church. Our free resources equip you with all the tools you need to launch a sustainable mentoring program.