The Mentoring Contract

The notion of a mentoring contract is widespread and poses a similar conundrum to measurement. To what extent should we riskbureaucratising an essentially informal process? Some clarity is essential, but how much, and does a written document contribute greatly to clarity anyway?

There is no straightforward answer, not least because it depends on circumstance. In an experiment some years ago within the National Health Service, I provided 100 pairs of mentors and mentees with detailed discussion guides, formal contracts to sign and extensive background notes. I then invited them to use these religiously, to scan them and put them aside, or to ignore them altogether. When we reviewed the results it became clear that only 20 per cent had completed the contracts, while the others had roughly half-and-half scanned or ditched them. The success rate of the relationships did not seem to be affected by their choice. From this I conclude that it should be left to the mentee and mentor to decide how they approach the issue of contracting.

What does seem to be essential is that both sides discuss the relationship objectives, their expectations of each other, and how they will manage the relationship. The following checklist seems to provide a basic set of questions most people can relate to in discussing these issues.

Mentoring ground rules

1. a) Are we clear about each other's expectations of:

   • each other?

   • the mentoring relationship?

   • what we hope to learn from each other?

   b) How closely do our expectations match?

   c) How directive or non-directive should the mentor be in each meeting?

2. a) What are the core topics we want to discuss?

   b) What, if any, are the limits to the scope of discussion (ie what we talk about)?

3. Who will take primary responsibility - ie the mentor, the mentee or both together - for:

   • deciding how often to meet?

   • setting the agenda for meetings?

   • ensuring that meetings take place?

   • organising where to meet, and for how long?

   • defining learning goals?

   • initiating reviews of progress?

4. How formal or informal do we want our meetings to be?

5. To what extent is the mentor prepared to allow the mentee to:

   • use his or her authority?

   • use his or her networks?

   • take up time between meetings?

6. Are we agreed that openness and trust are essential? How will we ensure that they happen?

7. Are we both willing to give honest and timely feedback(eg to be a critical friend)?

8. a) What, if any, are the limits to the confidentiality of this relationship?

   b) What are we prepared to tell others:

   • about the relationship?

   • about our discussions?

   c) Who shall we tell, and how?

9. What responsibilities do we owe to others as a result of this relationship (eg to line managers, peers, the programme co-ordinator)?

10. a) How do we ensure that the mentee's line manager is supportive?

    b) Is there a clear distinction between the roles of mentor and line manager?

    c) If there are overlaps, how will these be managed?

11 When and how shall we check this relationship is ‘right' for both of us?