9 Concrete Ways to Stay Proactive and Engaged in Your Mentoring Journey

Mentoring is a powerful tool — but only if you invest yourself in it. Your level of commitment directly shapes the depth of your learning.

A good mentor won’t tell you what to do. They’ll help you reflect, take a step back, and clarify your thinking.

It’s up to you to make the most of that opportunity.

Here are 9 simple and practical ways to stay engaged.

1. Create anchors so you don’t “forget” about mentoring

Block a regular time in your calendar each month —

Not just for your meeting with your mentor, but also for a solo check-in:

What have I learned this month?What do I want to explore in our next session?

Mentoring only works if you invest your time and mental presence. And no one else can block that time for you.

2. Take the lead from the start

Mentoring isn’t an on-demand service. It depends on your initiative.

You’re responsible for:

→ scheduling the meetings

→ preparing for the conversations

→ sharing your goals

Pro tip: go ahead and schedule the next 2–3 meetings, just like you would for any important appointment.

3. Keep a mentoring journal

No need for anything fancy.

A Word doc, a note on your phone, or a pocket notebook will do.

After each meeting, jot down:

• What I took away
• What I want to try
• What I want to go deeper on

4. Share your learnings with someone else

Nothing helps you internalize ideas like explaining them to others.

You could say:

“During mentoring this week, I realized that…”“I’m going through a mentoring process — let me know if you’d like me to share what I’ve been learning.”

Try it with a colleague or even your manager.

5. Write a mini action plan after each session

… and connect the dots with your day-to-day

Ask yourself:

How does what I learned today apply to a current challenge?What can I test out as soon as tomorrow?What will I do or explore before our next meeting?

Even a small action is enough. What matters is to stay in motion.

6. Create a “question box”

Start a running note in your phone or calendar to collect ideas, questions, or doubts you’d like to explore with your mentor later on.

7. Set a theme or intention for each session

Examples:

“Today I want to talk about the doubts I’ve been having about…”“I’d like to understand why I feel stuck in…”

This helps you structure the session and get more out of it.

8. Send a quick follow-up message after each session

Just a short note —

“Thanks again for today’s conversation. Here’s what I’m taking away and what I’ll be focusing on until next time.”

It shows you’re serious, strengthens the relationship, and helps lock in what you’ve learned.

9. Reflect… with yourself

After a few sessions, take a moment to ask:

• Am I going deep enough?
• Is there something I’m avoiding?
• Am I really making the most of this relationship?

You can also think about a phrase that stuck with you, a piece of advice, or an example your mentor shared.

What does it mean to you now?

In short:

Mentoring supports you, but it doesn’t replace you.

Your curiosity, your commitment, and your willingness to engage — those are what make the difference.