Your mentor is not giving you the time you need. What steps can you take to get their attention?

1) Mentee should demonstrate the progress he/she has made under mentorship. During your sessions, be prepared to discuss specific achievements or advancements you've made. This not only shows your mentor the value of their advice but also keeps them engaged and motivated to continue working with you. 2) Understanding and communicating the benefits that your mentor gains from working with you can be a delicate yet powerful approach. If appropriate, discuss how your progress can positively reflect on your mentor's expertise and reputation. 3) Show your mentor that you're taking initiative. This can be through researching topics ahead of sessions, coming up with solutions to problems independently, or taking on challenging projects.

Es ist ein wesentlicher Teil des Mentoringprozesses die Ziele zu klären, damit der Mentor oder die Mentorin weiss, was erwartet wird.

See if they are open to having mentoring conversations over lunch, then do all the leg work to find the time and place for that meeting. They have to eat some time. And it could be a nice break for them from a day full of other mire serious work conversations. To have a lunch with an eager mentee is an easy win for them. It places no extra burden on their time, and it makes them feel appreciated.

The first question is: is the mentoring paid or is it a mentor who is kindly and generously offering their time and experience to help you? If the answer is generosity, how are you preparing for the conversations? Have you been practicing what has been discussed? Do you put into practice the ideas offered by your mentor? Are you ready for the next conversation as you have been doing your homework? Therefore, reflect on the fact that you really need new conversations and that your mentor really sees you growing with the mentoring and deserving of his time.

Bring a notepad and a pen. Even if you don’t have an agenda in mind, it already signals that you take this conversation seriously and are ready to note concrete action items by the end of the meeting. Before the meeting ends, let your mentor know what exactly you plan to do before your next conversation.

Vorbereitung bedeutet Reflexion der eigenen Situation und ist damit die beste Voraussetzung für ein zielführendes Gespräch. Schritt für Schritt kann an den Lösungen gearbeitet werden.

An approach, while it may work for one person may not work for another, or cause stress. Feeling able to discuss issues openly with mentors help, with both sides being able to give their input, then considering the best way forward, at the right pace helps. This will make it a 2 way discussion, not micromanagement.

If you find that your mentor is not giving you the time you need, it's important to address the issue proactively while maintaining professionalism and respect for their time. If your requests go unnoticed, I'd suggest conducting an 'expectations management' session (which I recommend integrating as the first intro session into any mentoring program). During this session, all sides are open to discuss: - what does being available to each other mean? - what are the available hours? - what is the response time? - how long is too long when waiting for the response? - when do we check in for feedback and evaluation? - how do we evaluate the improvements after feedback?

Manage-up effectively! Managing up is a highly under-rated skill. Recognize your mentor's busy schedule and aim to extract maximum value from limited interactions. Mentorship doesn't mean providing detailed instructions; it's about fostering autonomy and self-discovery in the mentee. A proficient mentor will seamlessly steer you towards ideal outcomes, tailored to your needs, even with time restrictions. Take charge of groundwork, pinpoint opportunities, and devise potential solutions. Then, present these to your mentor for refinement. True mentorship empowers mentees to navigate challenges independently. Mastering the art of managing up, showcases commitment to success. Your readiness to learn amplifies the mentor's ability to guide.