Allow the mentor to take the lead initially
Act with courtesy with your mentor
Be an active listener and take notes when necessary
Inquire with purpose
Take the initiative for feedback and take it with open mind
Be considerate towards mentor’s time.
Return phone calls promptly and be on time with commitments and meetings.
Demonstrate that you have followed advice or commitments.
Express appreciation and thank the mentor
Do not talk loose about the mentor to others
Maintain confidentiality of relationship as needed
Prepare yourself to move beyond the mentoring connection once it has served its purpose
Keep the door open to return to the mentor for assistance or advice at a future time.
Follow up with the mentor after termination to keep in touch, to share progress and to continue to express gratitude.
Mentees should listen first
In a mentoring relationship you should be less concerned about showing your mentor how brilliant you are, than listening carefully and absorbing their advice, says Harvard Business Review.
“It might be tempting to use your mentoring sessions to impress your mentor – someone who can potentially advance your career. But most mentors are put off by proteges who do more self-promoting than learning.
Listen to your mentor, show humility, and make it clear that you take the counsel seriously. When you get feedback, don’t respond with, ‘Yes, I already knew that.’ Restate the advice in your own words to make sure you’ve got it right, and ask questions to clarify.
Mentors will often test you by gauging how you respond to feedback; and the better you are at receiving it, the more of it you will get.”