Resource Centre
How long is an ideal mentoring relationship?
At My Mentor Path, we advise that you revisit your mentoring relationship every six months and decide whether to continue or whether it's time to bring the relationship to a close. This is however, totally within your control. The decision will be based on how the mentee feels about their progress and the continuing mutual availability of both mentor and mentee.
A typical mentoring relationship can last anywhere from six months to a year. This provides enough time for the mentor to provide guidance, support and feedback to the mentee and for the mentee to make meaningful progress towards their goals. A shorter-term mentoring relationship can be more focused on addressing specific issues or achieving specific goals, while a longer-term mentoring relationship can be more comprehensive and encompass a broader range of topics.
It's important to remember that the length of a mentoring relationship should be flexible and adaptable to the mentee's needs. If the mentee is making good progress and achieving their goals, the mentoring relationship may be able to end sooner than originally planned. On the other hand, if the mentee is still making progress but needs more time, the mentoring relationship can be extended.
After closing out a mentorship relationship, both mentor and mentees can either decide to take a break, or move onto further relationships, perhaps with a different personal profile or focusing on different goals.