• Remember it is your responsibility for keeping the relationship on task
  It is your responsibility to drive the relationship with your Mentor. This includes scheduling and attending meetings with your Mentor, sending follow up emails with lists of deliverables, updating Mentor with progress, following up on resources and connections. Your Mentor is volunteering his/her time, energy, and expertise to contribute to your growth. You must take the initiative and connect with your Mentor every week by email or phone, and in person every month. It is also your responsibility to confirm with your Mentor a meeting you have scheduled with him/her.
  
  
• Schedule check-ins with your Mentor, confirm them, show up
  Schedule at least a weekly check-in phone call or email, and a monthly (if not more frequently) meeting of at least one hour. Send an Outlook calendar reminder to your Mentor with a quick email reminder the day before. Then don't cancel.
  
  
• Be responsive
  When Mentor reaches out by phone or email, respond as soon as practical, even to let Mentor know that you are currently busy, but will have time in a few hours or days to respond. If you do not have time to respond in detail or do whatever your Mentor has requested, acknowledge that your received their email or phone call and then set expectations as to when you will be able to respond.
  
  
• Set expectations for how best to work together
  Be clear about your own needs and limits - specify the best times and ways (phone, email, in-person) to reach you, and get the same specificity from Mentor.
  
  
• Have clear goals to work on and accomplish
  Understand what you want to accomplish in the mentoring relationship with your Mentor. The goals must be specific, measurable, attainable (within the 12 months), relevant (to your commitment to PG&E), time-bound, exciting and engaging, and reviewed at each meeting.
  
  
• Employ the guidance, encouragement, and direction from Mentor
  This is your opportunity to develop. Your role is to seek guidance, ask questions, listen, take the advice and implement it, and progress on your goals. Your goal is to develop into a confident, competent contributor at PG&E. Don't expect your Mentor to do the work for you.
  
  
• Share your ideas and ask questions
  Discuss your ideas with your Mentor. Ask for his/her opinion, advice, suggestions, and feedback. In particular, ask about Mentor's own career path and decisions. Ask questions for clarification.
  
  
• Own the mentoring relationship and your career
  It is your job to drive your career. Own it. Be in charge. Take your Mentor's advice and employ it in your role at PG&E. Execute on ideas. Make progress on your goals.
  
  
• Always be open to constructive feedback
  Respect your Mentor and listen when he/she provides guidance and constructive feedback. Be a sponge. This is a rare opportunity to get a new perspective, insight and feedback from a leader at PG&E who is not your boss.
  
  
• Create commitments and remind Mentor of your promises
  Never leave a conversation, phone call, or meeting without creating commitments - the "what" and the "by when." Write them down and review them before leaving. It is expected that you will email the list of commitments to your Mentor as soon as practical. Start your next meeting by reviewing those commitments and results.
  
  
• Follow through on your commitments
  Follow through on your commitments before the next meeting. Don't offer a bunch of excuses and stories as to why you failed to follow through on a commitment. If you did not follow through, let your Mentor know by when you will complete that deliverable. In addition, let your Mentor know what you are doing to complete that commitment.
  
  
• Respect your Mentor and show appreciation
  Like you, your Mentor is busy. Don't waste his/her time. Canceling meetings, showing up late, and not staying in communication are extremely disrespectful. Attend scheduled meetings. Keep your commitments and stay connected to your Mentor! Show appreciation for his/her time and commitment to your success.
  
  
• Become a Mentor for someone else
  The best way to succeed with your Mentor is to serve as a Mentor for someone else. When you engage as a Mentee, it is an expectation that you will also serve as a Mentor in the Mentoring Program for another participant.
  
  
• Use your Mentoring Champions
  If you sense an issue with your Mentor, or if there are any problems within your mentoring relationship that you are unable to resolve, please contact the Mentoring Program Team at pgementoring@lifemoxie.com.
  
  

• Remind Mentee of his/her responsibility to keep the relationship on task
  It is your Mentee's responsibility to drive this relationship. If Mentee is not driving it (scheduling and attending meetings with you, sending follow up emails with list of deliverables, updating you with progress, following up on resources and connections), remind him/her of this responsibility.
  
  
• Understand your Mentee's goals
  Understand what your Mentee would like to accomplish in the mentoring relationship with you. The goals must be specific, measurable, attainable (within the 12 months), relevant (to the Mentee's commitment to PG&E), time-bound, exciting and engaging, and reviewed at each meeting.
  
  
• Schedule weekly and monthly check-ins with your Mentee
  Schedule at least a weekly check-in phone call or email, and a monthly (if not more frequently) meeting of at least one hour.
  
  
• Guide, encourage, and direct your Mentee in discovering his/her talents and abilities
  This is the Mentee's opportunity to develop. Your role is to support your Mentee in this process and provide guidance as needed. Your goal is to help your Mentee develop into a confident, competent contributor at PG&E.
  
  
• Make connections to people and resources, but ONLY as you see fit
  One way to mentor is to expand your Mentee's network by connecting your Mentee to new people. As your Mentee is progressing on his/her goals, think about anyone with whom your Mentee should be connected. In addition, offer any resources that would assist your Mentee along the way.
  
  
• Be responsive
  It is your Mentee's responsibility to keep the relationship on task. When your Mentee reaches out by phone or email, respond as soon as practical, even to let your Mentee know that you are currently busy, but will have time in a few days to respond.
  
  
• Set expectations for how best to work together
  Be clear about your own needs and limits - specify the best times and ways (phone, email, in-person) to reach you, and get the same specificity from Mentee.
  
  
• Always provide constructive feedback
  Respect your Mentee and provide guidance by using constructive feedback (see Workbook for guidance on providing constructive feedback). The Mentor empowers the Mentee to make the "best" decisions without actually deciding for the Mentee. Look for opportunities and "teaching moments."
  
  
• Provide guidance, ideas, and advice, not lectures or absolutes
  Build a trusting relationship by developing a solid foundation of communication. Listen carefully and consider all points of view fairly. Think of ways to problem solve together rather than lecture or tell your Mentee what to do. Invite your Mentee to discuss his/her ideas, to ask questions, and to give feedback to you as well. Ask if you can offer advice, suggestions.
  
  
• Balance your input with your Mentee's
  Your role as a Mentor is to help empower your Mentee to develop his/her career and contribution to the company. It's important for your Mentee to feel that they are driving their career at PG&E with you as the advisor. When your Mentee asks you for your advice, ask for their perspective and thoughts first. Then share yours.
  
  
• Create commitments
  Never leave a conversation, phone call, or meeting without creating commitments - the "what" and the "by when." Write them down, review them, and then request that your Mentee email them to you to ensure you are both on the same page. Start your next meeting by reviewing those commitments and results.
  
  
• Hold your Mentee accountable to commitments
  A few days before your next scheduled call or meeting, your Mentee will resend you the list of deliverables to remind you both what was promised. If Mentee has not completed any deliverable, do not get caught up in excuses and stories that fog the missed commitments. To any excuse that your Mentee may give you, respond, "Got it." or "I understand." or "That does sound challenging." Then say "What do we need to do to get the results we want?"
  (See, The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability by Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman)
  
  
• Be a role model for your Mentee on how to create and keep commitments
  Attend scheduled meetings. Show up on time (or early!). Stay in touch by phone and email weekly. Meet in person at least once a month and more frequently if needed or as requested. Keep your commitments to your Mentee!
  
  
• End the relationship when it is time.
  As the Mentor, it is your responsibility to keep your pulse on the relationship and end it when it's time. There are a number of reasons to end the relationship. If you have met your goals, it is time to move on so that you both develop your network and your skills with others at the company. If you or your Mentor becomes unavailable, acknowledge the change in availability and commitment, and move on. If there is no connection or not a great match, say so. If your Mentee (or you) is not meeting expectations, say something to re-set expectations. If nothing changes, end the relationship officially and move on.
  
  
• Use your Mentoring Champions
  If you sense an issue with your Mentee, or if there are any problems within your mentoring relationship that you are unable to resolve, please contact the Mentoring Program Team at pgementoring@lifemoxie.com.
  
  

Responsibilities in the Mentoring Relationship

• Professionalism
  Following through on commitments, communicating clearly and respectfully
  
  
• Respect
  Valuing the other individual in the relationship and treating him/her with integrity and honesty
  
  
• Confidentiality
  Maintaining in confidence the conversations that transpire between Mentor and Mentee in their mentoring relationship
  
  
• Ethics
  Using principles to guide the relationship in the best interest of the individual and the company
  
  
• Legal Obligation
  Communicating with HR when the situation becomes one that threatens the welfare of the individual or the company