Tips on Virtual Mentoring Relationships

Make your relationship as productive as possible.

Work hard to give a sense of yourself; share things that are important to you both at school/work and in your personal life.
Frequency of contact is important, especially in the first few months. It will help you move beyond small talk and show that you want to discuss a variety of issues.
Electronic messages can be supplemented with phone calls or video chats whenever you feel it is important to talk. Talking will definitely will add a new dimension to your relationship.

Initiate

Be sure to ask questions and initiative conversations as well as just responding. Start another topic if a discussion seems to be dying out. Give feedback.
Show enthusiasm. This means giving thoughtful answers, thanking your mentoring partner for sharing ideas, giving feedback, and telling him or her that you're enjoying the experience.
If you don't hear from your mentoring partner, send a message asking sharing what you've been doing.

Keep copies of all conversations. This will help you evaluate the experience and will enable you to go back and follow up on earlier discussions.
Be aware of mirroring! If you write short, quick answers, you are more likely to receive responses with short answers. Be open and go into more depth.
Don't feel you have to start a new conversation each time; tell your mentor what has happened since your last conversation.
If you don't have time for a thoughtful reply, send a quick note saying when you will be able to respond.

If your mentor seems unresponsive or you are having another problem, complete the Troubleshooting Your Mentoring Relationship online form, contact us on the S.T.E.P. mentoring platform or email step@asha.org.