Modulo4_KHEIRON_EN

06 Practical tip: Include some personal goals in your personal development plan as a mentor. For example: ‘Improve my active listening skills,’ ‘Learn to use online dynamics with my mentee,’ or ‘Get my mentee to open up about X topic.’ Use self- assessment to check whether you are making progress towards these goals. Remember that mentoring is also a learning journey for you; ultimately, both mentor and mentee should grow from the experience. By embracing self- assessment with sincerity, you will ensure a higher quality mentoring experience for your mentee and personal enrichment for yourself as a volunteer. Co-evaluation or peer review sessions among mentors: Some mentoring organisations hold regular meetings for mentors (without mentees) to share experiences and dilemmas. In these spaces, a mentor can present a situation that causes them concern (e.g., ‘My mentee sometimes does not respond to messages. How should I handle this?’) and receive feedback from colleagues. This dynamic works like a mirror: other mentors can point out things you may not see from the inside, or offer suggestions based on what has worked for them. Although it is not an individual ‘self- evaluation’ per se, it facilitates self-reflection because you compare your own practice with that of others and adopt new perspectives. If your programme has this support network, take advantage of it! In addition to learning, it will make you feel supported in your role. Feedback from the mentee as indirect self- assessment: Later on, we will discuss gathering feedback from the mentee in a structured way. Well, that information is gold for the mentor's self-assessment. If the mentee expresses (in a survey or conversation) that they have felt unheard, or that they would like more guidance on a certain topic, the mentor should take note and reflect: what can I adjust to meet that need? On the other hand, if the mentee appreciates the mentor sharing professional contacts, the mentor recognises that action as a success to be continued. Listening to the mentee's voice is an essential part of self- assessment: an open-minded mentor will always ask, ‘How can I be a better mentor to you?’ and use that answer as a guide. In practice, self-assessment should be an ongoing process throughout the mentoring relationship, not something that is only done at the end. A good strategy is to conduct regular self-checks: for example, every month or after a certain number of sessions, spend a few minutes completing a mini- questionnaire or reviewing your checklist. Some programmes offer online platforms where the mentor answers short questions after each meeting, facilitating this routine. The important thing is consistency and honesty with yourself. A valuable aspect of self-assessment is that it allows you to measure your own progress as a mentor over time. If you use the same scale at the beginning and end of your participation as a mentor, you will be able to see how much you have grown. For example, perhaps you initially rated your ability to ‘manage difficult situations’ as 2/5, and after a year of mentoring you rate it as 4/5 thanks to the experience you have gained and the training you have received. This not only motivates you (you also learn and improve through mentoring!), but also ensures that programme coordinators can identify needs: for example, if many mentors report low confidence in ‘setting boundaries,’ specific training on that topic can be organised. G a m e : “ M e n t o r R e f l e c t i o n ” C l i c k h e r e t o p l a y