“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself” – Galileo Galilei
The Roles of the Mentor & Mentee
Being a protégé (otherwise known as a mentee) in a mentor-mentee relationship is an opportunity for deep learning, personal growth, and professional development. As a mentee, you step into a space where wisdom, experience, and guidance helps to shape your journey, helping you to navigate challenges and uncover new possibilities within yourself. This dynamic relationship requires curiosity, openness, and a willingness to embrace feedback—both constructive and affirming.
On the flip side of that, a great mentor provides not just knowledge but also perspective, challenging you to think critically, expand your mindset, and develop the confidence to take on new opportunities. In return, the mentee role is to be engaged, proactive, and intentional about applying the insights gained from the relationship.
At its core, the mentor-mentee relationship is a partnership built on trust, respect, and mutual investment in growth. While a mentor offers support and direction, the protégé must take ownership of their development, seeking clarity on goals, asking meaningful questions, and actively implementing advice. This journey is not about passively receiving knowledge but about engaging in thoughtful dialogue, reflecting on lessons, and finding ways to evolve both personally and professionally. The strongest mentor-mentee relationships are those where both parties learn from each other, fostering a sense of shared success and continuous improvement.
Why Seek Out These Experiences?
In one of my most impactful mentor – mentee relationships, I felt comfortable making mistakes. I felt comfortable knowing that the individual sitting on the other side of the table was there for my betterment, even when that meant I sometimes needed to hear the “bad thing”. I put bad thing in quotations because it isn’t something that is bad, but something that is sometimes painful to hear. Painful in the sense that you realize thoughts, ideas and opinions that once held a piece of your identity may no long serve you in your growing state. I realized soon into the relationship, our sessions were positively rewiring my brain to understand new context on a topic, reflect on past situations and encouraging me to step outside of a comfort zone I once had.
I met my mentor when she was facilitating a DEI in Talent Development course in Washington DC that I was attending. This was a three-day course, packed with meaningful conversation, difficult topics and sincere debate as we had individuals from all different backgrounds, experiences, ethnic groups, ages and race. We all came from different organizations, different fields and somewhat different job roles. We had some really tough experiences that week. Happiness and anger, laughter and tears. All were a part of the deep rooted conversation we had about race and equity in the workplace.
As a Jewish woman I’ve felt hate, I’ve witnessed and experience antisemitism in some of the worst type of ways. But with all of that, I have long recognized my priviledge as a young white woman in America. I decided to step up and talk about experiences where I had prejudged others or times I felt I was prejudged.
As an Organizational Psychologist, I understand the deeper root of unconscious bias that lives within us all. But that day, and many other days, I have stood proud to apologize for unconscious ways I have unintentionally hurt others.
After that session, I found the group reaching out to hug me with the simple words “thank you”. It was from no particular group of people that thanked me, but an overall consensus of “I see you and I know you see us”.
My Mentor and I met after that three-day course ended where she praised me for my candor and vulnerability. She saw my heart for who I was and who I am today and met me where I was in order to guide and teach how I can continue being candid and vulnerable both in my work life and my personal life. After that course, we continued to meet to continue my personal and professional development.
⭐️A Long Lasting Impact ⭐️
When I think about that relationship, I think about the saying “people come into your life for a season or a reason”. It’s been a few years since Tonya and I connected one that one-on-one level, but whenever we see each other at events or conferences, we hug and are both reminded of the impact we’ve had on one another. Tonya holds a special place in my heart because of the way she shares her experience for others to learn from and I will go the rest of my life knowing the profound impact her words have made on me.
As I close out this post, I leave you with this. Context shapes the way in which we arrive at our goal. Sometimes we choose our mentors, and sometimes they choose us. Remember that knowledge isn’t power without implementation so play your part and take every opportunity you have in a mentor mentee relationship and work towards becoming the best version of yourself. It is truly something you wont regret.
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