Mentoring contract – what it should contain. How to set the rules of mentoring cooperation.

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Mentoring is based primarily on the relationship between Mentor and Mentee. In order for this relationship to fulfill its purpose, the couple should establish its principles at the very beginning of the process. This is the role of the mentoring contract. In this article I will take a closer look at what a contract is in the mentoring process, why it is worth having one and what it should contain.

What is a contract in the mentoring process

A contract in a mentoring pair is a set of agreements and rules of cooperation that the Mentor and Mentee in a mentoring pair agree to. Often this contract is in the form of a PDF or Word document and is provided according to a specific template by the organizers of a given mentoring program.

In the case of the Mentiway application, the contract takes the form of a separate functionality in which some of the content is imposed by the mentoring organizers and some can be freely completed by the mentoring pair.

The contract should be read and understood by both people in the pair and “signed” before proceeding. This “signing” is most often virtual. It is simply a matter of both parties consciously agreeing to the provisions of this contract.

Functions of the contract in mentoring

The contract in mentoring fulfills several functions, but most importantly it defines the rules of further cooperation both between Mentor and Mentee, as well as between the people in the pair and the program organizers.

Contract defines mentoring

The contract should address the basic principles of mentoring (see also what mentoring is in general). It should impose some basic expectations on one side and the other, and limit potentially erroneous expectations.

Builds security

A contract is where both people commit to confidentiality and to ethics and respect for each other’s needs.

Setting expectations

In the contract there are basic rules that apply to each party. Often there is also room to introduce your own expectations – both on the part of the Mentee and the Mentor.

Giving structure to the process

This is also the place to put in place basic arrangements for the duration and frequency of meetings. The couple also establishes here the form or location of the meetings and gives a preliminary schedule for the upcoming sessions.

Securing the boundaries

In the contract, the couple can specify topics that they will discuss during the session, but also topics that one or both parties prefer to avoid.

Contract vs. goals of the mentoring process

The contract should also include goals for the mentoring process. However, since the contract is signed at the beginning of the first session, and very often the couple does not work on the goals until later, only an outline of these goals can be included in the contract.

In the Mentiway application, there is space in the contract to enter a goal in the form of a single line of text. This is just to signal a direction for further action. Only on the occasion of the second session does the couple start working on the actual definition of the goals, which consists of elements such as the criterion for achieving the goal, its validity and the elements of motivation.

You can also read about goals in mentoring in this article.

Contents of the mentoring contract

The contract contains several areas, basically in line with its functions described above. These are:

• General Principles – that is, a place for the organizers to define the basic principles of mentoring. Here you may find the basic division of roles in the process – that it is the Mentee who is responsible / accountable for the process, that participation in the process is voluntary, but if both people already decide to participate, they offer their full commitment.
• Confidentiality Principle – sometimes within the general principles, sometimes within a separate paragraph there is a definition of confidentiality principles and a commitment to behave in accordance with ethical principles. Here you can also specify possible exceptions – for example, define what information the employer or program organizer will have access to.
• Rules relevant to organizers – the contract may also include other rules imposed by the program organizers, such as reporting obligations or goal setting consistent with the goals of the overall program.
• Defining roles – the contract should clearly define the key roles of the Mentor and Mentee. In the case of the former, it is most often indicated to lead the mentoring process, provide knowledge, motivate development, share feedback, etc. Among the Mentee’s roles, it is suggested to plan the dates and topics of the next sessions, to be fully involved in the process, but also in one’s development, to complete tasks in a timely manner and to make an effort to achieve the set goals.
• Organization of work – the contract should also include a place for organizational topics. It is a good idea to include the dates of the next few mentoring sessions, define their approximate frequency, duration and how / where they will be held.
• Personal arrangements – it’s also worth planning space for optional individual arrangements within the couple. For example, you can specify topics or areas that will not be discussed.
• Objectives outline – as I mentioned above – the contract should also include outlines of objectives identified initially by the Mentee. The couple will still work on these goals in the next session or sessions.