Your assigned mentor has agreed to be available to support you in your career development. Developing the relationship is up to both of you. This guide will help you establish parameters. Getting Started. In the first few weeks of your pairing assignment, meet by Zoom, Teams, phone or in person with your mentor to create the basic framework for your relationship. Don't wait for your mentor to reach out to you first. Proactively reach out to your mentor to find a time that works best. Set Goals. Think about where you are in your career and how your mentor can help you. Do you need advice about what to ask when you receive a new assignment? How certain partners prefer work to be submitted? How to get certain kinds of work, business development or industry knowledge? How to build a network? Or something else? Before you meet with your mentor, consider what you would like input on to help focus the conversation in the direction you want it to take. Make a Plan. How often will you meet, where and how? For junior and lateral attorneys, it is suggested that for the first six months you meet once every two weeks and monthly after that for your first two years at Holland & Knight. Use the Outlook invitation feature to schedule recurring meetings. Refer to your career and mentoring goals in planning for meetings with your mentor. Get Personal. Apart from being top-notch lawyers who are responsive and consistently working hard on behalf of our clients, we are in a profession where the personal connections among us and our clients are important. The most successful rainmakers excel at building positive relationships. Maintaining and expanding client relationships, working well on teams, and enjoying your work and your colleagues can turn on whether you can build a relationship with others. The same is true for an effective mentoring relationship, and it is a wonderful way to practice developing a relationship with someone you do not know well. Get to know your mentor – as a person and as a professional – so you can connect more meaningfully. Ask questions. For example, do you know how many children/dogs/prized boxwoods your mentor has? Did they play a sport in college? Where did they take their last vacation? What was their first job? Why did they go into law? What are their key commitments and priorities outside of work? What do they enjoy and find challenging about their practice? Then share your answers, too.
Don't Be Discouraged if Your Meeting Is Rescheduled, but Also Be Persistent Call, email or stop by your mentor's office and ask to meet for coffee or lunch. Send a restaurant review and add a lunch invitation. Send your mentor your Self-Evaluation and ask for input – with sufficient time for turnaround. Stop by. You cannot beat an in-person meeting, especially if you arrive bearing coffee, sandwiches, a bagel or something else you think your mentor might like. These regular touchpoints are beneficial. Ask your mentor to brainstorm with you about how you can develop business, pursue a client or get an opportunity to work on a particular type of transaction.
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