Choose one useful thing to explore

A mentoring goal should guide the conversation, not ask the mentor to decide your career.

A workable goal names a skill or experience you want to explore and a small action you can try. Keep it within your influence; your mentor can offer perspective and feedback, but cannot guarantee a role or outcome.

For example, replace “get better at communication” with “prepare and lead the next project update, then ask for feedback on what was clear.”

Turn a broad interest into a workable focus

Use the contrast to make your first conversation easier to prepare.

Too broad

“I want to be more confident.”

  • No situation or practice is named.
  • Progress is hard to discuss.

Ready to explore

“I will lead the next project update and ask what information helped the team decide.”

  • The situation is specific.
  • There is an action and a feedback question.

Shape a first mentoring goal

Bring these three points to the conversation.

  1. 1

    Name an interest

    Choose a skill, experience, or work situation you want to understand better.

  2. 2

    Decide what progress could look like

    Identify an action you can try or a piece of feedback that would help you learn.

  3. 3

    Bring one opening question

    For example: “Could we use our first meeting to think through how I prepare for the project update?”

Make the goal workable together

A goal is a starting point; both participants can refine it to fit the relationship.

Share the skill or experience you want to explore.

Agree a small action or useful question.

Discuss meeting rhythm and expectations together.

Continue with Matching and Expectations.