Shawn Mintz, president of MentorCity's interview with Sharon Aschaiek, PIC chair. 

How useful can mentoring be to a new independent communicator?

It's important to have a mentor or several mentors. Each mentor may specialize in a different area, such as writing features, news releases or how to grow a business. A mentor will help them by sharing insights and experiences, and will be a sounding board. 

What should people in a mentoring relationship consider when establishing the terms of their arrangement?

For a structured formal mentoring relationship, the mentee and mentor should discuss the mentee's objective and goals, and the overall expectations of the mentoring relationship. This includes how they will meet (in person, over the phone, video conferencing, etc.), the length of the relationship, the frequency of meetings and how they will handle confidential information. 

What are some key ways to ensure a mentoring relationship is productive and beneficial for both participants?

The mentees should come to every meeting with a clear idea of what they would like to achieve, and the questions they would like to ask. Each meeting should start off with some small talk and an update on the progress made. They will then focus on the mentoring activity (purpose of the meeting). To wrap things up, the mentee should summarize the conversation and action items, and schedule the next meeting. 

What should people absolutely avoid doing in a mentorship relationship?

Don't expect mentors to open up their network to you right away. It may take time to build trust -- once trust is built, then they will be more likely to share connections and opportunities. Don't provide mentees with the answer when they have a tough decision to make. Ask them good questions to guide them in making a decision on their own.

How can a mentee ensure they make the most out of the advice they gain from a mentor?

They should determine the good advice from the bad, then start integrating the good advice into their life right away. The more advice and lessons learned they put into action, the stronger they become. 

What can a mentor do to ensure they are of value to their mentee?

Mentors can invite their mentees to attend professional events with them, they can role play scenarios, provide feedback, recommend great books, and refer them to people in their network who can also add value.