Setting Short-Term Goals in Mentoring Programs

Goals are crucial in any mentoring journey. Both mentors and mentees set short-term goals that serve as a roadmap for their relationship, ensuring mutual understanding and value. These goals guide conversations and create meaningful outcomes for the mentee.

It’s also a good practice for organisations to set short-term goals for their mentoring programs. At the design stage, clarify why the program is needed and customise it to meet these goals. At the program’s end, you can measure success by reflecting on whether these goals were achieved, establishing the return on investment.

The Role of Goals in Mentoring Programs

Goals serve multiple purposes in a mentoring program, from providing direction to ensuring accountability. Here’s how they contribute to the success of the mentoring relationship and the program as a whole:

1. Direction and Focus: Goals help mentors and mentees stay focused on specific outcomes, ensuring that their meetings are productive and aligned with the program's overall objectives.
2. Accountability: Setting goals creates a sense of responsibility. Both parties know what they are working towards, making it easier to track progress and stay committed.
3. Motivation: Achieving short-term goals can boost morale and motivation, providing a sense of accomplishment and encouraging continued effort towards long-term objectives.
4. Measurable Success: Goals provide a way to measure success, helping to evaluate the effectiveness of the mentoring program and make necessary adjustments.

Short-Term Goals vs Long-Term Goals: What’s the Difference? 

Understanding the distinction between short-term and long-term goals is crucial for personal and professional growth. Here’s a deeper look at their differences:

Time

• Short-Term Goal: Achievable in weeks or months, these goals provide immediate milestones.

• Long-Term Goal: Takes years to accomplish, these goals represent the broader vision and ultimate achievements.

Strategy

• Short-Term Goal: Tactical, involving specific actions and steps to achieve quick wins.
• Long-Term Goal: Strategic, requiring careful planning, sustained effort, and a broader approach.

Motivation

• Short-Term Goal: Provides quick results that can boost motivation and morale.
• Long-Term Goal: Can be challenging to stay motivated due to the extended timeline.

Multi-tasking

• Short-Term Goal: Manageable alongside other short-term goals, contributing to a sense of continuous achievement.
• Long-Term Goal: Comprised of multiple short-term goals, building towards the larger objective.

How Short-Term Goals Help a Mentoring Program

Short-term goals are essential for the effectiveness and impact of a mentoring program. Here’s how they contribute:

• Encourages Accountability: At the start of the mentoring relationship, mentors and mentees establish their goals through a Mentoring Agreement. This agreement acts as a commitment, helping both parties stay accountable to their promises and progress.
• Helps with Evaluation: Short-term goals serve as metrics for program administrators to measure the program’s success. By evaluating whether specific goals are met, administrators can make informed decisions about necessary adjustments and improvements.
• Motivates Participants: When mentors and mentees have clear short-term goals, they have a tangible purpose to work towards. This focus prevents aimlessness and keeps the mentoring relationship productive and goal-oriented.

4 Short-Term Goals for Organisations

Short-term goals can address various challenges within an organisation’s human resources department. Here are some key short-term goals and how mentoring can help achieve them:

1. Improve Employee Engagement: Mentorship programs foster connections and relationships within the organisation, enhancing employee engagement. Engaged employees are more productive, satisfied, and likely to stay with the company.
2. Enhance Diversity and Inclusion Practices: Mentoring promotes inclusivity by providing support and guidance to employees from diverse backgrounds. This helps create a more inclusive workplace and encourages diverse leadership, leading to higher earnings and productivity.
3. Build a Talent Pool: Through mentoring, senior employees can pass their knowledge and experience to newer employees, creating a talent pool for future leadership roles. This ensures continuity and reduces the impact of employee turnover.
4. Reduce Employee Turnover: High turnover rates can be costly for organisations. Mentoring improves employee retention by providing support, career development, and a sense of belonging, reducing the need for frequent rehiring.

Achieving Short-Term Goals Through Mentoring

Setting clear, actionable short-term goals is essential for program administrators to build a roadmap for mentoring programs. These goals should align with the organisation’s broader objectives and be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Brancher’s mentoring platform supports organisations in achieving these goals by providing tools for guidance, insights, and measurable results. With our software, program administrators can:

• Track Progress: Monitor the progress of mentoring relationships and ensure goals are being met.
• Provide Resources: Offer training materials, templates, and other resources to support mentors and mentees.
• Facilitate Communication: Enable effective communication between mentors, mentees, and program administrators.
• Measure Outcomes: Use data and analytics to measure the success of the mentoring program and make informed decisions for future improvements.

Helping Organisations Achieve Their Short-Term Goals Through Mentoring

In mentoring, setting goals is not limited to the mentor and the mentee. The program administrator should also set clear and actionable short-term goals to build a roadmap for the mentoring program. 

Brancher supports program administrators and organisations hoping to achieve their goals through mentoring with our mentoring platform. Our software has the needed tools to provide guidance, insights, and measurable results throughout the mentoring journey. 

Book a demo today to see how Brancher can help you achieve your goals in your mentoring program.  

Sources: 

1. McKinsey & Company. (2020, May). Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf

2. McFeely, Shane; Wigert, Ben. (2019, March 13). Gallup. This Fixable Problem Costs U.S. Businesses $1 Trillion. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/247391/fixable-problem-costs-businesses-trillion.aspx