An organisation launches a mentoring programme with enthusiasm. Mentors are paired with mentees, the programme kicks off, and then… nothing. Engagement drops, relationships fizzle out, and impact is unclear. Sound familiar? 

Many organisations assume that simply connecting people is enough. But the reality is, mentoring programmes don’t fail because of a lack of good intentions—they fail because of a lack of structure. 

So, how do you ensure your mentoring programme succeeds? Here are the key steps most organisations overlook—and how you can avoid the same mistakes. 

Step 1: Defining Your Programme’s Purpose (Beyond the Basics) 

Most organisations stop at “we want to support our leaders” or “we want to help entrepreneurs.” But without a clear why, mentoring becomes just another well-meaning initiative with little direction. 

• What specific outcomes do you want to see? Increased confidence in mentees? Stronger leadership pipelines? More inclusive leadership? 

• How does mentoring fit into your existing leadership development efforts? 

• What does success look like in 6 months? In a year? 

A mentoring programme without a clear purpose leads to mismatched expectations, unclear objectives, and may even lead to recruiting the wrong people—whether they are mentors or mentees. Before you launch, define what impact you’re aiming for and how you’ll measure it. 

Step 2: Selecting and Preparing Mentors (It’s Not Just About Experience) 

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is assuming that anyone with experience can be a mentor. Being a top performer in a company doesn’t automatically make someone a great manager. Just as excelling in sales, finance, or operations doesn’t mean someone knows how to lead a team, having experience in a field doesn’t mean someone knows how to mentor effectively. 

A strong mentor needs to: 

• Know how to guide rather than give advice. 

• Ask powerful questions that drive reflection. 

• Set boundaries and manage expectations. 

Many mentoring programmes skip mentor training entirely, leading to inconsistent experiences for mentees, and potentially even disengagement. The Mentoring Skills and Practice (MSP) course equips mentors with the skills to mentors properly—because a well-trained mentor makes all the difference. 

Step 3: Setting Up Mentoring Relationships for Success 

Another common oversight? Assuming that mentoring relationships will ‘just work.’ But without structured guidance, mismatched expectations can cause frustration on both sides. 

• Have you provided clarity on what mentees should expect from their mentors—and vice versa? 

• Do your mentors and mentees have a structured agreement on goals, boundaries, and meeting frequency? 

• Are you offering ongoing support to ensure mentoring relationships remain productive? 

Setting clear expectations from the start prevents misunderstandings and keeps mentoring relationships on track. 

Step 4: Managing the Programme (It’s Not ‘Set and Forget’) 

A mentoring programme isn’t just about launching—it’s about sustaining engagement and tracking impact. Many organisations make the mistake of treating mentoring as a one-time initiative instead of an ongoing process. 

Key questions to consider: 

• Who is responsible for monitoring mentoring relationships and ensuring they are productive? 

• How will you gather feedback and measure success? 

• Do you have a strategy for keeping mentors and mentees engaged beyond the initial match? 

A well-managed mentoring programme requires ongoing check-ins, structured feedback mechanisms, and continuous improvement. 

Step 5: Handling Risks and Difficult Situations in Mentoring 

This is a topic many organisations don’t even think about—but it’s one of the biggest reasons mentoring programmes struggle. 

• What happens if a mentor-mentee match isn’t working? 

• How do you address power dynamics, biases, or ethical concerns? 

• Do you have a process for resolving conflicts? 

Having a risk management strategy in place ensures that mentoring relationships remain healthy, productive, and beneficial for all involved. The REMP course covers these complexities, equipping programme managers with the tools to handle challenging situations effectively. 

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Is Your Mentoring Programme Set Up for Success? 

Launching a mentoring programme isn’t just about pairing people up—it’s about creating the right structure, preparation, and ongoing management to ensure real impact. 

Ask yourself: 

• Do we have a clear purpose for this programme? 

• Have we properly prepared our mentors? 

• Are we setting up mentoring relationships with clear expectations? 

• Do we have a plan for tracking progress and engagement? 

• Are we ready to manage challenges that may arise? 

If you’re serious about running an effective mentoring programme that delivers lasting impact, the Running Effective Mentoring Programmes (REMP) course gives you the frameworks, tools, and insights to do it right. 

Want to ensure your mentoring programme is built for success? Learn more about REMP here.