# Mentorship Program > Designs mentorship programs with matching criteria, meeting structures, goal frameworks, and progress tracking. - Skill: `reaperinvest/mentorship-program` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/mentorship-program` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/mentorship-program/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Productivity - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/mentorship-program --- # Mentorship Program ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Design a structured mentorship program with matching, goals, and tracking - Create mentor-mentee frameworks for a community, company, or paid program - Build meeting structures and conversation guides for mentoring relationships - Establish a formal mentorship offering as a product or community benefit **DO NOT** use this skill for coaching programs (one-to-many), masterminds (peer-to-peer), or consulting arrangements. This is for one-on-one mentorship with clear developmental goals. --- ## Core Principle A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WITHOUT STRUCTURE BECOMES COFFEE CHATS THAT FIZZLE OUT — CLEAR GOALS, DEFINED CADENCE, AND PROGRESS MARKERS TURN GOOD INTENTIONS INTO ACTUAL GROWTH. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Program purpose** | "What outcome should mentees achieve through this program?" | No default — must be provided | | **Duration** | "How long will each mentorship pairing last?" | 3 months | | **Meeting cadence** | "How often should mentor and mentee meet?" | Bi-weekly, 45 minutes | | **Program type** | "Is this paid, free, internal, or community-based?" | Paid program | | **Pool size** | "How many mentors and mentees do you expect?" | 10-20 pairs | **GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.** --- ## Phase 2: Program Design ### Matching System Define matching criteria: ``` ## Mentor Requirements - [Minimum experience level] - [Industry or skill expertise] - [Availability commitment] - [Communication style preferences] ## Mentee Requirements - [Current level] - [Specific goals] - [Time commitment] - [Coachability indicators] ## Matching Criteria (ranked by priority) 1. Goal alignment — mentee's goal matches mentor's expertise 2. Industry overlap — similar enough for relevant advice 3. Availability — schedules compatible for regular meetings 4. Communication style — both prefer similar formats (calls, async, video) ``` ### Program Timeline ``` Week 0: Applications open → matching → introductions Week 1: Kickoff meeting — set goals, expectations, cadence Weeks 2-10: Regular meetings following the session guide Week 11: Progress review and celebration Week 12: Program close, feedback collection, next steps ``` ### Meeting Structure ``` ## Standard Meeting Agenda (45 min) 1. Check-in: Wins since last meeting (5 min) 2. Progress update: Status on action items (10 min) 3. Core topic: This session's focus area (20 min) 4. Action items: 2-3 specific next steps (5 min) 5. Scheduling: Confirm next meeting (5 min) ``` **GATE: Present the program design for approval.** --- ## Phase 3: Build ### Deliverables to Create 1. **Mentor application form** — experience, expertise, availability, motivation 2. **Mentee application form** — goals, current level, challenges, availability 3. **Matching worksheet** — scoring matrix for pairing decisions 4. **Welcome packet** — expectations, communication guidelines, meeting template 5. **Goal-setting worksheet** — SMART goals for the mentorship period 6. **Session guide** — agenda template with suggested topics per meeting 7. **Progress tracker** — milestone checklist for both mentor and mentee 8. **Feedback forms** — mid-program check-in and end-of-program evaluation ### Goal-Setting Framework ``` ## Mentorship Goal Worksheet **Primary goal:** [What the mentee wants to achieve in 3 months] **Why now:** [Why this goal matters at this stage of their business] **Success metric:** [How you will know the goal is achieved] **Biggest obstacle:** [What has prevented achieving this before] **Mentor support needed:** [Specific ways the mentor can help] **Milestones:** - Month 1: [Milestone] - Month 2: [Milestone] - Month 3: [Milestone] ``` ### Communication Guidelines - Respond to messages within 48 hours - Reschedule meetings at least 24 hours in advance - Keep meeting notes in a shared document - Respect boundaries — mentorship is not 24/7 access - Escalation path if the pairing is not working --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Program Management Tools ``` ## Admin Dashboard Needs - Pairing tracker (who is matched with whom) - Meeting log (are pairs actually meeting?) - Goal progress (are mentees hitting milestones?) - Satisfaction scores (mid-program and final) - Intervention flags (pairs that miss 2+ meetings) ``` ### 2. Mentor Training Provide mentors with: - How to ask powerful questions instead of giving advice - Active listening techniques - How to hold mentees accountable without being pushy - When and how to escalate if a mentee needs different support ### 3. Program Health Metrics ``` ## Track These Monthly - Meeting completion rate (target: 85%+) - Goal progress per pair (on track / behind / ahead) - Mentor satisfaction score (target: 4+/5) - Mentee satisfaction score (target: 4+/5) - Net Promoter Score at program close (target: 50+) ``` --- ## Example 1: Business Growth Mentorship (3 Months) ``` Goal: Help early-stage solopreneurs reach their first $5K month Matching: Revenue-stage mentors ($10K+/mo) paired with pre-revenue or sub-$2K mentees Cadence: Bi-weekly 45-min calls + async Slack support Milestones: Month 1 (offer defined), Month 2 (first sales), Month 3 ($5K target) ``` ## Example 2: Community Mentorship Program (Free) ``` Goal: Connect experienced community members with newcomers for 6-week orientation Matching: Self-select from mentor profiles posted in the community Cadence: Weekly 30-min calls for 6 weeks Milestones: Week 2 (goals set), Week 4 (first win), Week 6 (independence plan) ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **No matching criteria** — random pairing kills engagement. Match on goals and expertise. - **No meeting structure** — unstructured calls drift into venting sessions. Provide an agenda. - **No end date** — open-ended mentorships lose momentum. Set a clear duration with optional renewal. - **Overloading mentors** — more than 3 mentees per mentor degrades quality. Cap it. - **No mid-program check-in** — waiting until the end to discover a bad match wastes months. - **Treating mentors as consultants** — mentorship is guidance, not done-for-you service. Set expectations early. --- ## Recovery - **Not enough mentors:** Reduce mentee cohort size or increase the mentor-to-mentee ratio to 1:3 with group sessions. - **Bad match identified:** Have a no-fault rematch process. Offer one rematch per program cycle. - **Mentee not showing up:** After 2 missed meetings, program admin reaches out. After 3, remove from program. - **Mentor unsure how to help:** Provide conversation starter cards with questions for common mentee challenges. - **User has never run a mentorship program:** Start with a 6-week pilot with 5 pairs before scaling.