Mentoring relationships are built on trust and respect, and setting boundaries is an essential part of maintaining that trust. Boundaries can be professional or personal, and it's important for both the mentor and the mentee to discuss them early in the relationship. This will help ensure that both parties are comfortable and that the relationship remains positive. For instance, many mentors set the limit of not giving or lending money to the mentee.
If this is your limit and your apprentice requests money to eat, you can remind him that you don't feel comfortable lending money, but offer to buy him a sandwich for lunch if you're worried about his hunger. It's important to be aware that boundaries, both professional and personal, tend to be delicate. Crossing boundaries has the unfortunate effect of making both parties uncomfortable and has the potential to create tension in the relationship between the mentee and the mentor. Mentors should also be mindful of the requests they make to their mentees, as mentees tend to please their mentors and may perceive a request as a demand. To avoid this problem, it's best to discuss boundaries early on in the relationship.
The Christian Leaders Mentor Minister program, NFP, was launched with the purpose of training more revival leaders. In some cases, mentors inadvertently take advantage of their power and make a mentee take on the mentor's job. Mentors or mentors who do not respect these guidelines can be removed from the directory or stop being mentors. WPI's peer-to-peer mentoring program provides guidance on how to set limits and have difficult conversations with your mentee.
Mentor ministers are ordained graduates of the Christian Leaders Institute and ordained through the Christian Leaders Alliance. It can also be beneficial for learners to talk to a partner or to a partner's mentor to ask their point of view on the topic. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to establishing boundaries in a mentoring relationship.
