A better mentoring conversation starts with one real situation

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development reported the practical phase of its Qudwati programme on 21 October. The sessions bring together 120 Emirati young adults aged 18–24 and 24 experienced role models, including retirees and government professionals. Participants were selected through a nomination and selection process; this report is not an invitation to register.

The programme’s intergenerational discussions provide a useful prompt for anyone preparing to speak with a mentor. These are SIBRIS editorial suggestions for an ordinary mentoring conversation, not the programme’s official curriculum. Begin with one situation you can explain clearly, such as choosing between two kinds of work experience or preparing for a first team responsibility.

Before the conversation, write three short notes: what is happening, what you have already tried and what you are unsure about. Describe the decision without turning it into a long autobiography. A mentor can ask for more context; they cannot easily answer a question that keeps changing halfway through the explanation.

Ask for an example before asking for a conclusion. You might ask how the mentor approached a similar situation, what information they lacked at the time and what later changed their view. Listen for the conditions around their decision. A useful story contains more than the part where everything worked out.

Then compare contexts. Which parts of the experience resemble yours, and which depend on a different workplace, period or set of responsibilities? You can appreciate someone’s experience while checking how much of it transfers. Write down the assumption you would need to test before acting on an idea.

Keep the conversation two-way. Briefly explain what you heard and ask whether you understood it correctly. If the advice is broad, narrow it to an example: what would a sensible first attempt look like in this situation? This gives both people a chance to correct a misunderstanding before it becomes a plan.

End with one manageable next step that you choose yourself. It could be collecting missing information, trying a small task or preparing a more focused question. Agree on a follow-up only if both people want one. A mentor’s time is easier to respect when the next conversation has a clear purpose.

Afterwards, separate your notes into three parts: what the mentor described, what you think it means for your situation and what you will do next. Keep personal stories private unless you have permission to share them. The goal is a clearer decision, not a collection of impressive quotations.

Cover: an original AI-generated conceptual illustration of a mentoring conversation in an imagined courtyard. It does not depict Qudwati sessions, its venues or actual participants.