This document provides an overview of how to use an online mentoring connection plan to guide a mentoring relationship from beginning to end. The connection plan includes milestones with recommended tasks and due dates, resources linked to tasks, and tools for adding comments, uploading documents, setting goals, scheduling meetings, taking surveys, and messaging a partner. Tracking progress by completing tasks, scheduling meetings, responding to surveys, and regularly communicating with your partner is important for getting the most out of the mentoring relationship and helping the program evaluate its impact.

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Mentoring and Talent Development SolutionsMentoring and Talent Development Solutions
USING THE CONNECTION
PLAN

2. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
CONNECTION SPACE OVERVIEW
• Track recommended tasks and due dates
• Find resources linked to task descriptions
• Add comments to a task
• Upload documents
• Add your IDP goals
• Schedule meetings
• Complete surveys
• Message your partner

3. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE MENTORING
• This document explains how to use the Connection Plan - the
set of tools provided to guide you from beginning to end of your
mentoring relationship.
• Using the Connection Plan properly will help you have a more
productive relationship.
• No one can see your progress except you, your partner, and
program administrators.

4. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
1. GETTING STARTED
• Find your connection space. This space can be found from "Mentoring Connections" in the
main navigation.
• Browse your Mentoring Connection Plan, a timeline of recommended mentoring activities.

5. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
2. LOOK AT MILESTONE HEADINGS
• Milestones tell you how the relationship should progress by grouping activities
into key phases.
• Click “the arrow" next to the milestone heading for more details about the
overall outcome expected of this phase.

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3. START WORKING THROUGH YOUR TASKS
• Start working through your assigned tasks in the first milestone. Tasks are designed to be bite-sized
and quick, but they add up to real results. These tasks create a basic framework for the relationship
and should be completed on or before the recommended due date.
• Check off tasks as you complete them. We will run periodic reports to track progress. While much of
your interaction may take place outside of the mentoring platform, it is critical that you complete your
tasks and check them off in order to complete the program.
Click here to see only
your own tasks
Due dates turn red
if overdue

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4. EXPAND TASKS TO ADD COMMENTS AND VIEW RESOURCES
• Click the right-side icon to
open a hidden description
that may include links to
vital resources or
worksheets.
• You can also add comments
to:
Communicate status
updates
Upload completed
worksheets or relevant
documents
Send a message regarding
a task to your partner

8. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
• Click “Create Goal Plan” where prompted in a task. Add your IDP goals here. This takes you to the Goal Plan
page.
5. ADDING IDP GOALS
• Click “Add New Goal”
• Enter a title and description. In the
description, you might add a timeframe and
how you will know when the goal is
achieved.
• Tip: To show initiative and ensure success,
add a few tasks. These should be specific
actions you will take to reach your goal.

9. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
6. SCHEDULING MEETINGS
• Click “set up meeting” where prompted.
• This will open a meeting scheduler.
• Tip: Don’t forget to sync your meetings
with your personal calendar. Click the
“Meetings” tab, then “My Meetings.”

10. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
• We need your survey responses at the timeframes indicated in
your task list.
• Click the name of the survey from your Mentoring Connection
Plan.
• Your feedback is crucial to keep the program going!
• You will receive email reminders to take surveys, but you only
need to take each one once.
7. COMPLETING SURVEYS

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MESSAGING YOUR PARTNER
• At the bottom of the space is a
messaging area. This is the best way
to correspond with your partner, who
will receive your messages via email.
• You can also correspond by
commenting on a task. This comment
will sync into the messaging area.
• When you get an email notification of
a message from your partner, you
can reply to the email. Your response
will sync into the messaging area &
your partner will be notified right
away.

12. Mentoring and Talent Development Solutions
IMPORTANCE OF TRACKING PROGRESS
• It's all too easy to push a mentoring relationship to the backburner, letting it fall
behind. This is less likely to happen if you are disciplined about tracking progress.
• Tracking progress leads to better individual results. That means checking off tasks
as you go, scheduling meetings, contacting your partner regularly, and completing
surveys when prompted.
• Some of the reasons to track include:
 Get the most out of your mentoring relationship
 Stay in touch with your IDP goals
 Track your learnings to export later and use for future reflection
 Hold your partner accountable
 Help us track the impact of the mentoring initiative