Jeremy asks: How do I establish and maintain mentoring relationships when people are geographically distant from each other?

Answer: Get them face-to-face at the start of the relationship.

Distance relationships can be very productive. Breaking the ice and establishing rapport is so much easier, face-to-face.

Begin with a function that brings participants together. The investment outweighs the cost of a failed relationship.

If you cannot get together, video calls are better than telephone, which is better than email. Extra work is necessary to ensure the viability of the long-distance relationship. Extra contact and newsletters help. You may wish to provide participants with regular Mentoring Works Articles

(available from my website).

Regards,

Ann Rolfe

Mentoring Works

www.mentoring-works.com