Take a moment and think about the meetings you’ve attended in your professional life. Did they run more smoothly when the organizer kept things loose, letting the room guide the conversation, or when they came prepared with an agenda?

Agendas are plans. They describe the purpose of the meeting, list the various topics, and set ground rules and a schedule for the discussion. Meetings that follow an agenda run more smoothly because everyone knows what to expect, the role they’re supposed to play, and what the organizer is hoping to accomplish.

Mentorships benefit greatly from an agenda, as well, in the form of a personalized mentoring plan. This is the document that sets out the ground rules for the mentorship, including a meeting schedule, communication channels (i.e. in person, by phone, by email, etc.), an initial duration for the relationship, and then specific goals and action items that the mentee would like to focus on. Let’s examine each of these to see why they’re important.