Mentee Goal Setting
Mentee Goal Setting
Coaching Pods use an Outcome-Based Mentoring (OBM) approach — meaning your pod discussions, mentor support, and peer accountability all center on progress toward a goal you define. Before your first pod meeting, you will identify the professional outcome you want to work toward during the 7-week cohort.
You do not need to arrive with a perfect goal. A draft idea is enough to get started, and your mentor and pod will help you sharpen it throughout the program.
Why Goal Setting Matters
A clearly defined goal helps you make better use of each session. Beginning with a goal gives your pod experience direction and purpose — it helps you:
- Guide pod discussions with a shared focus
- Direct your mentor’s support toward what matters most to you
- Create accountability for real progress between sessions
- Measure your growth by the end of the program
Goals may evolve as you gain clarity and feedback through the Coaching Pod experience. Progress matters more than perfection.
What Makes a Strong Goal
The strongest goals are realistic, relevant, and clear enough to guide reflection, discussion, and action throughout the cohort. A strong goal is:
- Personally meaningful — something you genuinely want to improve or move forward, relevant to your career
- Achievable within 6–7 weeks — meaningful progress is the objective, not perfection
- Within your control — something a mentor can coach and support you on
- Clear enough to reflect on — you can describe what success looks like at the end of the program
Goal-Setting Frameworks
Before the Cohort Kick-Off, mentees complete a goal worksheet using one of two common coaching frameworks. Both are widely used in leadership and professional development — choose the format that works best for you.
| Framework | What it Stands For | Best For |
| SMART | Specific · Measurable · Achievable · Relevant · Time-bound | Structured thinkers who want clear, trackable milestones with defined success criteria |
| GROW | Goal · Reality · Options · Way Forward | Exploratory thinkers who want to understand their current position before committing to a path |
Download and complete the worksheet before the Cohort Kick-Off. Bring your draft goal to discuss with your mentor and pod during the first session.
| Download: Goal Setting Worksheet (SMART & GROW) |
Examples of Mentee Goals
The examples below show the level of clarity we encourage. Goals do not need to be lengthy — clear and specific is often best.
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Career clarity / transition
By the end of the program, success would look like having a clearer career direction and a concrete plan for my next role, including updated resume bullets and a stronger professional narrative.
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Skill development
Success for me would be feeling more confident leading cross-functional projects and having at least one new tool or approach I can immediately apply at work.
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Job search focused
By the end of the program, I’d like to have a refined job search strategy and feel more confident articulating my experience in interviews.
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Confidence & professional presence Success would mean increased confidence in my role as a project manager and the ability to speak more clearly about my value and impact. |
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Stretch but realistic
By the end of the program, success would look like making measurable progress toward a specific professional goal and feeling supported and accountable through the pod structure.
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What Mentee Readiness Looks Like
Coaching Pods are interactive, practical, and growth-oriented. Mentees often get the most value when they are ready to:
- Reflect honestly on where they are and where they want to go
- Participate consistently across all six pod sessions
- Take small, intentional actions between meetings
- Engage openly with their mentor and pod peers
A willingness to engage, reflect, and take action is enough to get started. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin
Preparing for the Cohort Kick-Off
Start by identifying one professional goal you would like to explore during the program. Use the OBM Goal-Setting Worksheet to structure your thinking before the Cohort Kick-Off session.
Your mentor and pod will help you refine your goal during the first pod session. The Coaching Pod format is designed to build momentum through guided conversation, reflection, and practical action over 7 weeks.
Note: Goals submitted through the application are treated as an expression of intent. The final, structured goal is completed on the Goal Worksheet and submitted within 72 hours of the Cohort Kick-Off.
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Ready to Apply? View the Coaching Pods page to access Mentor and Mentee application forms → Questions? Contact [email protected] |
