Questions
Turn this into an open-ended question:
“Did you have a good weekend?”
"Tell me about your weekend"
What is a reflection?
Restating or rephrasing what someone said to show understanding
Does trust build quickly or slowly?
Slowly / over time
What does it mean to be “present” in a conversation?
Fully focused, engaged, not distracted
What does “commitment before confidence” mean?
You act/show up before you feel confident
What is wrong with this question:
“Do you like your classes?”
Closed-ended
Mentee: “I’m really stressed about school.”
Give a reflection.
“It sounds like school has been really overwhelming.”
What is a “sliding door moment”?
A moment where you can choose to lean in or pull away (trust vs. disconnection)
What is one mistake people make during silence?
Filling it too quickly, panicking, disengaging
What does “be interested, not interesting” mean?
Focus on them, not trying to impress
Give an example of a strong follow-up question after someone says:
“I had a rough day.”
"What made your day rough?"
Name the 3 types of reflections.
Content, Emotion, Meaning
Give one example of something that BUILDS trust.
Following up, listening, keeping things private, being consistent
What are 2 signs someone is NOT listening?
Looking away, interrupting, distracted, no follow-up
Why shouldn’t you “fix” your mentee’s problems?
It shuts them down / makes it about you / they need to feel heard first
What makes a follow-up question strong instead of surface-level?
Builds on what was said, goes deeper, shows listening, not random
What is wrong with this response:
“Oh yeah that happened to me too…”
Makes it about yourself / not focused on them / not a reflection
Give one example of something that BREAKS trust.
Gossiping, not following up, judging, not listening
Why is eye contact important?
Shows attention, builds trust, makes people feel heard
Why is discomfort important for growth?
Growth happens outside comfort zone / builds confidence over time
Mentee says:
“I don’t really like school.”
Ask two strong open-ended follow-up questions that go deeper.
"What don't you like about school?"
"What do you enjoy outside of school?"
Mentee: “I studied really hard and still failed my test.”
Give a combined reflection.
“It sounds like you put in a lot of effort and it’s really frustrating it didn’t pay off.”
👉 Content + feeling
You share a mentee’s personal story with someone else.
What happens to trust AND how can you repair it?
There’s a long silence.
Name 2 internal reactions AND 1 strong externalresponse.
Internal: overthinking, anxiety, pressure
External: stay present, wait, gently prompt (“take your time”)
A mentor feels awkward, unsure what to say, and like they’re doing a bad job.
What should they do in that moment AND why?
WHY:
Because action builds confidence, not the other way around