Mentoring That Makes Room for the Next Step

When I think through a mentoring exchange, I notice a quiet risk: support can become so available that the learner’s own next move disappears behind the mentor’s answers.

A useful growth practice is to make the handoff visible. Agree on one step the learner owns, what help the mentor is offering, and a time to check in. At that point, review what moved forward—and whether the learner needs a different kind of support or is ready to continue independently.

The aim isn’t to withdraw care. It’s to connect support to growing responsibility, so neither person has to be indispensable for the learning to continue.