There’s something about September. Even if it’s been years since you last packed a school bag, the new term still feels like a reset. The diary fills up again, the summer slowdown ends, and suddenly it’s hard to ignore that there are only about fourteen weeks left in the year.
That’s why this is a good time to think about mentoring. Not in January, when everyone is writing resolutions they’ll drop by February, but now, while there’s still time to finish the year the way you meant to.
The autumn question: how do I want to finish this year?
At the start of a school year, teachers don’t ask children what they want to achieve in their lifetime. They ask what they want to get done this term. It’s a helpful way to think about work too.
Look back at what you hoped for at the start of 2026. Maybe it was a promotion conversation you haven’t had yet, a skill you meant to build, a team you’re still working out how to lead, or a decision about your next move that keeps getting put off. A mentor won’t do any of it for you. What they will do is help you name it, test your thinking, and hold you to it, which is often exactly what’s missing between October and December.
A reason, a season, a lifetime
A recent LinkedIn News post made a point that many of us know but rarely say out loud: not every mentor is meant to stay in your life forever. Bestselling author Angela Duckworth says some of the most valuable relationships in your career may be temporary, and she puts mentors into three categories:
- A reason: one conversation that changes your thinking
- A season: guidance for a few months
- A lifetime: a relationship that lasts
It’s a freeing idea. We often picture mentoring as one wise figure guiding us for decades, and when that doesn’t happen we assume we’ve missed out. But the single coffee that reframed a problem counts. So does the person who got you through a first leadership role or a restructure and then quietly stepped back. Lifetime mentors are precious, but they’re rare, and they usually start out as a reason or a season.
So the question isn’t “who will be my mentor?” It’s “what do I need right now?” Put that way, finding a mentor feels much less daunting.
This term is a season
The last few months of the year fit a season mentor well. There’s enough time for real progress and a natural end point to aim for. Something like three or four conversations between now and December:
- September/October: agree what “finishing well” means to you this year.
- November: check your progress, notice where you’re stuck, and adjust.
- December: reflect, celebrate what went well, and take your learning into the new year.
And if one conversation is all you have time for, a “reason” mentor is still worth it.
Come prepared
Duckworth also has advice for anyone looking for a mentor: “Come prepared, ask thoughtful questions, and don’t let a few ‘no’s’ stop you.”
It’s the kind of advice a good teacher gives at the start of term. Before you reach out, be clear about what you’d like help with, even if it’s just one question. Think about what you want to leave the conversation with. And if the first person you ask can’t make the time, don’t take it personally. Ask someone else.
Your membership includes mentoring
This is one of the most valuable parts of being a Learning Network member, and one of the most used. Members can connect with experienced practitioners across learning, development and people practice, people who have been where you are and are happy to share what they’ve learned.
If you’ve been meaning to use it, take this as your back-to-school nudge. And if you’ve been mentored before, think about whether you could be someone else’s reason or season this year.
The year isn’t over yet. There’s still a whole term left, so make it count.
Sign up to mentoring here: https://thelearning-network.org/mentoring/