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10 Jul 25 How to Run a Mid-Year Health Check for Your Mentoring Programme

Posted at 09:44h in General Mentoring by

Introduction to Running a Mid-Year Health Check for Your Mentoring Programme

July is often a quieter time for mentoring programmes. With summer breaks in full swing (or, just around the corner) and fewer new intakes, it’s a valuable moment to pause, reflect, and refresh your approach.

A simple mid-year health check can help you assess what’s working well, identify opportunities for improvement and set your programme up for even greater success in the second half of the year.

Whether you run a university, corporate, or charity-led mentoring programme, this guide gives you a clear structure to reflect on your progress.

 

Why Do a Mid-Year Check-In?

Taking stock in July can:

  • Highlight what’s working well (and what needs tweaking)
  • Give mentors and mentees a chance to feedback while the experience is fresh
  • Help you plan any changes ahead of the autumn intake
  • Keep stakeholders informed and engaged

Plus, it helps you be proactive rather than reactive. A quick review now can prevent bigger challenges later.

 

7 Key Areas to Review in Your Mid-Year Mentoring Health Check

  1. Participation and Engagement
    Ask yourself:
  • Are mentors and mentees attending sessions consistently?
  • Are communications timely and clear?
  • Are participants still engaged, or has energy dropped?

If you’re using a mentoring platform like sfG MentorNet, check engagement stats. If not, consider a quick evaluation form to capture the mood.

 

  1. Matching Success
  • Are mentor/mentee pairs well aligned?
  • Have you had any re-matching requests?
  • What feedback have you received about compatibility or fit?

Even informal conversations with participants can give you key insights here.

 

  1. Onboarding & Training
  • Did your training sessions (if any) set participants up for success?
  • Are mentors confident in their role?
  • Do mentees know what to expect?

If you’re seeing confusion or misaligned expectations, consider refreshing your onboarding materials.

 

  1. Goal Progress & Outcomes
  • Are mentees making progress on their initial goals?
  • Are mentors offering practical, actionable support?
  • Do participants feel the mentoring relationship is useful?

Collecting informal testimonials or stories at this stage can help measure impact beyond just attendance.

 

  1. Communication & Admin
  • Are check-ins happening regularly?
  • Are reminders and updates being sent on time?
  • Is your current system easy to manage?

If you’re spending more time chasing emails than supporting people, it might be time to explore automation or mentoring-specific platforms.

 

  1. Feedback Channels
  • Do mentors and mentees have a way to share feedback?
  • Have any red flags or concerns been raised?
  • Are you closing the loop on feedback when it’s given?

Open communication keeps programmes healthy. Even a one-question check-in can offer useful insights.

 

  1. Planning Ahead
  • Do you have clear dates for your next cohort/intake?
  • Are you planning any changes to format, structure or expectations?
  • Are there opportunities to try something new?

Being strategic now helps you get ahead of a busy autumn.

Final Thoughts

Mid-year is a great time to reflect on what’s going well and where you can make mentoring even more impactful. You don’t need fancy tools to make progress, just a little space to ask the right questions.

If you’re curious how a platform like sfG MentorNet could help streamline admin and capture meaningful feedback along the way, we’re always happy to chat.

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