Design, launch and run a workplace mentoring programme with every step and file ready
A complete toolkit for L&D managers, training coordinators and academy leads: the method, the workbook, the forms, the guides and the exact words, from purpose and sponsor to matching, check-ins, closing and an honest impact report.
- A 10-chapter e-book teaching an eight-stage programme method, with one composite programme running through every chapter
- The Mentoring Programme Manager: a 13-sheet Excel workbook with applications, a weighted matching matrix with conflict checks, pairs with meeting-due flags and pair health, goals, check-ins, issues, outcomes, budget and a dashboard
- 5 fillable PDF forms and 7 Word templates, including 42 messages and scripts, 80 mentoring questions by goal, mentor and mentee guides and 29 AI prompts
- A Start Here map, 3 more cheat sheets including dated country notes on data and AI, a 62-event programme calendar and a 38-task CSV
Mentoring Programme in a Box · Bodhih Pro Kits · 85 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do you set up a mentoring programme at work?
Start with a purpose and a senior sponsor, then design the length, rhythm, eligibility and confidentiality rules. Recruit mentors first, match pairs on goals and experience with a person making the final call, brief both sides, and support pairs with check-ins and a no-fault exit. Mentoring Programme in a Box from Bodhih Training gives you a file for each step.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to Start a Mentoring Program at Work: A Step-by-Step Guide.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
The scheme that quietly faded
Pairs were introduced over coffee, a cheerful email went out, and by month three only a handful were still meeting. Nobody knew which ones, or why the rest stopped.
Matching by gut
Pairs get chosen from who knows whom, late at night, with no record of why. Some matches are inspired; others put a mentee with their manager's closest colleague.
Mentors who tell and mentees who wait
Without a briefing, experienced mentors default to advice and mentees wait to be led. The meetings are pleasant and change very little.
Nobody can say if it worked
When the sponsor asks for results, there is a headcount of pairs and a few warm anecdotes. Or worse, a retention claim built on twelve people that nobody believes.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Picture the morning a leader asks for 'a mentoring programme by July'. Instead of starting with a form, you open the design document and write the purpose in three sentences: the problem, the people, the outcome. By lunchtime you have a type, a one-line 'what it is not', and a sponsor request ready to send from the message library.
Now it is matching night. As you enter options on the Matching Matrix, each pairing is scored on goals, experience, time zone, preference and format, the conflict check flags a line manager link, and the rank shows the best option for every mentee. You make the decisions yourself and write one line of reason for each. The announcement emails are already drafted.
Imagine the Monday after the mid-point check-ins. You open the Dashboard and see two Red pairs and one Amber. Ten minutes later the Amber pair has a friendly nudge and both Red pairs have calls booked, with the no-fault script beside you. Nothing has drifted unnoticed.
And then the close. Pairs hold proper final conversations, mentors are thanked by name, and the sponsor reads a one-page summary that leads with participation, goal progress and stories, with comparisons shown as signals and their limits stated. When the sponsor asks about cohort two, the lessons are already written down.
20 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
Mentoring Programme in a Box (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: mentoring programme map
The whole job as eight stages with the file to open at each, your first hour, a 30/60/90 day use plan and links to measure your starting point.
Mentoring Programme Manager workbook
13-sheet workbook: settings and matching weights, applications register, weighted matching matrix with conflict checks and best-match rank, pairs register with meeting-due flags and pair health, session log, goal tracker, check-in results, issues and rematch log, training readiness, outcomes comparison, budget and a dashboard with a pair health chart.
Mentee and mentor application forms
Fillable pack: a mentee application (goals, what you want from a mentor, preferences, availability, line manager conversation) and a mentor application (experience, areas you can help with, capacity, commitment).
Mentoring agreement and first meeting guide
Fillable pack: the mentoring agreement (goals, rhythm, confidentiality and its limits, boundaries, no-fault exit, signatures), a timed 60-minute first meeting guide, and first meeting notes.
Mentoring session record
Fillable record for every meeting: preparation, focus, what was explored, insights, actions, a usefulness rating and the next meeting, plus a reflection page between sessions.
Mid-point review
Fillable review for the half-way meeting: goal progress, relationship check, what to keep and change, and a clear decision to continue, reset or close with no fault.
Closing reflection and next steps
Fillable pack for the end of the relationship: mentee reflection with goal ratings, mentor reflection, and the closing conversation with next steps and a development plan.
Programme design document and sponsor proposal
Editable Word template in two parts: a full programme design document (purpose, type, eligibility, design choices, matching, training, support, evaluation, risks) and a two-page sponsor proposal ready to send.
Mentor guide and mentee guide
Two ready-to-send participant guides in one Word file: what mentoring is, roles, the six-month rhythm, the first meeting, good questions and listening, confidentiality, problems and endings, each about four pages.
Mentoring message library
42 ready-to-edit messages and scripts in 7 groups: sponsor asks and updates, launch and invitations, match announcements, briefings, nudges and check-ins, mismatches and no-fault exits, closing thanks, celebration and the next cohort.
Mentoring programme policy one-pager
A one-page mentoring programme policy your organisation can adopt: purpose, eligibility, time, confidentiality and its limits, conflicts of interest, data and AI, ending, and review.
Mentoring question bank by goal
80 mentoring questions in 10 sections: opening and goal setting, eight goal areas (from leading a team to settling into a new role) and mid-point and closing questions, each with when it helps.
Worked example pack: the Rise mentoring programme
The main forms and decisions completed for one composite programme and one pair, from purpose and sponsor proposal to matching, agreement, sessions, mid-point review, a no-fault close and the impact summary.
AI prompt pack for mentoring programmes
29 tool-agnostic prompts grouped by stage, from purpose and sponsor proposal to matching, training, sessions, programme health and evaluation, each with what to paste in and what to check before you use the output.
Mentor and mentee pocket card
One page for participants: a five-step meeting, ten questions that work in almost any meeting, listening habits, the mentee's part, and confidentiality and its limits.
Programme decision card and country notes (October 2026)
Twenty if-this-then-that moments for the programme lead, three checks before any decision about a pair, and dated country notes on data and AI rules.
Mentoring programme mistakes to avoid
Fifteen mistakes that sink mentoring programmes with what to do instead and the file that helps, plus five AI mistakes.
6-month mentoring programme calendar
62 calendar events for one cohort: six weeks of design, recruitment, matching and briefings, the six-month run with check-ins, mid-point and sponsor updates, then closing, evaluation and the cohort 2 decision. Each event names the file to open.
Mentoring launch task board import
38 programme tasks as a CSV ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira, with stage, week, owner, file to open and due date.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + printable PDF + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 20 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 66 pages
- Workbook
- 13-sheet programme manager with sample data, formulas, weighted matching and a dashboard
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, GoodNotes, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner, Jira
- Best for
- Organisations, academies and professional bodies running one-to-one, reverse, peer or group mentoring for about 5 to 100 pairs, in any country and currency
Mentoring as a Programme, Not a Kind Idea
Why mentoring needs to run as a programme, what the research says, and the eight-stage method on one page.
Purpose First: What Kind of Mentoring?
Naming the problem, the people and the outcome, choosing the type of mentoring, and separating mentoring from coaching and sponsorship.
Designing the Programme and Winning a Sponsor
Seven design decisions, the true budget including time, a sponsor with specific asks, and a one-page policy.
Recruiting Mentors and Mentees
Recruiting mentors first, reaching beyond the usual volunteers, and application forms that feed the matching.
Matching with a Score and a Human
Five weighted criteria, mentee input, conflict checks and a person who decides, with a worked match.
Preparing Mentors and Mentees
A 90-minute mentor briefing, a 60-minute mentee briefing, a joint launch and a readiness check.
The Agreement and the First Meeting
A 60-minute first meeting, a working agreement, and confidentiality and its limits said out loud.
Sessions, Goals and Development Plans
A five-step meeting, questions by goal, goals with a baseline, recall between meetings and the step to a development plan.
Keeping Pairs Healthy: Check-ins, Mismatches and No-Fault Exits
Pair health from four warning signs, short check-ins, calls for Red pairs, no-fault exits, rematches and the mid-point review.
Mentoring Across Borders, Online and With AI
Virtual and cross-border mentoring, culture and inclusion, and where AI helps and where a person must decide.
Closing Well, Measuring Impact and Scaling
Closing conversations, honest evaluation with Kirkpatrick, Phillips, Brinkerhoff and LTEM, careful comparisons and scaling to cohort two.
The Programme You Now Own
What you now have, the three habits to keep, and your first hour.
How the Matching Score Works
The matching formula criterion by criterion, with a worked calculation.
Programme Measures, Defined
Plain definitions of the programme measures, matched to the workbook.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
E-book
- Mentoring Programme in a Box: 10 chapters, 2 appendices and 6 hand-drawn figures, about 9,900 words (PDF)
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Mentoring-Programme-Map: the job as eight stages with the file to open at each, your first hour and a 30/60/90 day use plan
Spreadsheet
- Mentoring Programme Manager workbook (13 sheets): Start here, Settings, Applications, Matching Matrix, Pairs, Session Log, Goals, Check-ins, Issues and Rematch, Training, Outcomes, Budget, Dashboard, with 25 live measures and a pair health chart
Fillable PDF forms
- Mentee and mentor application forms: goals, what they want from a mentor, preferences, capacity and commitments
- Mentoring agreement and first meeting guide: goals, rhythm, confidentiality and its limits, no-fault exit, a timed 60-minute agenda and notes
- Mentoring session record: preparation, insight, actions, usefulness rating and a between-sessions recall page
- Mid-point review: goal progress, relationship ratings and a clear continue, reset or close decision
- Closing reflection and next steps: mentee and mentor reflections, the closing conversation and a three-step development plan
Word templates
- Programme design document and sponsor proposal: the full design plus a two-page proposal ready to send
- Mentor guide and mentee guide: two ready-to-send participant guides
- Mentoring message library: 42 messages and scripts from the sponsor request to the next cohort announcement
- Mentoring programme policy one-pager your organisation can adopt
- Mentoring question bank by goal: 80 questions in 10 sections, each with when it helps
- Worked example pack: one composite programme and pair shown from purpose to impact summary
- AI prompt pack for mentoring programmes: 29 prompts, each with what to paste in and what to check
Cheat sheets
- Mentor and mentee pocket card: a five-step meeting, ten questions, listening habits and confidentiality limits
- Programme decision card and country notes: twenty if-this-then-that moments plus data and AI notes dated October 2026
- Mentoring programme mistakes to avoid: fifteen programme mistakes and five AI mistakes
Calendar and import
- 6-month mentoring programme calendar (ICS): 62 events for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar
- Mentoring launch task board import (CSV): 38 tasks for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- Write a programme purpose in three sentences and choose the type of mentoring that fits it
- Make the seven core design decisions, budget the true cost including time, and win a sponsor with specific asks
- Recruit mentors first and reach mentees beyond the usual volunteers
- Score possible pairs consistently with weighted criteria and conflict checks, and record a human decision for each
- Run short, practical briefings for mentors and mentees and a launch that ends with first meetings booked
- Set up agreements, goals with a baseline and a session rhythm that keeps pairs meeting
- Spot drifting pairs early with pair health ratings, and handle mismatches with a no-fault exit and a rematch
- Report participation, goal progress, cautious comparisons and success stories in a one-page impact summary
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Mentoring & Sponsorship
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentCoaching Conversation Assessment with a Spoken Round for Managers and Internal Coaches
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentCoaching & Developing Others
Take the assessment →JobularyTurn what you learn into a measured development plan (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 4
Matching by gut has two problems. It is inconsistent: you match differently at 9pm than at 9am. And it tends towards similarity: we pair people who look and sound like each other. The research suggests the wrong kind of similarity is overrated. In a meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin in 2013, Lillian Eby and colleagues found that similarity in values and attitudes was most strongly related to relationship quality, while surface similarity such as gender, race or age had very small effects. Match on goals, experience and values, not on looking alike. Mentee input matters too. Allen, Eby and Lentz found that participants' sense of having input into the process went with better outcomes. A mentee's preference should count, without deciding alone.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | Pair people up and send a welcome email | A purpose in three sentences, seven design decisions, a budget and a named sponsor |
| Matching | Gut feel, or matching people who look alike | Five weighted criteria, mentee input, conflict checks, a rank and a recorded human decision |
| Preparation | A PDF attached to the match email | Mentor and mentee briefings, ready-to-send guides, a pocket card and a readiness check |
| Keeping pairs going | Hope | Meeting-due flags, check-ins, Green, Amber and Red pair health, nudges and a no-fault exit |
| Measuring | A headcount and an overclaimed retention figure | Participation, goal progress, comparisons labelled as signals, and success case interviews |
| Global teams | One country's assumptions | Time zone scoring, any currency, cross-cultural guidance and dated country notes on data and AI |
Made for you if…
- L&D managers asked to 'set up mentoring' with a small team and a short deadline
- Training coordinators and HR-L&D generalists who run development programmes alongside everything else
- Internal trainers and academy leads building leadership pipeline, onboarding or reverse mentoring
- Training providers and professional bodies running mentoring for clients or members
- Organisations with pairs across countries, including India, the UK, the US, the Gulf, Singapore, the Philippines, Africa and Australia
- Anyone relaunching a mentoring scheme that faded out last time
Probably not for you if…
- Anyone looking for legal advice: the kit teaches good practice and points you to your HR team, company policy and local law, with country notes dated October 2026
- Teams that want mentoring software: the workbook runs the programme alongside your email, calendar and survey tools, it does not replace a platform
- Readers wanting general facilitation and coaching templates: The Facilitator's Workbook Kit covers that ground; this kit goes deep on mentoring programmes
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
Your next cohort deserves a programme, not a hopeful email.
Open the Start Here map, type your settings into the Mentoring Programme Manager and write your purpose in three sentences. Whether you start with the e-book this evening or the sponsor proposal tomorrow morning, the first hour is already planned.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own team or clients where the kit says so). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
The Facilitator's Workbook Kit
Facilitation and coaching templates for trainers.
Trainer Toolkits
Ready-to-deliver training programmes with slides and handouts.
AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
Mentoring Programme in a Box: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkHow do I start a mentoring programme at work?
Agree the purpose with a senior sponsor, then decide length, meeting rhythm, eligibility, confidentiality and the role of line managers. Recruit mentors before mentees, match on goals and experience with a person making each decision, brief both sides and support pairs with check-ins. The kit gives each step a chapter and a file.
How do you match mentors and mentees?
Score possible pairs on criteria that fit your purpose, such as goal fit, experience gap, time zone, mentee preference and format, weight them, check conflicts of interest, then let a person decide and record why. Research on protégé perceptions suggests similar values and attitudes matter more than demographic similarity. The Matching Matrix in the workbook does the scoring.
How long should a mentoring programme last?
Six months with meetings every three weeks is a sensible default for a first cohort: long enough for real progress and short enough to hold attention. Onboarding programmes can be shorter and leadership pipeline programmes longer. The Settings sheet lets you change the dates and cadence.
What is the difference between mentoring, coaching and sponsorship?
A mentor shares experience and helps someone grow over time, a coach works on specific goals mostly through questions, and a sponsor uses their influence to advocate for someone's advancement. Chapter 1 explains when a programme needs sponsorship as well as mentoring.
What should a mentoring agreement include?
The mentee's goals, how often and how you will meet, who books, notice to move a meeting, confidentiality and its limits, and how either person can end the pairing early with no fault. The fillable agreement in the kit covers all of these and comes with a timed first meeting guide.
How do I measure whether mentoring worked?
Track participation, check-in scores and goal progress against a baseline, then compare outcomes such as retention or internal moves with a similar group, labelled as signals rather than proof. Interview the most and least successful pairs to learn what helped. The Outcomes sheet adds a caution when groups are small.
How can mentors and programme leads measure their starting point?
AssessAll's Mentoring & Sponsorship assessment and its Coaching & Developing Others assessment are separate products that show where your strengths and gaps are before the programme. The Coaching Conversation Assessment with a Spoken Round adds a spoken practice round for managers and internal coaches.
How do mentees turn what they learn into a development plan?
The closing reflection ends with three next steps. Jobulary's individual development plan, a separate product, helps turn those steps into a measured plan the mentee can agree with their line manager.
Can we use AI to match mentors and mentees?
AI can suggest options from anonymised summaries as a second opinion, but a person should decide every match, and confidential information should never go into an unapproved tool. Rules on AI in employment are changing in several countries; the dated country notes list what to check. The prompt pack includes a matching prompt with these safeguards.
Does the kit work outside the UK or US, and in my currency?
Yes. The workbook takes any currency code and time zones as UTC offsets, the examples span Africa, Asia, the Gulf, Europe, Australia and the Americas, and the country notes cover data and AI rules in several regions. It is educational good practice, not legal advice, so check local law with your HR team.
How much does Mentoring Programme in a Box cost?
₹999 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $29 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
