Send the following message to mentors after confirming a pair will be unmatched. Make sure to review the article Taking the right steps for healthy closure before proceeding.
Hi ____,
Thank you for letting me know that you won’t be able to participate this year. I’d like you to know that we have been very appreciative of the time and dedication you have put into being a mentor to [Mentee Name]. This has meant a lot to [Mentee Name] and we’re grateful to have had such a committed mentor.
We ask mentors who must leave the mentoring relationships for whatever reason to send a closure message to their mentee. This is imperative as it helps to prevent our mentees from feeling personally rejected and from harboring any distrust with future mentors. If you need help in writing this email, please feel free to contact me. Some key points this message should include are:
- Reflecting on the past year
- Highlight a strength you saw your mentee develop.
- Point out a time where they handled a difficult situation well.
- Highlight an accomplishment of theirs.
- Share with them something you learned from them.
- Express disappointment that you won’t be able to continue as their mentor.
- Suggest you can no longer mentor because you can’t give time/attention they deserve.
- Encourage mentee to continue working on the goals you two developed with new mentor.
Please send this email to [Mentee Name] within the next week. Also, please let me know as soon as you have sent it so I can begin matching [Mentee Name] with a new mentor. It’s important that we’re able to rematch as soon as possible.
Best,
[Your Name]
