Closing and Celebration

What it is

Look back, name it, say thanks. Your mentee marks each goal, names what they gained and writes a note of thanks.

When to send it

Send it before the last meeting. A planned ending lets you both see what changed and part on good terms.

• Before the last meetinga week ahead is enough
• The end of a programwhen the matching closes
• One of you moves ona new role, a new city

Filling it in

Fifteen minutes, three steps. Mark your goals, name the best moments, then write your next steps and thanks.

1. Mark each goalAchieved, partly or not yet.
2. Name moments and gainsA meeting you remember and what you take away.
3. Next steps and a thank-youWrite what comes next and a note of thanks.

Reading the answers

Read the gains before the results. What they gained often lasts longer than the goals they reached.

• Goals achievedand the ones partly there
• What they gaineda skill, a habit, a contact, a view
• Their next stepswhat carries on without you

Questions to ask

Ask for the story, not the score. People who ask follow-up questions are liked more (Huang and others, 2017).

• Which moment would you tell a friend about?then: why that one?
• What will you keep doing on your own?then: what could get in the way?
• Do you want to stay in touch, and how?then: how often feels right?

Why it works

A planned ending lets you both see what changed and part on good terms. The MENTOR practice guide treats the ending as part of the relationship.

Sources

• MENTOR (2025). Elements of Effective Practice, 5th edition. Endings: element 12.

How a tool works on Mentornity

1. 1The mentor picks a tool from the library and sends it with a short message.
2. 2The mentee fills it in step by step; the answers are saved as they go.
3. 3Both see the answers, comment on any part and agree the next steps.
4. 4Only the two of them see the answers, not the program admins.

Guides for both sides

• Closing and Celebration for MentorsFor mentors and coaches: when to send Closing and Celebration, how to read the answers, which questions to ask and how to end on a good note.
• Closing and Celebration for MenteesFor mentees and coachees: what Closing and Celebration is, how to fill it in, where to find it and what happens at your last meeting.

More tools: Working together

• Working Agreement15 min

  Agree on goals, a meeting rhythm and a few ground rules early on. You both know what to expect.

• Relationship Check-in3 min

  Four quick ratings on how your work together is going. Repeat it every month or so to see the trend.

All tools →