The Mentorship Scheme allows 1 to 1 support in a private environment for those owners that want to get the most from their Tesla products without making their questions public for all to see.
Our main discussion group is excellent and will often be the quickest route to an answer, but it can be somewhat daunting for a new owner to ask specific questions so this is why we also have the Mentorship Scheme, to keep reading to learn how to sign up as a Mentor or a Mentee.
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Two example mentorship pairings, Deryn and Michelle: “…on the very day she collected her MS at WD she came right round to me and we had a lovely time exploring what her car could do. I can really recommend this programme.” Mike and Ross met at a local pub: “Our two cars got some attention from other customers at the pub”
Week 1) Get to know each other
Message your mentor/mentee to introduce yourself, share why you joined this mentorship program and what you hope to achieve. Talk about how you prefer to communicate and what your schedule is like. This is a great time to share any special needs you have (like time or technology restraints) or any other details that will help make this mentorship more successful.
When you meet (either in person or virtually), tell your mentor/mentee where you’re from, talk about interests, hobbies, professional experience, and share any other personal facts that you feel comfortable talking about. Finally, discuss your goals and why they’re important to you.
Other topics/conversation starters could include:
- Why did you buy your Tesla?
- What Tesla related podcasts/books have you read etc.
- What concerns you the most about ownership
Week 2) Assess your skill level
This week, you and your mentor should assess your current skill level. Are you just getting started? Have you had your Tesla for a while but want to learn more about certain areas of the car or improve specific skills? What were the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?
Do you know about charging etiquette?
Do you know the difference between CHAdeMO and a Rapid Charger?
Do you know how to get the most range out of your Tesla?
Do you know how to reboot your Tesla?
You can both learn a lot from observing each others work directly using photos and videos.
Here are some ways to use images and videos to get better feedback:
- Share photos and videos of your work in this mentorship program (e.g. snap photos of your first successful supercharge / home charge etc)
- Use Facebook Live to record yourself doing so (not for everyone)
- Schedule a video chat on Messenger (possibly uncomfortable for the first 5 seconds but it’s a great way to get to know each other).
Week 3) Setting Goals
Now that you and your mentor have defined your current skill level, it’s time to define your goals and develop a plan to meet them.
Today, set your first concrete goal. After {#} weeks, what do you want to have accomplished?
Then determine how you’ll communicate:
- Will you meet on a regularly scheduled basis or schedule different meeting times each week?
- How will you communicate? You can message each other, schedule a phone call or use video chat.
- What times of day or week are you available?
By the end of this week, you should both feel like you know what your big picture goals and have a rough timeline for when you want to achieve them.
Example goals could be:
- Your first weekend trip away without supercharging
- Your first supercharging trip
- Using a CHAdeMO for the first time
- Your first modification to your car
- Your first trip to Europe
- Perform your first X dance
- Learning the difference between kWh & kW and other charging terminology
- Know what to do when you need to leave your car for 2 weeks whilst you’re on holiday
- Learn how to report an issue with your car to Tesla.
- Learn how to plan a road trip across the country properly.
- Learn how to safely charge via a 3 pin plug.
- Learn 5 in car tricks or websites that show off the Tesla screen
Week 4) Making a plan
Now that you know what you’re working toward, it’s time to create a specific plan to achieve the goals you’ve identified so far.
Document your plan for progress toward your first goal and choose some milestones to help you track your progress. Write down the tasks you need to complete each milestone and when you should accomplish each task. Post your timeline in your mentorship so you can refer back to it.
Schedule check-ins with your mentor to review your progress. This may mean a quick, daily check-in using Messenger or a longer, weekly meeting over video chat.
Week 5) Measuring Success
Now that you’ve started working toward your goal, it’s time to check in and evaluate your progress.
What have you learned? Where can you see improvement? Your mentor will help you celebrate every milestone you’ve completed.
Was anything easier than you expected? Was anything harder than you expected? Were you surprised by any of the challenges?
If you need help with something, ask your mentor! They’ve probably dealt with similar issues before and are here to help you. It might be helpful to write your questions down before your next meeting.
Week 6) Review and adjust
This week, review how you think the mentorship program is going so far. Are the expectations you set around communication working? Do you feel comfortable asking your mentor questions?
This is also a good time to revisit your goals and milestones. Are you ready for a new challenge? Or are you struggling with something? It’s always okay to talk to your mentor about adjusting goals.
Work together to make any adjustments to how you’ll continue to communicate, define and track progress toward your goals.
Guidance for those wanting to be the best Mentor
- Be supportive of all your mentees needs and wants, try to find out what’s holding them back so you can work on solving any concerns.
- If you’re struggling to answer a question use our discussion forums to ask on behalf of your Mentee.
- If your mentee is struggling to think of goals consider creating a list of questions to test their skills or get them to complete a challenge outside of their comfort zone (e.g. travelling to a destination without using the supercharger network).
- Use other resources such as:
Frequently Asked Questions
Guidance for Mentees
It’s pretty easy really, any questions you have about ownership feel free to ask your Mentor about. No question is a silly question.
Ideally, think of some key goals you really want to master and get help with these.
I’m having a problem contacting my Mentor/Mentee.
Be patient you and they will be reminded each week to check in and speak with each other.
I’m having another problem with the Mentor Programme.
Please contact the Education & Community Outreach Coordinator