Questions bank

Your role as a PAL is to help your mentee develop skills, solve problems, and grow professionally. Asking the right questions can encourage self-reflection, critical thinking, and ownership over their development.

You are not there to provide answers but rather to ask the right questions that guide mentees toward self-discovery and growth.

Use these questions to facilitate meaningful discussions, challenge your mentee’s thinking, and empower them to take control of their professional development.

Goal-setting & Career development

These questions help mentees define their aspirations and set actionable goals.

• What are your long-term career goals, and how do you see this mentorship helping you achieve them?

• If you could master any new skill this year, what would it be and why?

• What does success look like for you in your current role?

• What’s one professional milestone you want to achieve in the next six months?

• How do you currently measure your progress toward your goals?

• Are there any skills or competencies you feel are holding you back?

• What kind of projects or experiences would help accelerate your growth?

• Have you identified any role models in your field? What do you admire about them?

• What is one strength you have that you want to leverage more in your career?

• Where do you see yourself in five years, and what do you need to do to get there?

Overcoming Challenges & Problem-Solving

These questions help mentees work through obstacles and think critically about solutions.

• What’s the biggest challenge you’re currently facing at work?

• How have you approached similar challenges in the past?

• What are some possible solutions you’ve considered?

• Who else on your team might have insights that could help?

• What would success look like if this challenge were fully resolved?

• What’s stopping you from taking action right now?

• How can I support you in overcoming this challenge?

• If there were no limitations (e.g., time, budget), how would you solve this problem?

• What’s one small step you could take today to make progress?

• What have you learned from past mistakes that might help in this situation?

Receiving & Applying feedback

Encouraging mentees to be open to feedback and use it constructively.

• What feedback have you received recently, and how did you respond to it?

• How comfortable are you with receiving constructive criticism?

• Have you ever received feedback you disagreed with? How did you handle it?

• What’s one piece of feedback you received that helped you improve?

• How do you prefer to receive feedback—immediately, in private, in writing, etc.?

• What steps do you take after receiving feedback to implement changes?

• How do you handle situations where feedback feels vague or unclear?

• What feedback would you like to receive from me about your progress?

• What’s an area where you’d like more structured guidance?

• Have you ever given constructive feedback to someone else? How did it go?

Communication & Collaboration

Helping mentees improve teamwork, interpersonal skills, and workplace interactions.

• How would you describe your communication style?

• What strategies do you use when working with teammates who have different work styles?

• Have you ever faced a miscommunication issue at work? How did you handle it?

• How do you approach giving constructive feedback to peers?

• What’s one thing you could do to improve your collaboration skills?

• How do you ensure alignment with your manager and teammates on projects?

• How do you typically handle conflict in the workplace?

• What do you do when you feel unheard in a meeting or discussion?

• How do you adapt your communication style for different audiences?

• What’s one way you could be a better listener?

Confidence & Growth mindset

Encouraging mentees to push past self-doubt and build resilience.

• What’s a recent accomplishment that made you feel proud?

• When have you felt most confident in your abilities?

• What’s holding you back from stepping outside your comfort zone?

• How do you handle imposter syndrome when it arises?

• What’s one way you can shift your mindset when facing setbacks?

• Can you think of a time when failure led to growth?

• How do you define personal and professional success?

• What’s one skill you want to improve but haven’t started working on yet?

• How do you typically respond to stress or high-pressure situations?

• What’s one way you can reframe challenges as opportunities for learning?

Time management & Productivity

Helping mentees develop better work habits and efficiency.

• How do you currently prioritise your workload?

• What’s your biggest time management challenge?

• What techniques do you use to stay focused and minimise distractions?

• How do you balance deep work with reactive tasks like emails and meetings?

• What strategies help you meet deadlines without last-minute stress?

• How do you decide what tasks to delegate or say no to?

• What’s one productivity habit that has worked well for you?

• How do you structure your day for maximum efficiency?

• How do you track and measure your productivity?

• What’s one small change that could help you work more effectively?

Leadership & Ownership

Encouraging mentees to take initiative and develop leadership skills.

• What does leadership mean to you, and how do you embody it in your role?

• Have you ever led a project or initiative? What did you learn?

• How do you motivate yourself when working on a challenging task?

• What’s one way you can take more ownership in your current role?

• How do you encourage others to contribute their ideas in meetings?

• What qualities do you admire in strong leaders?

• How do you handle decision-making when faced with uncertainty?

• How do you mentor or support colleagues who are less experienced than you?

• What’s one leadership habit you’d like to develop?

• How do you advocate for yourself and your ideas in a group setting?