To improve mentoring, it is important to understanding your partner in the mentoring relationship.  One fun, informative way to better understand each other is to take different types of assessments (i.e., Are you introverted or extroverted?  Task oriented or relationship oriented?). 

HERE ARE SOME (FREE) FUN AND INFORMATIVE ONLINE ASSESSMENTS THAT YOU COULD TAKE AND SHARE RESULTS:

High5 - a free strengths test

Myers-Briggs

A site for all kinds of tests to "Understand who you truly are" (i.e., The Big Five; TypeFinder for the Workplace)

A site that demonstrates the mind’s blindspots and then helps you learn via tests how to make better decisions in life and at work

Cautionary Note:  Keep in mind that such assessments often "type" or categorize people, but everyone can grow or shift their style or change (i.e., I may be task-oriented, but I do realize when traveling to more relationship-oriented cultures, or when on a team with more relationship-oriented people, that I need to be more relationship-oriented myself).  Still, it is helpful to realize more about one another and preferred styles or personality orientations.

IT IS ALSO USEFUL TO ASSESS HOW THE MENTORING RELATIONSHIP IS GOING. 

Here are some starter questions a mentor might introduce into the meeting to see if you both are on the same page:

• Do you feel that you are getting some of the questions that you had answered?
• Is there anything else that you'd like to learn from me or ask me? 
• Should we revisit and talk more about any topic that we already discussed?  

Here are some starter questions that a mentee may ask to assess the mentoring relationship:

• Is there anything more that I need to be doing to respond to what we have been discussing?
• Do you feel that I need to work more on some areas of my professional development given what we've discussed?