What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is when an experience person shares his or her experience, knowledge or wisdom about the profession or workplace with someone whom has less experience. This mentoring may happen formally or informally.
When done
informally, the mentoring relationship may be unstructured and casual. The mentor may be more of a listener or sounding board. When done
formally, the mentee and mentor agree to an ongoing, planned partnership that focuses on helping the mentee reach specific goals over a designated period of time. The length of the mentoring relationship is determined by the mentee and mentor.
Mentoring can occur face-to-face, by telephone, through e-mail or by using any other communication medium. Some believe that mentoring works best when the mentoring pair can meet face-to-face, but since a mentor and mentee may not be in the same geographic region, that is not always possible.
A mentor is... It is important to note that a mentor enters this relationship voluntarily and is not paid. Mentors are not therapists or life coaches. They are caring individuals, who are committed, responsible and a good listeners. They have experience and wisdom to share and are willing to do so.
How do mentees and mentors find each other? A person may find a suitable mentor at his or her place of work, through an industry association, at a workshop or networking event, or through a service that matches mentees and mentors (such as CLRC's mentoring service). Both the mentee and mentor must to agree to enter in the mentoring relationship.
A mentoring relationship will work best if there are clear expectations about:
- Goals of the mentoring relationship
- The amount and type of contact between a mentee and mentor
- Confidentiality
- Expectations of the mentee and mentor
The mentee and mentor should spend time at the start of their relationship discussing these and any other concerns that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the mentoring relationship is productive.
What are the benefits of a mentoring relationship? Mentees report that they:
- Learn things that were not covered in school.
- Gain a better understanding of their organization or industry.
- Acquire insights and guidance that help them perform their jobs better.
Mentors report that they:
- Understand better their own professional practice after explaining it to their mentees
- Felt challenged to clearly articulate tacit knowledge
- Gained immense satisfaction in teaching others and watching them grow professionally
- Acquired a fresh perspective on their profession from their mentees
When does a mentoring relationship end? A mentoring relationship can last for weeks, months, or years. The relationship may end gracefully when the mentee has reached a specific goal or abruptly if the mentee's (or mentor's) life circumstances changes. Although not necessary, it is good if a mentoring relationship ends with a sense of closure for both the mentee and mentor.
For information on mentoring services available in the region, contact CLRC at (315) 446-5446.
Posted on 07/15/08