Human beings are structured to blossom and flourish when they exist in the midst of others important to them. For instance, in the ancient Greek myths, we were told that for the goddess of wisdom, Athena, to guide the son of Odysseus, Telemachus, when he was in need, she took the form of a Mentor, an old family friend of Odysseus’. (Odysseus had left home in order to fight the Trojan War.) This is the origin of the term Mentoring.
It is first and foremost an intentional process, so does not happen by accident. It is also a nurturing process, the major aim being to fully develop a protégé or protégés to his/her/their full potential. Also importantly, it is a process that provides insight. The beneficiary/protégé/mentee is provided an opportunity to gain access to the wisdom and experiences of the mentor.
Today, mentoring as an activity continues to gain increasing popularity in organizations, communities, societies, institutions, etc. because mentors have been observed to play very critical roles in human, process(es), and business development. Caffarella (1992) defined mentoring as an “intense caring relationship in which persons with more experience work with less experienced persons to promote both professional and personal development” (p. 38).
You may want to ask the question: why the need for mentoring?
The benefits associated with it are numerous. Specifically, within the workplace, mentoring is one sure way of helping employees nurture and finesse their skills and capabilities. It can also help strengthen relationships: employee-employee, employee-employer, subordinate-superior, etc. The obvious beneficiary of mentoring would normally be considered to be the mentee, but in retrospect it has been discovered by writers and researchers alike that the process is usually a two-way relationship, providing ample benefits to both mentee and mentor. While the mentee develops a well-rounded self-concept of him/herself – with increased self-esteem and efficacy, the mentor gains great learning as well.
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In more specific terms, the benefits include:
For the mentee – better improved skills, greater productivity, higher self-confidence, and imbibed self-motivation.
For the mentor – a higher sense of value and relevance, avenues for exhibiting and developing leadership skills, personal satisfaction, and opportunity to contribute to professional discipline.
Different kinds and forms have been identified. There are developmental and sponsorship mentoring. However, the book Elements of Effective Practice detailed five different types of mentoring – traditional one-on-one mentoring, e-Mentoring, peer mentoring, group mentoring, and team mentoring.
One-on-One Mentoring
This type takes place between one adult and one youth.
E-Mentoring
It is basically the online version of the traditional one-on-one mentoring. It is also referred to as online mentoring or telementoring. The mentor and mentee connect over the internet to interact or discuss issues, and the mentor also helps to guide the mentee with any project at hand.
Peer Mentoring
With the peer mentoring, youth mentors are provided the chance to be positive role models to younger ones.
Group Mentoring
There is a mentor-mentee relationship between one adult and a group of youths. The mentor or adult takes on the role of a leader and creates avenues for meeting with the group over a certain period of time. During these times, they will interact and engage in activities that ensure the participation of the group.
Team Mentoring
This is a type of mentoring that sees to a number of adults working with small sized groups of youths to establish a relationship.
Whether it is the online or the team, or traditional mentoring, the activities involved can take different form, it could be teaching, formal or even fun and playful. The type of mentoring offered would, to a large extent, guide and/or influence the kind of program, the duration and the goals to be achieved.
While much is said about the benefits of a mentoring program, it is without a doubt that the success of any program depends largely on the mentor. A good mentor must possess enviable qualities that would invoke the genuine interest and willingness of the mentee. A good Mentor must:
- Value the opinions of others
- Be willing to share his/her knowledge and expertise
- Show respect for persons and be respected by others
- Be enthusiastic
- Act accordingly and be a positive role model
- Be actively interested and involved in the program
- Share constructive criticisms
- Be self-motivated in setting and meeting goals
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Here are also some skills that a good mentor cannot be seen to lack
Open mindedness
Considered a key skill, a mentor should have and keep an open mind. As noted earlier, the mentoring process is beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee, therefore a mentor should not be inflexible in his own values and perspectives, but should accommodate diverse ways of thinking.
Listening
While a good number of people can hear, only a few actually listen. A good mentor must belong to these few. There are two types of listening: active and passive. An active listener is able to fully engage the other party, and exhibits good use of body language or non-verbal cues. Both mentor and mentee should be active listeners.
Inquisitiveness
Asking questions fosters learning. A good mentor must possess positive curiosity, and display tact and wisdom in asking questions.
Honesty
As difficult as it may seem, a good mentor cannot be shady or dishonest in any way or manner.
Self-awareness
Because you cannot give what you do not have, a good mentor must first possess a clear, precise and true picture of him/herself. Only then can positive help and guidance be provided for the mentee.
An effective mentoring program has to be designed to progress through three (3) stages. Each stage is a pre-requisite for the other and has responsibilities to be fulfilled by both parties – mentor and mentee.
Exploration
This is the stage where the listening (active listening) skill of a good mentor comes to fore. The mentor at this stage is expected to be able to provide information as may be required by the mentee. This is also the stage for asking questions, and guiding the mentee into making better judgments.
New Understanding
The exploration stage might involve the revelation of new ideas, thinking patterns, or points of view for both the mentor and the mentee. The role of the mentor here is to be able to embrace new understanding of such revelations and guide the mentee into doing same.
Action
After a new understanding has been reached, what then are the actions or next steps to be taken? Important for the mentor at this stage is to constantly remember that the process is not solely about imposing views or decisions on the mentee, but about guiding the mentee through making his or her own decisions and implementing them. Courses of action which have been agreed on should also be duly monitored for progress and feedback.
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The Differences Between Coaching & Mentoring
More often than not, coaching and mentoring have been used interchangeably and assumed to mean the same thing. However, they are not. Some pointers to their differences include:
Orientation – while it is purely relationship oriented, coaching is more tasks centered.
Duration – the program is usually a long term process and activity, while coaching is basically short term.
Purpose – is built on enhancing the development of the beneficiary. The purpose of coaching, on the other hand, is to drive performance.
Structure – mentoring is long term, therefore, it is strategic. It requires good design for proper execution. But because coaching is usually a short term process, it can be executed almost spontaneously.
In every form and type, ensuring the development of the mentee is a major aim, the focal purpose of the mentoring program is also determined by the mentee. With a complete willingness to participate in the mentoring process, the mentee must utilize effectively the guidance, knowledge, and experiences provided by the mentor in identifying key issues and resolving them.
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