How does mentoring work?

The Mentor’s role.

The relationship between Mentor and Mentee is very much Mentee-centred – focusing on their professional and personal development. It may include the giving of advice, information, establishing facts, signposting, self-appraisal, etc. Whatever the techniques, the emphasis is on enabling and empowering the Mentee to take charge of their development and their environment. To allow this transition the importance of interpersonal skills is essential. These skills include listening effectively, empathy, understanding a non-judgemental approach and the ability to facilitate through skilled questioning.

The role of the Mentor is to:

Listen, question, to elicit facts, to give information, knowledge about organisation/occupation and informal networks.                       Give advice on career development.                                                          Offer different perspectives.                                                                  Offer support and encouragement.                                                              Draw on own experience when appropriate.                                      Confront and discuss current issues.                                                                 Take the lead and make decisions in the early stages of the relationship and to encourage the Mentee to:

Listen, clarify understanding, share thinking, review and reflect on oneself, change assumptions, consider different perspectives, develop and manage a career plan, take responsibility for their own development, make decisions to maximise the outcomes of the Mentoring relationship.

The Mentee’s role;                                                                                    The relationship between Mentor and Mentee is very much Mentee-centred. The Mentee is expected to take ownership and drive the relationship, drawing on the Mentor’s knowledge and experience as required. The Mentee is expected to be open, honest and receiving to enable and empower the Mentor to talk openly and honestly in order to assist the Mentee to take charge of their development and their environment.

To allow this transition the importance of interpersonal skills is essential. These skills include effective verbal communication, listening, questioning and understanding in order to extract and use the required information from the Mentor.

The role of the Mentee is to:                                                        Communicate their circumstances clearly, concisely and honestly.

Question where they do not fully understand or comprehend. Provide information, knowledge about organisation/occupation and career to aid their Mentor with the provision of advice and support.

Act upon advice on career development,                                                 Accept differing perspectives,                                                               Accept support and encouragement,                                                     Provide own experience to aid discussions,                                         Take the lead, guide and make decisions – when the relationship is established.

The Mentoring relationship;

The Mentoring relationship can be a very powerful and positive experience. It enables and develops a greater sense of confidence, enhancing the professional and personal skills of both parties. To make sure the experience/relationship is a success, a number of factors need to be addressed.

Factors for success: There are a number of factors which will contribute towards a successful relationship between Mentor and Mentee.

Clear guidelines for the roles and responsibilities of both parties.

Agreed and shared understanding of the nature and type of support.

Commitment towards the principles and values of the Mentoring scheme.

The skills of both the Mentor and Mentee.

Clear communication in both directions.

Clear communication is the cornerstone on which all the other factors sit. It is through constructive and empathetic dialogue the relationship can develop allowing both parties to bring forward their ideas, enter discussions and maintain professional development.

It is within this environment both parties can flourish. To allow clear communication we can consider activities, tasks, strategies and skills that can be utilised.

Activities; The following are only a suggestion of activities that Mentors and Mentees may take part in.

An initial contracting meeting,                                                            Work shadowing,                                                                              Review discussions,                                                                         Making use of a learning log,                                                                  Building a portfolio or record of achievement,                                                         Personal support .

Reviewing the relationship; The following are tasks which the Mentor may use to varying extents depending on the relationship and circumstances:

Negotiating and agreeing,                                                                Identifying needs,                                                                            Observing,                                                                                     Recording,                                                                                          Giving and receiving feedback,                                                           Assessing,                                                                                      Advising,                                                                                        Providing information,                                                                        Problem-solving,                                                                                 Target-setting,                                                                              Clarification of strategies and actions, Challenge,                                                        Evaluating,  

                                                                                   The Mentee should ensure that they provide commitment to the following tasks:

Identifying issues or situations,                                                                    Questioning,                                                                                Discussing,                                                                                            Note taking,                                                                                       Action planning,                                                                            Researching,                                                                                        Task completion,                                                                        Evaluating.

Selecting and using strategies for supporting the Mentee;

There are different ways a Mentee can be supported, encouraged and given constructive feedback.                                         With each strategy, it is important to be aware of its purpose, appropriateness, the likely impact and its value to the Mentee.

Strategies can include: Giving advice – offering the Mentee your opinion on the best course of action. Giving information – giving information on a specific situation (e.g. contact for resource). Taking action in support – doing something on the Mentee’s behalf. Observing and giving feedback – work shadowing and observation by either or both parties. Observation coupled with constructive feedback is a powerful learning tool. Reviewing – reflection on experience can develop understanding allowing one to consider future needs, explore options and strategies.                                                                           

The selection of strategies can be guided by a number of factors, such as: Values and principles underpinning the Mentoring scheme – in this case, encouraging self-sufficiency and empowerment.

Shared understanding between Mentee and Mentor of the purpose behind the Mentoring relationship.                                             

Quality and level of the professional relationship,                                   Level of experience and needs of the Mentee,                                                Level of Mentor’s own awareness and comfort with the Mentoring process.

Mentoring is an empowering experience for the Mentee.                             It is therefore vital that the strategies chosen encourage the Mentee towards autonomy.

The Mentee is expected to negotiate the forms of support needed at the initial contracting stage. By making use of processes that are self-helping such as learning logs, self review journals, reviewing meetings and feedback.                                                                       The relationship can be used to develop skills for both parties and is dependent on clear communication.                                                               This all-important communication can benefit from analysing a number of key skills, active listening and questioning.

Above all the relationship has to be built around trust; Trust is given at initiation of relationships and it is only after working together can the right to maintain trust be earned.

How to select the right mentor to work with; Recommendations and referrals are important but not so much as getting to know the person or people you may wish to work with. An investment of the Mentees time to research, ask questions and spend time with potential Mentors/Coaches is vital in ensuring that there is compatibility and shared values.

Talk to people they have worked with; Ask for feedback, prepare some strong questions to reveal how they operate, how beneficial it was working with them. Establish what their strengths are and what they have helped to achieve and over what period.

knowledge and experience is crucial when selecting who to work with; Establish the credentials of the Mentor/Coach through learning what experience they have in both mentorship delivery and success and failure in the subjects they are to support you with. Experience is knowledge and it is preferable to work with someone that has experienced what you are experiencing and can share their wisdom and knowledge.

Invest in yourself; The number one answer to this question - looking back, what would you have done differently at an earlier stage of your businesses development?

Engage with a Coach or Mentor.!