Not all companies have formal programs to start a new employee on the right track. Many long term employees entering new jobs may not be afforded a formal program to bring them up to speed. It is necessary in some cases for mentors to self appoint themselves to fill a training gap. It is also important for all of us who need assistance to seek out and appoint our own mentors. Is this some sort… Read More »Part IV – Informal Mentoring
There is a similarity between all mentoring programs whether they are in academia, non-profit, service organizations or industry. It all begins with a cadre of individuals that have the know-how and patience to serve as a mentor and willing participants that understand that they don’t know it all and have a lust for knowledge. To establish a formal program for mentorship in a business, there are threads of conflict that must be resolved before a… Read More »Part III – Formal Mentoring Programs
In addition to the duties of a mentor, the protégé, disciple, apprentice or student being instructed has responsibilities to make mentoring systems work. It may seem to most people as a top-down arrangement at first glance, but one thing is true in all mentorship programs: The mentee is responsible for making the system work. This is not typically a supervisory/subordinate relationship, but one of partnering to impart wisdom and knowledge to the mentee. Often when… Read More »Part II – The Art of Being a Mentee
There are several misconceptions that must be set aside before there can be any analysis of an effective mentor. A mentor is not a friend. In fact, true friendship is much too tolerant for effective mentoring. Mentorship based on a personal relationship alone will not allow either party to openly participate to their mutual benefit. This is also not the buddy system. In summer camp, assigning a buddy could have been seen as a defense… Read More »Part I – The Art of Mentoring
As is true with a number of words thrown around in HR-speak, the word “mentor†has any number of connotations depending on the frame of reference. It is also one of those words that can be a noun when it refers to the person doing it and a verb when it describes what the person is doing. To get down to the basic definition before going to other meanings, the word was originally age and… Read More »Mentoring – Probably Not What You Think It Is