BES! PPAB!

|BES
Mentor|ng An Lssent|a| Leadersh|p Sk|||
Mentor|ng from a Mentors erspect|ve
(Source wwwm|ndtoo|scom)
8ulldlng a hlghperformlng Leam ls a key parL of belng an effecLlve leader And Lhls lncludes helplng
lndlvlduals wlLhln your Leam learn grow and become more effecLlve ln Lhelr [obs whlch ls why
menLorlng ls such an lmporLanL leadershlp sklll

8uL whaL does menLorlng lnvolve? And whaL do you need Lo conslder before seLLlng up menLorlng
relaLlonshlps? ln Lhls arLlcle well hlghllghL some Lhlngs a menLor does and doesnL do and well help
you declde how far menLorlng ls rlghL for you and your Leam
What |s Mentor|ng?

MenLorlng ls a relaLlonshlp beLween Lwo people wlLh Lhe goal of professlonal and personal
developmenL 1he menLor ls usually an experlenced lndlvldual who shares knowledge experlence and
advlce wlLh a less experlenced person or menLee

MenLors become LrusLed advlsers and role models people who have been Lhere and done LhaL
1hey supporL and encourage Lhelr menLees by offerlng suggesLlons and knowledge boLh general and
speclflc 1he goal ls Lo help menLees lmprove Lhelr skllls and hopefully advance Lhelr careers

What are the 8enef|ts of Mentor|ng?

MenLorlng can be rewardlng for you boLh personally and professlonally 1hrough lL noL only can you
bulld a sLronger and more successful Leam buL you can also lmprove your leadershlp and
communlcaLlon skllls learn new perspecLlves and ways of Lhlnklng and galn a sLrong sense of personal
saLlsfacLlon

lor poLenLlal menLees Lhe beneflLs of menLorlng can be huge 1hey geL focused coachlng and Lralnlng
from a skllled knowledgeable and experlenced lndlvldual and Lhey also geL asslsLance and advlce ln
navlgaLlng Lhe many Lrlcky slLuaLlons LhaL can arlse ln Lhe workplace 1hls can help Lhem work more
effecLlvely overcome obsLacles and break Lhrough blockages LhaL would oLherwlse slow or sLall Lhelr
careers

8uL even lf you undersLand Lhe beneflLs of menLorlng and lL sounds llke a greaL ldea you have Lo declde
wheLher Lhls sorL of Llmeconsumlng lndepLh relaLlonshlp ls rlghL for you and for Lhe person youre
Lhlnklng of menLorlng lf Lhe menLorlng relaLlonshlp has arlsen lnformally and sponLaneously Lhen Lhe
chances are LhaL Lhlngs are flne Powever lf youre Laklng a more formal approach Lo menLorlng lLs
worLh explorlng your reasons for menLorlng and asklng yourself wheLher you wanL Lo Lake Lhls Lype of
commlLmenL furLher 1o do so ask yourself Lhese quesLlons
O ls menLorlng Lhe besL way of developlng Lhe knowledge skllls and aLLlLudes Lhe poLenLlal
menLee needs? Cr would oLher approaches be qulcker or more effecLlve?
O Pow wlll menLorlng conLrlbuLe Loward your own career goals and Lo Lhe goals of your Leam and
your organlzaLlon?
O ls menLorlng a parLlcular lndlvldual a good use of your Llme? And are you comforLable LhaL youll
be able Lo devoLe Llme Lo hlm or her on a regular basls?
O o you have knowledge skllls and experlence LhaL Lhe menLee ls llkely Lo flnd helpful?
O Pow much personal saLlsfacLlon are you llkely Lo geL from Lhe relaLlonshlp? oes Lhls [usLlfy
your lnvolvemenL? And do you llke Lhe lndlvldual enough Lo wanL Lo lnvesL Llme ln menLorlng
hlm or her on a regular basls?
O ln whaL areas are you wllllng Lo help? Are Lhere any areas LhaL you donL wanL Lo go near?
WhaL ?ou Should Conslder

AlLhough you may wanL Lo [ump rlghL ln wlLh boLh feeL make sure LhaL you also Lhlnk abouL Lhese
pracLlcal conslderaLlons
1 Iorma||ty of approach o you wanL Lo Lake a relaxed ad hoc approach Lo menLorlng
or do you wanL Lo approach sesslons ln a more sLrucLured formal way?
2 Irequency of contact Pow much Llme can you commlL Lo Lhls relaLlonshlp?
4 Can you meeL (however you do LhaL) weekly? 8lweekly? Cnce a monLh?
4 Pow long can you spend ln each meeLlng? Palf an hour? An hour? More?
4 o you wanL Lo be avallable beLween formal sesslons?
3 Method of contact Would you prefer faceLoface meeLlngs phone calls or emalls?
4 Durat|on of partnersh|p o you wanL Lo llmlL Lhe lengLh of Lhe menLorlng
parLnershlp? o you wanL Lo seL regular lnLervals Lo revlew wheLher youre boLh happy
wlLh Lhe relaLlonshlp or do you [usL wanL Lo lnformally revlew progress on an ongolng
basls?
S Conf|dent|a||ty Pow wlll you approach confldenLlal buslness lnformaLlon? 1hlnk of
ways Lo speak abouL general concepLs and slLuaLlons whlle malnLalnlng confldenLlallLy
Where to Draw the L|ne

When developlng a menLorlng relaLlonshlp make sure you have clear boundarles of whaL you
can and cannoL do for Lhe menLee

Answer Lhe above quesLlons Lo help yourself deflne Lhe boundarles for Lhe relaLlonshlp 1hen
when youre meeLlng youll beLLer undersLand your own mlndseL whaL areas youre lnLeresLed
ln coverlng and whaL you wlll and wlll noL do

1ake Lhe lead on where youll allow Lhe menLorlng relaLlonshlp Lo go and whaL ground youll
cover As a general gulde focus on your experLlse and experlence lf anyLhlng ls beyond your
skllls and ablllLles refer Lhe menLee Lo anoLher experL

lor example lf a dlscusslon abouL human resources lssues ralses a concern abouL employmenL
law conslder sendlng your menLee Lo an lnLernal experL or aLLorney lf conversaLlons abouL
work problems lead lnLo personal or famlly problems Lhe menLee may need more focused
professlonal help from a psychologlsL or LheraplsL

As a menLor you can become Lhe menLees confldanLe and advlser ?ou may be called upon Lo
be a soundlng board for all sorLs of lssues and concerns So know ln advance how youre golng
Lo deal wlLh dlfflculL slLuaLlons

key o|nts

8y menLorlng effecLlvely you can do a loL Lo lmprove Lhe performance of key lndlvlduals wlLhln
your Leam Lhereby helplng yourself reach Leam and organlzaLlonal goals MenLorlng can also
glve you a greaL overall sense of personal saLlsfacLlon knowlng LhaL youre helplng someone
else learn and grow on a professlonal and personal level

8efore you begln a menLorlng parLnershlp lLs useful Lo Lhlnk abouL your reasons for becomlng a
menLor and Lhe pracLlcal conslderaLlons and loglsLlcs of such a relaLlonshlp lf you declde LhaL
menLorlng ls rlghL for you Lhe Llme and efforL LhaL you puL lnLo lL can reap greaL rewards LhaL
far exceed your expecLaLlons