Mentoring is a relationship in which someone who is knowledgeable and experienced provides support, guidance and advice to another person with less experience and knowledge. Mentoring is widely used for personal development in many situations including work, sport and community life as well as industry placements.
Definitions of mentoring
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Differences between mentoring and other roles
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Mentoring and line management
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Mentoring and coaching
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The benefits of mentoring
Here are four definitions of mentoring:
Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be. (Ed Parsloe, Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring)
An activity whereby a more experienced colleague uses their greater knowledge, experience and understanding of work or the workplace to provide guidance, support and practical help in the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff. (CIPD, 2020)
The support given by one (usually more experienced) person for the growth and learning of another, and for their integration into and acceptance by a specific community. (Malderez, 2001)
Off-line help from one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking. (Clutterbuck, 2004) [‘off-line’ in this context means separate from normal line management or supervision.]
The word ‘mentoring’ comes from the ancient Greek story where Odysseus entrusts the education of his son to his friend Mentor.
In the four definitions above:
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What does the mentor do?
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What does the mentor have that they can share with the student?
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What does the mentor help the student to do?
Click on the headings to reveal
— Support
— Help
— Encourage
— Guide
— Knowledge
— Experience
— Understanding
— Manage learning
— Maximise potential
— Develop skills
— Improve performance
— Become the person they want to be
— Grow
— Be integrated into and accepted by a community
— Make significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking
The roles of mentor, coach, line manager/supervisor and counsellor may overlap in some ways. There are some quite subtle differences between them but few hard boundary lines, as these short descriptions show.
Mentoring
Guidance given to a student based on the mentor’s knowledge, experience or understanding
Line management/supervision
Direction, coordination and support enabling a team member to perform a task/tasks
Coaching
A non-directive conversation that allows another person to identify the solution to an issue or situation themselves
Counselling
Advice given to another person on social or personal problems, especially professionally
Supervision of a student’s day to day activities while on an industry placement is the responsibility of a line manager or supervisor. Mentors provide extra support by helping the student tackle issues or plan the way forward.
It may not be easy for line managers/supervisors and mentors to be different people (e.g. in very small organisations), but if it is the same person, they should wear different hats. To avoid blurring the roles, both mentor and student should be clear which hat is being worn.
Keep the two roles separate if possible. The job of a line manager or supervisor includes giving instructions and making judgements about work and performance rather than providing space for the student to arrive at their own solutions, which is what mentors do. Making judgements on a student’s work through direct comments or criticism (‘judgementoring’) risks damaging the special benefits of the mentoring relationship.
But if the one person has to fulfil both roles for any reason, make sure that the student knows when you’re being a manager and when a mentor. For example, if the student is given negative feedback on their performance or behaviour it must be clear to them that it’s their manager giving it, not their mentor.
It gives you an opportunity to just share some of the challenges that are going on without talking to someone who’s going to judge you. I like the aspect of it where it’s leading you to reach your own conclusions rather than telling you what you should be doing and what you shouldn’t be doing
STUDENT ON A MENTORING PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
Think about the various kinds of support given to a student on an industry placement in your organisation. Which would most appropriately be given by a mentor and which by a line manager/supervisor?
The roles of mentor and coach have many similarities but some differences as well. Here are a few ideas about what the two roles might involve.
Mentor
Coach
As an investment of time and resource, mentoring should bring returns to the mentor and the placement organisation as well as the student. How might mentors and their organisations benefit?
Mentors often say they gain a lot of personal satisfaction from seeing students grow and thrive. They enjoy the opportunity to pass on their knowledge, skills and expertise, think creatively and help solve problems. Mentoring adds valuable skills and improves career prospects too. A study of mentoring at US corporation Sun Microsystems found that mentors are five times more likely to gain pay increases and six times more likely to be promoted, compared to non-mentors (Dickinson et al, 2009).
“What I get from it is two quite big things. One, I’m always trying to find ways of keeping it interesting and fresh for myself. And then the other thing is it helps me understand how the next generation, if you like, of people coming through view things because they do think in different ways than the current generation.”
Mentor on a mentoring programme for young entrepreneurs
There’s a positive impact for placement organisations as well. The Sun Microsystems research found that mentors are 20% more likely to stay in the organisation than non-mentors. A separate study reported that mentors have greater job satisfaction and commitment to the organisation than non-mentors and feel more fulfilled at work (Srivasatava, 2011). Mentoring programmes help to build strong teams, improve trust and nurture valuable skills. They also create a positive impression of the organisation and support recruitment.
Definitions of mentoring
—
Differences between mentoring and other roles
—
Mentoring and line management
—
Mentoring and coaching
—
The benefits of mentoring
Hobson, A. at al (2016). The Mentoring Across Professions (MaP) Project.
London: The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
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Hayden, D. and Haden, S. (2019). Coaching and Mentoring – Factsheet.
London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
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Investors in People (undated).
What is a Mentor?
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Dickinson, K. et al (2009). Sun Mentoring: 1996–2009. Sun Microsystems
T-level employer support package:
The benefits and costs of industry placements
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