What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a way for more experienced HR professionals to share their experiences with less experienced protégés.  A mentor acts as a trusted counselor or guide, who assists the mentored protégé in setting and achieving goals for developing career direction and skills.  By participating in a mentor/protégé relationship, mentors develop valuable skills that can further their personal and professional development as well.  The relationship requires honesty, openness, commitment and effort by both individuals. 

In a mentoring relationship, mentor and protégé
• Identify objectives, goals and developmental needs
• Define and establish a plan to accomplish protégé goals
• Meet regularly in person or via phone or email to review and evaluate progress

Mentor’s role
A mentor serves as a role model, offering penalty-free advice and counsel, and providing candid feedback to the protégé. 

A mentor:
• Listens and offers feedback
• Recommends developmental activities
• Suggests and provides resources
• Communicates experiences and challenges

To help ensure the mentor/protégé relationship is successful, the mentor should be willing to commit a minimum of two hours a month to the relationship.  The mentor should also consider what resources (books, web, etc.) might be of value to the protégé. 

Protégé’s role
The success of a mentoring relationship is often based on what the protégé wants to achieve from it. 

The protégé:
• Asks questions
• Listens
• Shares ongoing career planning and development
• Is open to the mentor’s suggestions
• Keeps the lines of communication open with his or her mentor

Benefits of participation

A mentor who participates in a mentoring relationship may
• Gain personal satisfaction from helping others discover and reach their potential
• Gain exposure to new perspectives from the protégé
• Expand professional networks
• Enhance coaching, feedback and leadership skills

A protégé who participates in a mentoring relationship may
• Develop networks
• Receive valuable sounding boards
• Receive career guidance
• Increase their visibility
• Learn to adapt to changing professional and organizational circumstances
• Develop or enhance skills needed to move forward in their careers