What is Mentoring?

It is a commonly held belief that coaching and mentoring relationships help to bring out the best
in people

Mentoring or coaching is about much more than just telling someone what to do — it requires
working with employees to make decisions, solve problems and develop skills. These
relationships not only benefit the mentee, but the company as a whole by creating a more
independent and efficient workforce.

Mentoring is a process through which an individual offers professional expertise as well as support to a
less experienced colleague. A mentor serves as a teacher, counselor, and advocate to a protégée.
Mentoring results in a mutually beneficial professional relationship over time. The intent of mentoring is
not to remediate weak performance, but rather to shape a career that shows promise. Remind yourself
and those who ask that mentoring is an opportunity to give back to the company and the industry by
teaching the next generation of leaders and innovators.

What Does a Mentor Do?

A mentor works on two levels, both supporting the protégée in meeting essential job duties and helping
her envision and take steps toward the career she desires. A mentor combines instruction in
professional behavior and tasks with affective support.

A mentor may fulfill all or a combination of roles.

The mentor:

• Advocates – Offers sponsorship, provides exposure and visibility within the organization.

• Acquires resources – Brings critical readings, opportunities, or experiences to the attention of the
protégée.

• Acts as a role model – Offers insight on how he or she “made it” in the organization.

• Advises – Shares institutional and professional wisdom, critiques performance, makes suggestions.

• Coaches – Helps a protégée learn new skills and practice new behaviors.

• Protects – Helps a protégée find new and challenging opportunities within the organization while
protecting her from adverse forces and “dead-end” job assignments.

• Supports – Listens with a sympathetic ear, explains unwritten rules, and acknowledges
disappointments and triumphs

Mentoring is crucial to a company’s ability to remain competitive by retaining and promoting their best
employees. Research shows that mentoring leads to higher job satisfaction, career advancement, work
success, and future compensation. Employees who are mentored are less likely to leave the
organization. Mentoring also plays a powerful role in getting young employees up to speed on the
organizational culture, accelerating their integration into the organization and enhancing their
effectiveness.

Many mentors, at the top of their professional careers, find an increased sense of purpose through
giving back through mentoring and establishing a legacy as leaders. Mentors also report feeling
rejuvenated and energized through interacting with their younger colleagues.

What Are the “Dos” of Mentoring?

Do: Be clear on where the line is drawn between your responsibilities and those of the manager.

Do: Agree on goals for the mentoring relationship from the outset, and put them in writing. (A Set the
Stage template is provided for this purpose.) Frequently go back to your goals to measure progress.

Do: Act as a colleague first, an expert second. A know-it-all approach to mentoring is intimidating and
will limit your successes. Strike an open and warm tone so your protégée will feel she can ask you
difficult questions and take risks. Listen as much as you speak so her questions and aspirations are
always the central focus.

Do: Set realistic expectations. You can provide your protégée access to resources and people, but make
it clear you do not wield your influence over others. You may be a senior executive but that does not
mean you fix problems for the protégée – you coach as you can but the protégée does the heavy lifting.
Do: Keep a time limit as part of the goal, and evaluate your progress periodically. Every mentoring
relationship has phases – including the end to formal mentoring. This doesn’t necessarily mean the end
of your relationship, but a change in how you interact and how often.

Do: Remember that mentoring is a process with a goal. Have a fun relationship but don’t get off track
and lose sight of goals.

Do: Expect high performance from the protégée and accelerate her learning. Research suggests that the
most beneficial mentoring is based on mutual learning, active engagement, and striving to push the
leadership capabilities of protégées.

Do: Listen, listen, and then listen some more. Hear the concerns of your protégée before offering advice
and guidance. Establish trust and openness in communication from the start.

Do: Strive to protect the protégée from what you see as major professional errors or missteps, but also
leave room for her to learn from her own experience and mistakes. Remember that a successful
mentoring relationship is one where the protégée eventually advances and no longer needs your
support. Make sure the protégé is not overly dependent on your advice.
Do: Recognize that the protégée’s goals are her own and that she may have career goals that differ from
the path you chose. Your role as a mentor is to guide; it’s up to the protégée to decide what to
implement in her career.

Do: Recognize that women and other minorities within the organization face additional barriers to
advancement. Educate yourself about the issues (resources are included in Mentoring References). If
you experience difficulty, ask your organization’s corporate diversity department for resources and
support.

Do: Keep an open mind. If you are a man mentoring a woman, or if a protegee is from a different ethnic
group, be aware and respect her experiences, ideas, and goals. Cross-gender and cross-cultural
mentoring relationships can be very enriching and successful but it requires open dialogue about the
ways gender and culture influence your protégée’s work in the organization and the mentoring
relationship itself.

Do: Educate others within the organization about the advancement of women. Approach managers and
stakeholders and mentor them on being effective managers to technical women. Consider instituting a
“reverse mentoring” program where older leaders are educated about specific issues faced by younger
staff, and in diversity issues such as race and gender.

Do: Teach your protégée how to become a mentor herself – by example and by encouragement.

A mentor is a person who leaves a living legacy behind in the form of people who have benefited from the
mentor's life experiences.' Source: Unknown. Each one of us has a life that is a unique tapestry and
within the threads of that tapestry are life experiences waiting to be shared. You don't need all the
answers, possess a PHD or be the CEO of a Fortune 100 company. You should however have a genuine
interest in sharing your life experience and expertise in a mentor/Mentee relationship. There are many
qualities and skills that good mentors share. Mentors:

 Listen: Can you offer an ear, and not necessarily advice?

 Are Accessible: Does your schedule permit a mentoring relationship?
 Share: Are you willing to share your knowledge, expertise, skills, and time?
 Motivate: Can you motivate the Mentee to reach their full potential?
 Provide Insight: Can you use your personal experience to help your Mentee avoid mistakes and
learn from good decisions?
 Guide: Can you guide the Mentee to determine his/her right course of action; not preach or
dictate?
 Provide a Positive Influence: Do you project a positive, upbeat image? Are you a positive role
model?
 Are Honest and Open: Can you offer your thoughts and constructive feedback honestly and
openly?
 Provide a Fresh Perspective: Can you help your Mentee see a situation with fresh eyes?
 Offer Advice: Can you offer advice – only if asked? Your Mentee may want a sounding board to
help him/her work out issues and come to their own conclusion.
 Are Cheerleaders: Can you offer support and encouragement?
 Good mentor matches should have mentors with a firm foundation in the
company to establish credibility. They need to be in a field relevant to the
career the mentee is looking to develop. They also need to be qualified in
both the hard and the soft skills required to help the mentee develop.
 However, good mentor matches require capabilities beyond these skills.
Great knowledge bases don’t always indicate great mentors. Matching a
mentor with a mentee for career development involves mentors with good
communication and interpersonal skills as well.

There are many qualities of a good mentor. While considering a mentor, look for
someone who is enthusiastic, a good fit, respectful of others and a respected
expert in their field. This will help you get the results you want and hopefully
create a beneficial relationship for both you and your chosen mentor.

01

 Mentors Should Be Enthusiastic About the Role

Caiaimage/RobertDaly/Ojo/Getty images

When you are looking for a mentor, you should key in on one very important
aspect of the possible mentor's personality. They need to be enthusiastic—
almost to the point of being too enthusiastic. 

You should feel their sincerity in the way they present their desire to help you.
Good mentors are passionate about their yearning to help others and receive
their rewards not in the form of materialistic items or money, but in seeing the
people they have helped become successful.

02

 A Mentor Should Fit You

You may have many people to choose from when you are shopping for a mentor.
This can be similar to shopping for a shirt. If you find a style you like, the one that
fits might be at the middle of the pile or be the last one you look at. 

Many people will try to manipulate you over your life and career, trying to become
an influencer and develop you in the way that worked for them, or that they think
is best.

A good mentor will create a strategy that fits your needs, talents, skills, and
desires and push you towards a better you—not towards a clone of themselves.

03

 Mentors Value Learning

Good mentors are life-long learners and should want to pass that desire on to
everyone they come in contact with. They should realize that while they are
experts, they cannot possibly know everything. 

A valuable trait in a mentor (and to be frank, in everyone else) is the

understanding that it is ok to be an expert and not know something. A mentor
that can answer a question with, "I don't know, but I will find you an answer" is
someone worth spending time with.

 Good mentors will be excited to share their knowledge with you and be willing to
explore the possibility that you may have answers that they do not. A mentor that
will learn from their mentee is indeed worthy of your respect and time.

04

 Mentors Encourage You To Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

 All people have a zone in which they operate and live in. They are comfortable
and able to excel in this zone. This is called a comfort zone.

To grow, you'll need to need to step outside of your comfort zone to be able to
have new experiences and learn. A good mentor is capable of identifying your
comfort zone and developing steps and activities within your goals that will force
you to become comfortable outside of your zone.

05

 They Are Active Listeners

A mentor needs to be able to listen to what you are saying. They should be
involved in the conversation, prompting you for clarity or more information. 

They shouldn't be distracted when you are talking to them. A person that is
always allowing themselves to be interrupted by phones, emails, or people
walking by when in a session with you is not actively listening. 

A good mentor will not have any distractions when you are talking with them,
focusing on you and taking part in the conversation. They will ask questions,
reflect on your answers and even give you some silence when you need to think.

06

 Mentors Know How to Provide Feedback

Everyone can benefit from feedback. Even the most skilled and knowledgeable
person is a beginner at something, requiring feedback to continue to grow in their
new skills.

Feedback is essential to improvement. A mentor should create long-term

objectives and short-term goals with you to help you become the expert you want
to be.

Feedback should be provided during each session with your mentor. It should not
be degrading, but should simply inform you of a shortcoming, and identify
corrective actions you can take to be more successful the next time.

07

 They Treat Others Respectfully

Respect for others is not limited to mentors, but it should be on your list of
requirements for yours. 

Mentors should know how to be tactful in their conversations, and be emotionally

intelligent. Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of emotions in others
and oneself, and be able to make decisions and influence others while controlling
emotions and feeling empathy for those they are dealing with.
Mentors shouldn't be judgemental of others, voice their opinions of people, or talk
down to you about others. "Don't do this like John does, he's not very good at
this." This is not helpful to you or John, and violates the privacy expected from a
mentor. 

08

 They Are Experts In Their Field

Mentors are not just respectful, enthusiastic people. They should be considered
an expert in their field, and be in the same field you are hoping to become an
expert in. It is possible for a mentor to not be in an expert in the field you work in
and provide excellent guidance, but you generally should stick with an expert in
your field.

Your choice of a mentor should be respected by their peers, and yours. If you
choose a mentor that is not well-known in the industry, you may not get the
results you desire. Many people use mentors not only as guides to develop
themselves but to associate themselves with the name of that mentor. 

If your field is archeology, and your mentor is Dr. Jones (the respected and well-
known professor and archeologist), you'll have the benefit of being the doctor's
protege. This gives you much-needed credibility while ensuring that you have
been instructed and guided correctly.

However, if Dr. Jones (the archeologist who discovered a 10-year-old basket of

plastic eggs behind a bush in his backyard) is your mentor, you might not find
yourself receiving the guidance or experience you were hoping for.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a mentor does not need to be as stressful or complicated as it seems.

Find one that fits you, and work to make it a rewarding experience. You'll not only
find the best version of yourself, but you will have gained a life-long friend and
supporter in the process.
Every great plan starts with a good strategy. If you`re passionate about giving direction and
setting up strategies, this is the perfect job for you. Your key focus area will be spreading the
……………mindset throughout the entire organization and creating and implementing

- Coordonarea activitatilor de integrare ale noilor angajati in cadrul companiei;

Urmarirea si evaluarea transferului comportamental al competentelor dobandite in urma

trainingurilor;

Esența mentoring-ului:
Este procesul de dezvoltare a unei persoane( mentee) cu mai puțină experiență, ajutată și ghidată
de către o altă persoană (mentor)  cu mai multă experiență și cu un bagaj mai mare de cunoștințe
specifice domeniului în care cei doi activează.
 

Portretul unui mentor:

O persoană specializată pe un anumit domeniu sau pe o anumită arie de business/tehnică și care,
pe lângă aceste cunoștințe teoretice, are și o vastă experiență în testarea și aplicarea lor și este
dornică să împărtașească această experiență cu mentee-ul.
 

Nevoile adresate în mentoring:

Un program de mentoring e potrivit pentru persoanele la început de drum, care nu prea au
experiență și nici cunoștințe practice, ci doar un bagaj de cunoștințe teoretice și dorința de a face
și de a crește în domeniul respectiv. Aceste persoane sunt în ipostaze noi din punct de vedere
profesional și au nevoie de un model și de ghidaj pentru a se putea adapta și învăța mai rapid
decât în mod standard. Un asemenea program e potrivit și în situațiile în care există anumite
competențe transferabile doar prin experimentare, iar din motive de eficiență (timp-bani etc.) nu
există o perioadă de acomodare.
 

Stil de abordare
Procesul în sine se canalizează pe transferul de experiență de la mentor către mentee. Chiar și
așa, nu e o relaționare pur tranzacțională. Se lucrează pe exemple și situații din trecut ale
mentorului și din prezent a mentee-ului, din care se extrag anumite învățături și se creează
moduri noi de operare și rezolvare. Poate fi un proces mai îndelungat și necesită o relație bazată
pe interese comune din partea ambelor părți și pe recunoașterea experienței mentorului și a
potențialului mentee-ului.
 

Impact/Rezultate
Creează perfomanță cu evitarea unor costuri generate de lipsa de experiență a mentee-ului.
Livrează valoare mai mare, într-un interval de timp mai scurt. Dezvoltă în mod mai eficient
competențe tehnice legate de job care iau prea mult timp pentru a fi învățate prin practică și
experimentare individuală.