What is 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." Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring Mentoring is a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. t is an effective wa! of helping people to progress in their careers and is "ecoming increasing popular as its potential is realised. t is a partnership "etween two people #mentor and mentee$ normall! wor%ing in a similar field or sharing similar experiences. t is a helpful relationship "ased upon mutual trust and respect. & mentor is a guide who can help the mentee to find the right direction and who can help them to develop solutions to career issues. Mentors rel! upon having had similar experiences to gain an empath! with the mentee and an understanding of their issues. Mentoring provides the mentee with an opportunit! to thin% a"out career options and progress. & mentor should help the mentee to "elieve in herself and "oost her confidence. & mentor should as% 'uestions and challenge, while providing guidance and encouragement. Mentoring allows the mentee to explore new ideas in confidence. t is a chance to loo% more closel! at !ourself, !our issues, opportunities and what !ou want in life. Mentoring is a"out "ecoming more self aware, ta%ing responsi"ilit! for !our life and directing !our life in the direction !ou decide, rather than leaving it to chance.

MentorSET's brand of mentoring

MentorSET is person focused. t is less of a formali(ed professional relationship and more of a partnership) more li%e a friendship. *e provide guidelines and training for our mentors and mentees, "ut the issues discussed will var! depending upon the issues "eing faced "! the mentee. MentorSET mentoring is: Off line: Someone from outside !our reporting hierarch! at wor%. +ou can not have an open mentoring relationship if !our mentor %nows !our "oss well. n fact MentorSET goes one further and tries to find mentors from completel! different organisations. Confidential: ssues "etween mentor and mentee are confidential. Mentee driven: The mentee must ta%e the initative and do the leg wor% in the relationship. The final responsi"ilit! for actions ta%en, as a result of mentoring, lies with the mentee.

Low-bureau ra !: *e tr! to %eep the amount of paper wor% down. *e wor% with individuals and not institutions and so our mentors and mentees have to carr! out the mentoring relationship in their own time. *e realise that the! are all "us! people and so we %eep the amount of paper wor% down to a minimum. "erson fo used: *e realise that women, particularl! wor%ing mothers, often need to ,uggle their wor%ing lives with responsi"ilities at home. *e recogni(e that issues outside the wor%place ma! "e hampering progress at wor%. *e match mentors and mentees using their own criteria - career considerations or aspects of their personal circumstances. *e aim to connect women in SET with independent mentors who can offer advice and guidance a"out the issues important to them) mentors who can help with self development, suggest networ%ing opportunities and empower mentees to ma%e their own decisions and turn these into actions.

Training and mentoring programs provide learners with the skills and knowledge to further their personal development. Formal educational settings, such as university or training center classrooms offer seminars, workshops and courses to give students foundational knowledge. Less formal options, such as internships, allow students to learn from experts. Effective communication ensures clear expectations are set between the student and mentor. To be successful, the mentor and trainee should set up learning objectives that are specific, measurable, re uire action, realistic and timely.

Features
Effective communication features regular contact between the mentor and trainee. The communication method !email, phone or meetings" should meet the needs of both people. #ontent covered in the communication typically includes resource materials, such as case studies, videos and simulations, as well as references, such as books and experts. $elf%assessments help students evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses. Then, the mentor can most effectively develop a plan to help the student achieve his goals. &nce the mentoring period is complete, a final assessment should be conducted to determine if progress was made.

Benefits
Training and mentoring programs with effective communication strategies help participants exchange information without misunderstanding and confusion. 'y providing clear, concise and timely details, participants experience fewer problems. Ensuring that information reflects accurate, complete and useful material before stating it saves time by preventing subse uent clarifying conversations. Eliminating sources of confusion%%for example, cultural bias or mistaken assumptions%%also further streamlines the communication process.

Types
Effective communication occurs through verbal channels, such as meetings, phone calls and web%based conferencing. &ther types of communication include written methods, such as email, letters and social media technology, such as wikis, blogs, forums and instant messaging. #hoosing the right type of communication channel enhances the chances of successful interactions. For example, using written communication to provide a list of steps re uired to adhere to a complex procedure tends to be more effective than leaving a long voicemail message. (lso, when providing feedback on the trainee)rs uo*s

performance, the mentor should wait for a face%to%face meeting or at least a live session because emotional exchanges can be misinterpreted in written format.

Techniques
Techni ues for communicating effectively include active listening and paraphrasing to ensure that each participant understands the other person. +eople typically only retain a small portion of what they hear so mentors should be sure to repeat important details. ,hen people make a conscious effort to pay attention, they do a better job of not getting distracted or interpreting the person before that person has finished speaking. -ephrasing what was just said also helps ensure that the trainee and mentor have understood the matter.

Expert Insight
#ommunicating effectively in training and mentoring programs re uires breaking down barriers to ensure the trainee receives the advice in the best way. .essage that are too long, chaotic or incorrect can lead to problems. .isunderstandings and misinterpretations undermine the relationship. +aying close attention to tone and body language can also enable more effective communication and ensure a successful mentoring experience. Everything you ever wanted to know about coaching and mentoring, and quite a lot that you probably didn't
What are Coaching and Mentoring? Both coaching and mentoring are processes that enable both individual and corporate clients to achieve their full potential. Coaching and mentoring share many similarities so it makes sense to outline the common things coaches and mentors do whether the services are offered in a paid (professional) or unpaid (philanthropic) role.

.acilitate the exploration of needs, motivations, desires, s%ills and thought processes to assist the individual in ma%ing real, lasting change. /se 'uestioning techni'ues to facilitate client0s own thought processes in order to identif! solutions and actions rather than ta%es a wholl! directive approach Support the client in setting appropriate goals and methods of assessing progress in relation to these goals O"serve, listen and as% 'uestions to understand the client0s situation Creativel! appl! tools and techni'ues which ma! include one-to-one training, facilitating, counselling & networ%ing. Encourage a commitment to action and the development of lasting personal growth & change. Maintain unconditional positive regard for the client, which means that the coach is at all times supportive and non-,udgemental of the client, their views, lifest!le and aspirations. Ensure that clients develop personal competencies and do not develop unhealth! dependencies on the coaching or mentoring relationship.

Evaluate the outcomes of the process, using o",ective measures wherever possi"le to ensure the relationship is successful and the client is achieving their personal goals. Encourage clients to continuall! improve competencies and to develop new developmental alliances where necessar! to achieve their goals. *or% within their area of personal competence. Possess 'ualifications and experience in the areas that s%ills-transfer coaching is offered. Manage the relationship to ensure the client receives the appropriate level of service and that programmes are neither too short, nor too long.

Useful definitions The common thread uniting all types of coaching & mentoring is that these services offer a vehicle for analysis, reflection and action that ultimately enable the client to achieve success in one more areas of their life or work. ere are some published definitions we particularly like...

Coaching is !a process that enables learning and development to occur and thus performance to improve. To be a successful a Coach re"uires a knowledge and understanding of process as well as the variety of styles, skills and techni"ues that are appropriate to the conte#t in which the coaching takes place!

$ric %arsloe, The Manager as Coach and Mentor (&''') page (. $ric is a respected author and )irector of the OCM

Mentoring is... !off*line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking!

Clutterbuck, ) & +egginson, ), Mentoring Executives and Directors (&''') page , (available in the "oo%shop). )avid Clutterbuck & )avid +egginson are both founder members of The European Mentoring and Coaching Council and highly respected authors, academics and consultants in the mentoring arena. The difference between coaching and mentoring -s can be seen above, there are many similarities between coaching and mentoring. +entoring, particularly in its traditional sense, enables an individual to follow in the path of an older and wiser colleague who can pass on knowledge, e#perience and open doors to

otherwise out*of*reach opportunities. Coaching on the other hand is not generally performed on the basis that the coach has direct e#perience of their client/s formal occupational role unless the coaching is specific and skills focused. aving said this, there are professionals offering their services under the name of mentoring who have no direct e#perience of their clients0 roles and others offering services under the name of coaching who do. 1o the moral of the story is, it is essential to determine what your needs are and to ensure that the coach or mentor can supply you with the type and level of service you re"uire, whatever that service is called.

Business coaching & mentoring 2rganisational development, changes brought about by mergers and ac"uisitions as well as the need to provide key employees with support through a change of role or career are often catalysts, which inspire companies to seek coaching or mentoring. -t one time coaching and mentoring were reserved for senior managers and company directors, now it is available to all as a professional or personal development tool. Coaching and mentoring are also closely linked with organisational change initiatives in order to help staff to accept and adapt to changes in a manner consistent with their personal values and goals. Coaching & mentoring, both of which focus on the individual, can enhance morale, motivation and productivity and reduce staff turnover as individuals feel valued and connected with both small and large organisational changes. This role may be provided by internal coaches or mentors and, increasingly, by professional coaching agencies. Coaching and mentoring programmes generally prove to be popular amongst employees as coaching achieves a balance between fulfilling organisational goals and ob3ectives whilst taking into account the personal development needs of individual employees. 4t is a two*way relationship with both the organisation and the employee gaining significant benefits. There is also an increasing trend for individuals to take greater responsibility for their personal & professional development and even those who are employed in large organisations are no longer relying on employers to provide them with all or their career development needs. There has been an increase in the number of individuals contracting coaches and mentors on a private basis. 1ome are looking for a career change, but many are also seeking to ma#imise their potential with an e#isting employer or achieve greater balance with their work and home lives.

Executive Coaching & Mentoring There is a great deal of overlap between business and e#ecutive coaching or mentoring. +any people will offer either service, but there is a growing body of professionals in the 56 who are calling themselves e#ecutive coaches and mentors and are differentiating themsleves in the marketplace. The key differences between business and e#ecutive coaching and mentoring are that $#ecutive coaches and mentors typically7

1ave a trac% record in professional and executive roles *or% exclusivel! with the 2high-fl!ers3 or with those who have potential to "e a high fl!er *or% at "oard or CEO level within high profile or 2"lue-chip3 organisations Offer total confidentialit! *or% with potential 0captains of industr!0 and high profile "usiness leaders

Performance Coaching and mentoring +any coaching clients will seek coaching or mentoring for performance enhancement rather than the rectification of a performance issue. Coaching & mentoring have been shown to be highly successful intervention in these cases. 8hen an organisation is paying premium rates for development services, performance is usually the key pay*back they are looking for. $ven if an e#ecutive or manager receives support in balancing work and home life, it will be with the aim of increasing their effectiveness and productivity at work and not for more altruistic reasons.

%erformance coaching derives its theoretical underpinnings and models from business and sports psychology as well as general management approaches.

!ills coaching & mentoring 1kills coaching has some commonalities with one*to*one training. 1kills coaches & mentors combine a holistic approach to personal development with the ability to focus on the core skills an employee needs to perform in their role. 1kills coaches & mentors should be highly e#perienced and competent in performing the skills they teach. 9ob roles are changing at an ever increasing rate. Traditional training programmes are often too infle#ible or generic to deal with these fast moving re"uirements. 4n these instances one*to*one skills coaching allows a fle#ible, adaptive :3ust*in*time/ approach to skills development. 4t is also possible to apply skills coaching in :live/ environments rather than taking people away from the 3ob into a :classroom/ where it is less easy to simulate the 3ob environment. 1kills coaching programmes are tailored specifically to the individual, their knowledge, e#perience, maturity and ambitions and is generally focused on achieving a number of ob3ectives for both the individual and the company. These ob3ectives often include the individual being able to perform specific, well*defined tasks whilst taking in to account the personal and career development needs of the individual. 2ne*to*one skills training is not the same as the :sitting ne#t to ;elly/ approach to :on the 3ob training/. 8hat differentiates it is that like any good personal or professional development intervention it is based on an assessment of need in relation to the 3ob*role, delivered in a structured (but highly fle#ible) manner, and generates measurable learning and performance outcomes. This form of skills training is likely to focus purely on the skills re"uired to perform the 3ob function even though it may adopt a facilitative coaching approach instead of a 0telling0 or directive style.

Personal coaching & mentoring %ersonal or :life coaching/ is growing significantly in the 56, $urope and -ustralia. %ersonal coaches may work face*to*face but email and telephone based relationships are also very common. These coaches and mentors operate in highly supportive roles to those who wish to make some form of significant change happen within their lives. Coaches offer their clients a supportive and motivating environment to e#plore what they want in life and how they might achieve their aspirations and fulfil their needs. By assisting the client in committing to action and by being a sounding*board to their e#periences, coaching allows the individual the personal space and support they need to grow and develop. The coach0s key role is often is assisting the client to maintain the motivation and commitment needed to achieve their goals. 4n many cases personal coaching is differentiated from business coaching purely by the conte#t and the focus of the programme. Business coaching is always conducted within the constraints placed on the individual or group by the organisational conte#t. %ersonal coaching on the other hand is taken entirely from the individual0s perspective. top of page

"ow do coaching and mentoring com#are with other services?

Traditional forms of training

*holesale transfer of new s%ills, e.g. change in procedures, new s!stems #e.g. software application training$, new ,o" function.

Coa hing#mentoring
4evelopment activities are designed to suit client3s personal needs #whether aspiration or performance related$ and learning st!les.

Programmes are mostl! generic and not tailored to individual needs. 4elegates generall! have to complete standard modules, so there is little room for tailoring the programme to account for existing %nowledge, s%ills or preferences. 5ot alwa!s sufficientl! similar to the 2live3 wor%ing environment to ensure effective s%ills transfer. 6est suited to transfer of %nowledge and certain s%ills rather than the development of personal 'ualities or competencies

.ine tunes and develops s%ills. Can focus on interpersonal s%ills, which cannot "e readil! or effectivel! transferred in a traditional training environment. Provides client with contacts and networ%s to assist with furthering their career or life aspirations. Performed in the 2live3 environment or off-line. 1ighl! effective when used as a means of supporting training initiatives to ensure that %e! s%ills are transferred to the 2live3 environment. Coaches and mentors transfer the s%ills to the client rather than doing the ,o" for them.

Counselling
Explore personal issues and pro"lems through discussion in order to increase understanding or develop greater selfawareness. The aim of counselling is to lead the client toward self-directed actions to achieve their goals.

Consultan !
.ocus is on developing organisational practices, processes and structure. 7ole generall! more strategic and often used to instigate and design "road ranging change programmes Consultanc! fre'uentl! involves expert advice a"out specific issues and organisational processes. Consultants are often "rought in to provide specific 2solutions3 to "usiness pro"lems and needs Consultant leads the ,o" for the organisation8 whilst ups%illing the emplo!ee9client ma! "e a contractual part of the service, it is not generall! the primar! goal.

N.B Coaching and counselling share many core skills. owever, professional counsellors work with personal issues in much greater depth than would generally be e#plored within a coaching conte#t.

N.B. The term consultant coach is often used when the coach is e#ternal to the organisation and therefore offering services on an :e#ternal/ or :consultancy/ basis. This is not, however, the same as consultancy per se. Coaching and mentoring has been offered by consultancy companies for many years, even though it is not specifically :consultancy/ 4t is only recently that people have begun drawing a distinction which in some cases, like the distinction between coaching and mentoring, is not useful in distinguishing between them. top of page

$s coaching %ust thera#& b& another name? Coaching is not :therapy/ by another name although the key theoretical underpinnings, models and techni"ues found their origins in the field of psychology and associated therapies like gestalt & cognitive "ehavioural therap! which have broad ranging applications in both organisational and personal conte#ts. The key difference between coaching and the therapies is that coaching does not seek to resolve the deeper underlying issues that are the cause of serious problems like poor motivation, low self*esteem and poor 3ob performance. Coaching and mentoring programmes are generally more concerned with the practical issues of setting goals and achieving results within specific time*scales. Coaching and mentoring is generally commenced on the premise that clients are self*aware and :whole/ and have selected coaching or mentoring because they do not re"uire a therapeutic intervention. 4t is possible for someone who has underlying issues to e#perience success within a coaching conte#t even if the underlying issues are not resolved. 4f, however, a client becomes :stuck/ and the coaching or mentoring programme is not achieving desired results, then a psychological or therapeutic intervention may be necessary for the client to move forward and achieve their goals. Coach & mentor training programmes which are typically "uite short are not aimed at "ualifying coaches to conduct an assessment of whether someone may be in need of a therapeutic intervention, rather than a coaching or mentoring one. This is driven in part by the professional restrictions and barriers that have traditionally been placed around psychology and the therapies, but is mostly due to the fact that psychological assessment is a comple# process that does re"uire specialised training. %rofessional coaches & mentors do, however, stay ever alert to the possibility that a client may have or may develop issues or problems for which coaching or mentoring on it/s own, is not sufficient. Client progress is always monitored and coaches and mentors watch for signs which may indicate that a client re"uires an assessment by a trained therapist. 1ome coaches will on*refer a client to an appropriate therapist if this is felt to be useful. 2ther coaches will conduct a coaching programme in parallel with a therapeutic intervention. +ost coaches & mentors are keen to maintain the professional boundaries between coaching & mentoring and the traditional therapies and will collaborate with therapists when a client re"uires this form of intervention.