Types of Mentoring Functions
Mentoring is just-in-time help, insight into issues, and the sharing of expertise, values, skills, and perspectives. Mentors function as a catalyst—an agent that provokes a reaction that might not otherwise have taken place or speeds up a reaction that might have taken place in the future.
Career | Definition | Mentee Advantages | Mentor Advantages/Risk |
---|---|---|---|
Sponsorship | Actively nominates junior colleague for desirable lateral moves and promotions | Builds reputation and obtains job opportunities | Viewed as having excellent judgment, known for finding and developing talent; can enhance or damage mentor's reputation, depending on how mentee performs |
Exposure/Visibility | Gives junior colleague responsibilities that allow for the development of relationships with key figures | Learns about other parts of the organization and organizational life at a higher level, increases personal visibility, and gains knowledge about future opportunities; socializing force | Can enhance or damage mentor's reputation, depending on how mentee performs |
Coaching | Outlines specific strategies for accomplishing work objectives and achieving career aspirations; shares understanding of important issues and players | Provides informal knowledge of organization, broadens perspective, and enhances ability to navigate in organization | Passing on knowledge confirms the value of experience; feels effective; ensures that personal view of the future is carried on |
Protection | Shields from untimely or potentially damaging contact with senior managers by taking credit or blame in controversial situations or intervening when mentee is ill-equipped to achieve satisfactory resolution | Reduces risk, yet can be supportive or smothering; also may prevent exposure that could enhance reputation; balance can be more difficult to find in cross-gender relationships | Confirms ability to positively intervene and use clout; however, can be self-serving if used to build own reputation at expense of mentee's growth |
Challenging Assignments | Assigns mentee challenging work, supported with training and ongoing performance feedback | Essential technical and managerial skills developed through work, supported through learning difficult tasks | Can relieve senior manager of tasks; receives support that allows attention to other tasks |
Psychosocial | Definition | Mentee | Mentors |
---|---|---|---|
Role Modeling | Senior colleague's attitudes, values, and behavior provide a model for the junior colleague to emulate | Through dialogue about tasks, common organizational concerns, and career issues, the junior person learns approaches, attitudes, and values held by the model; helps redefine who he or she is professionally | Identification and transference help senior colleague see the value in his or her own experience |
Acceptance/ Confirmation |
Both individuals derive a sense of self from positive regard conveyed by the other | Junior colleague is provided support and encouragement; basic trust is established and, given a foundation of acceptance, risk-taking is encouraged, allowing for experimentation with new behaviors | As senior colleague faces aging and end-of-career issues, the junior colleague offers support and appreciation that enables the senior to find value in what he or she has to offer |
Counseling | Enables an individual to explore personal concerns that may interfere with a positive sense of self and career accomplishment | Junior colleague derives comfort in discovering that doubts and concerns can be shared confidentially | Sharing insights enables senior colleague to review previous points of decision during earlier career stages and provides a basis for feeling valued |
Friendship | Social interaction results in mutual liking and understanding, with enjoyable informal exchange about work and nonwork experiences | Allows junior colleague to feel like a peer | Senior colleague can maintain connection to more youthful parts of self and extend connection with next generation |