I was talking with a successful business owner not that long ago when the topic of our conversation turned to Mentorship. They said that they felt they had been 'mentored' by a number of people through the use of Books, DVD and CD educational materials. While not disputing the value of resources like this as a part of the learning process, I admit that I struggled with the concept of these resources being a substitute for a personal mentoring relationship. So I put the question out to you for comment. What are your thoughts, your reaction or experience related to this suggestion?
Please add your thoughts to our question: "What is Mentorship?" HOW would you DEFINE IT?
5 comments:
Here is a definition of Mentorship that I heard from David Clutterbuck while attending the APEGGA Mentorship Conference in Calgary, Alberta in October 2010:
"Mentoring is a helping relationship based on an exchange of knowledge, experience and goodwill. Mentors help someone less experienced gain confidence, clearer purpose, insight, and wisdom. In developmental mentoring, the mentor, too, is changed by the relationship."
In reviewing my notes from the 2010 APEGGA Mentorship Conference, I found the opening comments of David Clutterbuck to be profound. Having reflected on this further, I wonder what your thoughts might be on his statements, which are paraphrased here:
"If you know where the conversation is going, if you have a clear plan in your mind ... It’s not mentoring.
Where you get to may not be where you originally intended. Mentorship is a journey of discovery, a creative conversation."
I had to add this definition and comment that I came across from Lois J. Zachary - her work on Mentorship has been a wonderfully helpful resource which I highly recommend, and with great pleasure.
“Mentoring is a reciprocal learning relationship in which mentoring partners agree to
a partnership in which they work collaboratively toward achieving mutually defined goals that focus on developing mentee skills, abilities, knowledge, and/or thinking.”
The current paradigm has evolved along- side our understanding about how adults learn best. The model of the 1970s and 80s that focused on a more experienced (often older) adult passing on knowledge and information to a less experienced adult has shifted. The mentee plays an active role, the mentor functions as a learning facilitator rather than an authority, and critical reflection and self-directed learning drive the relationship.
Lois J. Zachary is president of Leadership Development Services and author of The Mentor’s Guide, Creating a Mentoring Culture, and The Mentee’s Guide; lzachary@leadservs.com.
T+D magazine ( DECEMBER 2009 Issue) - published by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
Here is a quote that was provided to me by Ian Hope, a friend who has been involved in establishing a few Mentorship programs.
Mentorship is a form of leadership and guidance that goes beyond the conventional supervisor and coach role. The interest is not job-nor task-specific, but more focused on helping the person in such a way that you can impact their overall career success, and not only at work but in life generally. For those reasons the relationship is best considered as longer term, and ideally can continue for many years.
Thank you Rey Carr of Peer Resources for this definition of Mentorship which is found in a directory of Mentorship Programs on their website, http://www.mentors.ca/mentorprograms.html
While the professional and popular literature is fairly consistent about a definition of mentoring, for the purposes of these program listings, we conclude that formal mentorship has the following characteristics:
* a deliberate, conscious, voluntary relationship:
* that may or may not have a specific time limit;
* that is sanctioned or supported by the corporation, organization, or association (by time, acknowledgement of supervisors or administrators, or is in alignment with the mission or vision of the organization);
* that occurs between an experienced, employed, or retired person (the mentor) and one or more other persons (the partners);
* and typically takes place between members of an organization, corporation, or association, or between members of such entities and individuals external to or temporarily associated with such entities;
* who are generally not in a direct, heirarchical or supervisory chain-of-command;
* where the outcome of the relationship is expected to benefit all parties in the relationship (albeit at different times) for personal growth, career development, lifestyle enhancement, spiritual fulfillment, goal achievement, and other areas mutually designated by the mentor and partner;
* with benefit to the community within which the mentoring takes place;
* and such activities taking place on a one-to-one, small group, or by electronic or telecommunication means; and
* typically focused on interpersonal support, guidance, mutual exchange, sharing of wisdom, coaching, and role modelling.
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