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Penton Media, Inc. Apr 12, 2007Does the concept of mentoring make you think of a high-school student, dressed up for a day at the office with Uncle Ed, the engineer? Many of us have had these types of experiences, either as the student or the engineer, and didn't get much out of the experience.
But mentoring can be useful, and it's not just for high-school or college students. Carol Muller, CEO and founder of MentorNet says "mentors offer guidance based on what they've learned along the way, informed by their own experiences but not necessarily expecting the proteges to follow in their footsteps." MentorNet's (mentornet.net) One-on-One program serves proteges who are undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and early career faculty in engineering and related science fields. Professionals, however, may tap into MentorNet's other programs such as the online networking and mentoring discussion groups through the E-Forum.
What mentors do
The activities mentors and proteges share, of course, depend on the individuals. "Mentors and proteges might review one another's resumes," says Muller. "Or they'll exchange e-mails covering topics such as time management, goal setting, work and life balance, job search, graduate school, academic issues, workplace environment, women's experiences, and diversity." If proteges are students, mentors may tell them how their work and lives are structured, and how they spend their days.
Mentors can come from within the company or outside. Internal mentors, those within an organization, are more familiar with the people, policies, practices, and politics of the organization. External mentors, on the other hand, have insights about universal practices which cut across organizational boundaries. They are often more likely to be confidants of proteges wary of sharing too much private information such as doubts, fears, and plans to change directions.
Why start a mentoring relationship?
Proteges benefit from the insights of more experienced individuals - the information they provide, guidance and advice, encouragement and support, and constructive criticism. The objectivity of a professional also helps proteges put experiences in perspective, expand networks, and act as advocates for their accomplishments.
Mentors benefit from a sense of "giving back," helping a new professional get started, and sharing their wisdom. They, too, often gain new insights into their own personal and professional development, as a result of conversations with their proteges, and sometimes a sense of renewal. They also learn more about the lives and experiences of today's students or younger colleagues.
"It's worth pointing out that the organizations and professions affiliated with mentors and proteges also benefit from mentoring," adds Muller. "Mentoring represents the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and know-how. It's the way that our organizations and professions, and even society, continue to grow."
How do you find a mentor or protege?
"Start first by determining why you think you need a mentor, or want to be a mentor," says Muller. It's important to understand at the outset your own needs and motivations. Prospective proteges, in particular, need to clearly communicate their needs and objectives to prospective mentors. Both parties need to agree on an established time frame, objectives, and must commit to checking in on progress against those goals on a regular basis. Logistics arrangements are also important. "The biggest reason mentoring relationships fail is the inability to meet because of time and location constraints," adds Muller.
Ambiguous expectations can also sabotage mentoring relationships. Muller says it's important to determine simple things such as where and when conversations will take place, who will initiate them, what mode of communication will be used, how frequently the individuals expect to meet, and how long each conversation or meeting will last.
In Mentor- Net's One-on- One program, prospective mentors and proteges each complete online profiles with information about their background and interests, indicating their preferences. Thirty-four variables are incorporated into an algorithm to find the best matches among all the available volunteer mentors for each protege. The proteges can then view the anonymous profiles of the top five mentors who meet their specifications (and vice-versa), and may select one.
Proteges frequently assume that the best mentor for them will have many similar characteristics. But depending on the objectives for a mentoring relationship, the most important qualities may not be shared experiences or backgrounds. For example, unless a woman particularly needs mentoring on topics related to issues unique to women, the gender of her mentor is not a factor in a successful mentoring relationship. Although fields of study are often assumed to be all-important, if an individual is seeking more general advice on work and life balance or time management, the context of a specific field may be less important than finding an individual with good advice and experience on such topics.
| [Sidebar] |
| Mentoring activities |
| So you've decided to become a mentor or to get one. Maybe you've already established a relationship. What next? Check our online list of activities the two of you can do together. Visit forums.machinedesign.com and scroll down to Vicki Reitz's blog. Click on the post called "Activities for mentors." Give us your ideas for good mentor relationships. |
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