Developmental mentoring is concerned with co-learning and helping someone make better decisions and grow in wisdom, as a result of deeper self-awareness. Instead of having a protégé, as is the case in Sponsorship Mentoring, this kind of mentoring uses the term mentee, to place less emphasis on any difference in power.
Lis Merrick defined Developmental Mentoring in 2005 as:
The role of the mentor is one of support to the mentee. The mentor will listen and give advice and guidance, when it is appropriate. Mentoring focuses on developing capability by working with the mentee’s goals to help them realise their potential. The mentee is responsible for their learning and development and setting the direction and goals for the relationship. The flow of learning is two-way in a mentoring relationship and the mentor often gains as much as the mentee. (Merrick, 2005)
Organisations can use mentoring to step-up and take the lead on climate change now, rather than wait for governments to impose regulations, which will be too late! The biophysical underpinnings of our world are all threatened by accelerating climate change and the speed and scale of sustainability efforts have been inadequate to date.
A quick glance at what has happened to women in the last year during the global pandemic. Some of this impact is as a result of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. However, the continued systemic inequalities which still persist in our society and working environments are still very relevant.
The backbone of many organisations and a key resource for many leaders and managers are the office professionals. But are your PAs/EAs “forgotten workers” when it comes to tapping into their abilities and providing opportunities for development and progression? What can you do in your organisation to help motivate and develop this vital resource?
Once again in 2019, we’ve been supporting International Women’s Day with a variety of new blogs on women’s development and mentoring. However, there are some previous very relevant women’s mentoring articles that you might have missed. So here’s a summary of some of our favourites. Enjoy! Continue reading
Don’t choose the Ego Strokers!So how should you organise mentor selection for your mentoring programme and actually what makes a really great and effective mentor?
These are two critical questions I get asked frequently. Here is the wisdom of over twenty years supporting mentoring programmes. It cuts through some of the mystique and confusion around mentor selection and gives my view of what makes a really great mentor. Continue reading
In the last two decades, many employers have shown enthusiastic commitment to gender diversity. Women have made enormous strides in being able to compete on the same playing field as men at work. This is where initiatives such as mentoring and sponsor programmes have been really successful in helping erode this gender imbalance and create more gender equity. Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs. All the research strongly confirms this as being an important factor in developing more women leaders. So let us consider:
As long ago as 2005, Brewster et al defined talent management as occurring on a global basis. It is a far broader concept than a series of international assignments for young potential. They describe a picture of being able to retain and attract the best talent anywhere in the world. Global brands like Diageo, Shell and Rolls Royce attach great importance to developing a positive brand for potential recruits.
Read on, or watch the video, to learn more about a model on Talent Management and Mentoring that I developed with my colleague, Lis Merrick.
With summer just around the corner, it is a good time to health check your mentoring programme to ensure it’s in tip-top condition to keep it going over the holiday months and into the autumn. Effective formal mentoring needs nurturing and energising to deliver the best outcomes. So, whether you are an external consultant or an internal co-ordinator, freshen up your mentoring programme before people drift off on their holiday.
Watch Lis Merrick’s mentoring programme health tips and download the free Infographic. Continue reading
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