Report on Mentoring

Guiding Hands : Mentors , Coaches , and Counselors

MENTORSHIP

Mentorship has been defined as the professional relationship between mentor and protygy or subordinate . However , what sets a mentorship apart from counselors and coaches is that there is a higher level of emotional and personal investment in this type of relationship (Crosby , 1999 Colonel Thomas Kolditz (2000 , a military psychologist and professor of behavior science at the U .S . Military Academy , defines mentorship as people who go beyond a typical senior-subordinate relationship the relationship is professional in focus but personal in tone . A mentor

br provides valuable coaching , teaching , networking , advising , and evaluating (Collins , Dial , Martin Reed , 2002 as well as vocational knowledge , socio- psychological knowledge , and serves as a role model (Scandura , 1992 . This is similar to the apprenticeship system so common in older times . For some , mentors service is greater to the organization when institutional knowledge is preserved (Kent , 2001 . There have been several definitions given to the responsibilities of mentorship but the bottom line is the position calls for a duty that supports the subordinate 's optimum development of their potential needed for a successful growth within the organization

The process of establishing mentorship in organizations in to attract , develop , and retain employees in a given profession would prove more advantageous for organizations struggling to keep their talented workers . However , Akande (1992 ) warns that organizations should be cautious of some mentoring programs . Some mentors have a single school of thought , and they may impose those beliefs in their protygys , and mold them to become carbon copies . There is a risk that knowledge theories , and beliefs will be duplicated through the behaviors and commitment of their protygy . This is human nature and can be easily remedied with careful monitoring . Benishek et al (2004 ) found that not all formal research on mentoring is positive these findings support Akande 's warnings of implementing a formal organizational mentorship program

Regardless of the issues surrounding mentorship , many professionals and researchers agree on its capabilities , which cannot be accomplished without collaboration and constant communication between mentor and protygy . This is needed to build a higher level of commitment it also allows the protygy to battle social and cultural barriers and identify a positive self-image while discovering his /her place in the work place and society at large . In a survey of executive professionals , 80 of them proclaimed that the measure of a successful mentorship program hinges upon the willingness and generosity of the mentor to share knowledge and experiences (Reid , 1994

Mentor Selection

It has been suggested that the solidification of the protygy 's identity and self- image is strengthened through the selection of his /her mentor Generally , mentors select protygys based on gender , social class , race and culture identities In his research , Reid (1994 ) found that most mentors , who were white and college graduates , tend to choose protygys that that are similar their own social and cultural backgrounds . Other studies support the notion that mentors select their protygys based on their willingness to learn , coupled...