Advance Your Career Through Mentoring
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Mentoring is most often defined as a professional relationship in which an expert, the mentor, who has experience and wisdom, assists a novice, the mentee, to gain knowledge, skills, and experience that will contribute to the mentee’s professional growth. American businessman John Crosby describes the concept as “a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction”.



What are the benefits? Mentoring can benefit both the mentor and the mentee. A study, conducted by Sun with Bellevue University’s Human Capital Lab and Capital Analytics, found that those who were mentored were promoted five times more often than those who were not. Mentors, themselves, were promoted six times more often than their counterparts who were not mentors.



How does the process work? M.E.M.O.R.A.B.L.E. is an acronym that describes the framework of a mentoring relationship developed by David Pease, an Executive Vice President for Androscoggin Bank and an adjunct faculty for Thomas College.



M=Mutual Trust- The mentor and mentee begin with an agreement setting the expectations and establishing specific objectives. The process works best when the mentee does not directly report to the mentor.



E=Expand and Challenge Thinking- The role of the mentor is to expand the mentee’s thinking through modeling, sharing, and facilitating. The mentee’s role is to learn by observing, questioning, and exploring.



M=Meaningful Feedback- Both the mentor and the mentee agree on a feedback model to be used. Criticism is part of mentoring but needs to be given in a positive, constructive manner.



O= Offer alternatives- The mentor has an opportunity for teaching by offering options for the mentee to test analytical and problem-solving skills.



R=Reflection- An effective mentoring relationship will help the mentee to reflect on past choices, and examine personal limitations.



A=Action Plans- The key to results is having formal, written goals. Evaluation of progress should be discussed at each session.



B=Be Selfless-Both mentors and mentees must have a strong commitment to participate in the relationship. Mentors shouldn’t enter into a program unless they have the desire to help someone grow and develop.



L=Learn from each other- Both parties can learn throughout the process. Mentees are adding to their skills, experience, and knowledge while mentors are honing their mentoring abilities.



E=Extend the development-Mentor relationships have a limited duration. When the process has reached a plateau, it is time to transition to extend the development beyond the relationship. The mentor’s role now becomes to help the mentee identify the next steps to continue the learning process.



Mentoring can be a wonderful way to develop and grow in your career. If you have never participated in this type of relationship, I highly encourage you to consider it. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”