Purpose of mentorship

Are you able to define the purpose of mentorship yet?

The purpose of mentoring is always to help the mentee to change something – to improve their performance, to develop leadership qualities, to develop their partnership skills, to realise their vision….  – Turner

 

That’s not enough, though, to convey the full power of mentorship and the massive responsibility of the mentor.

Consider the following definition of mentoring:

Mentoring is a collaborative learning relationship between individuals who share mutual responsibility and accountability for helping the mentee work toward the fulfilment of clear and mutually defined learning goals. Mentoring is used to assist individuals at specific stages of development or transition and lasts for a sustained but defined period of time. The mentoring relationship provides a developmental opportunity for both parties and can thus be of mutual benefit. –Zachary

 

Ultimately, mentorship is a mutually developmental partnership.  Its power is to create a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration, achievement of goals, and problem solving. This power is realized only when the mentoring process is reciprocal, ie when both parties interact with and acknowledge each other. BOTH parties gain access to information, ideas and new ways of doing things. The synergy created within this relationship is what sets mentoring apart from teaching, induction, instruction and coaching.

 

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