Celebrating Mentoring

In this article, we look at the benefits of mentoring, plus some of the barriers to becoming a mentor and how to overcome these.      

There are many definitions of and approaches to mentoring; the Education Training Foundation’s mentoring framework and approach are focused on a process that involves teachers and trainers supporting colleagues on a one-to-one basis, over a sustained period, to bring about professional learning and development. 

Whilst some people draw a clear distinction between mentoring and coaching, we envisage that a trained and skilful mentor can adopt a wide range of techniques, including both mentoring and coaching activities, which they draw on in dynamic response to the individual needs of the mentee. For these reasons, we use the term mentoring in its broadest sense, which includes coaching and other helping behaviours. Our definitions are based on ideas presented by Hobson and Maxwell (2020). We advocate developmental mentoring, which is:  

  • nurturing in nature 
  • rooted in collaboration and support 
  • adaptable to the individual needs of the mentee 
  • not simply a transfer of knowledge from one to another. 

There is a large body of research literature that highlights the benefits of developmental mentoring for enabling professional learning and development, especially when adopted in the context of a broader learning culture. The research indicates this approach can have a positive impact on practitioners’ wellbeing and career development. 

It also improves the leadership, communication, management skills and confidence for both the mentee and the mentor. 

 

Barriers for potential mentors 

For a successful mentoring programme, there needs to be commitment and clear, shared expectations from both mentors and mentees.  As many people are keen to develop their skills, knowledge and ultimately their careers, it can be easier to identify mentees whilst identifying suitable mentors can be more difficult.  

The perceived barriers to becoming a mentor can include: time, skills, experience and a lack of confidence in their own ability. 

  • Time – as a potential mentor, you will no doubt have many demands on your time and may be concerned that you could be signing up to an open-ended commitment.  It is therefore important that at the start of a mentoring relationship, you set out the time commitment you would be comfortable giving. Setting shared expectations and boundaries at the start of a mentoring relationship is called contracting. 
  • Skills – a successful mentor will have the following skills or qualities: active listening; building trust; developing others’ capabilities; and providing inspiration. They also need the ability to help their mentee identify goals against their current reality, ask reflective questions, give constructive feedback, manage risks and open doors.  Ultimately, the mentor’s role is to listen to, guide and support their mentee.   
  • Experience – as a potential mentor you may not yet be experienced in this field, but this is your chance to gain the experience!  You have already walked some, if not all, of the path that the mentee is looking to walk, and will have a lot of wisdom, knowledge and connections which will benefit the mentee. But it’s not just about sharing this, and definitely not about telling them what to do. As a mentor, you will listen and support them to forge their own path. 
  • Lack of confidence – a key barrier to becoming a mentor can be a lack of self-confidence.  Regardless of your own areas for development, you will still have plenty of areas where you can support, advise and guide a mentee. We are all on a learning journey. In the words of Henry Ford: “Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable”. 

Through mentoring, the mentor will learn much about themselves – their own strengths and areas for development; and they will learn from the mentee – reverse mentorship.   

Often mentorship can be seen as hierarchical, but in truth, everyone needs mentorship. A senior executive may understand business strategy but may be less likely to understand Instagram, for example. That’s where mentorship can truly benefit both the mentor and mentee. 

 

Explore MentorMe

As an ETF member, you get exclusive access to MentorMe, our peer-to-peer mentoring platform, allowing you to conect with other FE and skills professionals within membership as a Mentor, a Mentee, or both!

Our mentoring platofrm is designed to help you network and get the best out of a mentoring relationship. The platform matches mentees with mentors based on interests, skills and expertise - and vice versa. Find out more about MentorMe.