Mentoring Defined

A developmental relationship

Mentoring is a developmental relationship between a more experienced individual, a mentor, and a less experienced partner, a mentee. Through regular interactions, the mentee relies on the mentor’s guidance to gain skills, perspective, and experience.

Though people often use coaching and mentoring interchangeably, they are not the same thing. A coach usually has power over the individual they are coaching. Coaches often have a vested interest in the individual performing well.

Mentors provide guidance & share knowledge

A mentor has no power over the mentee. They are there to provide advice, share knowledge, and guide the mentee into discovering the paths that will be most beneficial to his or her development. A mentoring relationship is a two-way street with each of the participants learning from the experience.

We have learned that mentoring succeeds when it is:

• Mentee-driven and mentor-guided
• Reciprocal with active learning
• Recognized as different from managing, performance coaching, or sponsoring
• Voluntary and confidential
• Structured and formal

Learn how structured mentoring benefits individuals, mentors, and companies.