Mentoring relationships aren't for everyone and may not be appropriate for every stage of your career. The mentor can also share their experience to help the student understand a particular work situation. However, it presents a clear logic for building a conversation about development guidance or development mentoring. The mentor helps the student to develop their understanding quickly or to support their ongoing professional development.
The goddess Athena appeared to Telemachus disguised as a Mentora and advised him to confront his mother Penelope's suitors, hence the idea of a “mentor” as a wise guide and counselor. The conversation model emerged in the early 1990s, based on the observation of mentors in a variety of contexts, but particularly on workshops aimed at improving existing mentoring skills. However, a good and productive mentoring relationship with the right person will provide tremendous benefits for both of you. The mentor and student may decide to continue working together, especially if the relationship has been productive and useful for both of them.
It requires the mentor to listen to, encourage, reflect, and question assumptions and, if necessary, provide critical feedback on the ideas or plans being discussed. Unlike a management relationship, mentoring relationships tend to be voluntary by both parties, although it is considered possible for a line manager to also be a mentor for the people he directs. The mentor can use counseling skills, such as active listening, reflection and clarification, to help the student understand their own processes. It's worth spending time finding a suitable mentor if you think this would be useful for your learning and development.
The role of critical friend is one of the most important mentoring roles, although the most difficult to perform successfully. Coaching and mentoring require some very specific skills, especially focused on facilitating and empowering others, and on building good relationships.
