The Pros and Cons of Mentoring

When reflecting on one's past mentoring experiences, everyone can recall when it went well and why, and when it didn't go so well and why.  However, it helps to know more about how to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of being in a mentoring relationship.  Here are some resources to help you think more about mentoring and, more generally, working well with others.

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Zachary compares mentorship to a forest. When trees start growing again in a forest where there were trees before, the roots of the trees that went before help to strengthen the roots of the trees now growing. The trees now growing end up having stronger and deeper roots. Consequently, these trees are better able to help younger trees that are growing nearby because their stronger and more extensive root system helps the root system of these younger trees to grow strong.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A MENTOR DISCUSSED IN THE MENTOR'S GUIDE?

Reflection:

The habit of critical reflection when mentoring can be internalized and carry over to additional aspects of one's life, enriching and bringing more satisfaction to other relationships and activities.

Renewal:

The enthusiasm and excitement of one's mentee can give a renewed sense of purpose and a boost of energy to one's own work and life.

Videos to Watch With Your Mentee

 Organizations are often run according to "the superchicken model," where the value is placed on star employees who outperform others. And yet, this isn't what drives the most high-achieving teams. Business leader Margaret Heffernan observes that it is social cohesion — built every coffee break, every time one team member asks another for help — that leads over time to great results. It's a radical rethink of what drives us to do our best work, and what it means to be a leader. Because as Heffernan points out: "Companies don't have ideas. Only people do."
Patrick has worked as a consultant, executive coach and educator since 2004 in organisations ranging from Gonzaga College to Trinity College Dublin, Deloitte to Diageo. He has served on senior leadership teams in the not-for-profit sector and worked in human capital and strategy consulting. Patrick’s work at Conexus helps organisations to bridge the generation gap between high potentials and their leaders, creating communication, engagement and high performance in the workplace. His particular expertise lies in the areas of Generation Y (millennial) coaching, senior team coaching and conflict resolution. In addition, through his role as consultant with the Authentic Leadership Institute, Patrick facilitates senior leaders to discover their deeper purpose and find the courage to live it through coaching and leadership development programmes. Patrick is a member of the Association for Coaching in Ireland and the British Psychological Society in the UK.
Mentorship isn’t something that is done to you. Rather, mentorship is something you do for yourself, with the help of other people. Doug has unlocked the secret of mentorship in the digital age and has used it to develop more (and faster) than he ever thought possible. Doug’s story is one that inspires and challenges people to take responsibility for their life and become what they were meant to be. Why is mentorship so elusive? When will someone mentor me? How do I find a mentor? Using the power of personal accountability, Doug Stewart has been able to answer these questions for himself and he offers an opportunity for you to do the same.

CONSIDER THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED REASONS WHY MENTORING FAILS: 

See below from in Further Investigation of Protégés’ Negative Mentoring Experiences Patterns and Outcomes by Eby and Allen (2002) the most common reasons people have negative mentoring experiences.

Negative Mentoring Experiences - Highest Mean Percentage Reported Frequency to Lowest: 

  • Bad fit/mismatched values
  • Mismatched personalities
  • Mismatched workstyles
  • Distancing behavior/Exclusion
  • Neglect
  • Self-absorption *
  • Manipulative behavior
  • Abuse of power
  • Credit taking *
  • Sabotage
  • Overt deceit
  • Don't have the expertise needed *
  • Interpersonally lacking
  • Bad attitude/dysfunctional person
  • Personal problems

* Highest reported "Very Frequently to Almost Always" frequencies