Characteristics mentor

As you will be able to see shortly, each of these learning sources is distinct from mentoring. In the following sections, we will take a brief look at the characteristics of each of those listed above, as well as mentoring, in order to highlight the differences between them. 

Mentoring relationships provide an effective method of learning by avoiding the limitations of traditional teaching and learning methods. The unique positive characteristics associated with mentoring as a development method are as follows ... 

What are the characteristics of graduate mentors These will depend very much on the focus of the scheme. In terms of organizational level, for example, a more experienced peer-mentor would probably suffice if the purpose of the scheme is induction only. If, however, the purpose of the scheme is to identify and stimulate high-potential employees, the mentor might have to be one or two ranks more senior than the graduate. This would allow for more qualified decisions to... 

Although expatriate mentors have to possess many of the characteristics required by all mentors (see Chapter 5), they will need to display certain additional qualities. For example, expatriation mentors should ideally ... 

What are the characteristics associated with mentors of high flyers They are likely to be ... 

Once again, in addition to having to possess the mentor characteristics detailed in Chapter 5, the prerequisite of the mentor in a professional development scheme is, of course, that he or she must possess in-depth knowledge about the particular type of competency that is to be developed. 

In other respects, the nature of these types of relationships, and therefore the mentor characteristics, can be quite variable. For example, mentoring relationships could follow a reverse mentoring model, in which the mentor is potentially (much) younger but certainly more junior than the mentee. Many senior mentees view reverse mentoring as a unique opportunity and are fully conscious of the fact that having a yoimger mentor is not a humiliation but a benefit. 

Because of the vast differences between schemes regarding the characteristics of the mentee group, it is impossible to generalize about mentee selection criteria. In contrast to that, there do appear to be certain criteria for recruiting mentors that apply to the majority of schemes. These are ... 

So far, this book has explored the foundations of mentoring. This has included an exploration of its definition and history, its advantages and disadvantages, and the distinction between mentoring and other developmental approaches. In Chapter 3 we also took a close-up look at a variety of mentoring schemes. We identified their differing objectives, the characteristics of their mentors, and the benefits associated with each scheme for mentees and organization. 

You might also occasionally stop and ponder over a specific characteristic, wondering why a mentor has to possess it. The answer to that will always be the same all of the mentor characteristics described in this chapter are important to enable mentees to take charge of their learning. They are important to help mentees develop their own solutions, make their own decisions and become independent learners. To achieve this, mentors must be capable of ... 

The next section entails a description of effective mentor characteristics, which is mainly based on research conducted by David Clutterbuck over several years and involving many mentoring pairs (Clutterbuck, 2000). Following this, mentee characteristics and behaviours that help mentees to gain the most from developmental mentoring relationships are outlined. Destructive mentee behaviours will also be considered. The last... 

We will consider the following essential mentor characteristics over the next few pages ... 

Besides mentor and mentee characteristics, there are other factors that influence the extent to which mentees can benefit from a mentoring relationship ... 

Table 5.2 Useful mentee characteristics and behaviours for developmental mentoring...

Apart from these characteristics, additional criteria for mentor selection will be discussed in Chapter 8. 

To benefit from mentoring relationships, mentees also need to display a range of characteristics and behaviours that enable this to happen. These include an internal locus of control and its behavioural manifestation of taking charge of the mentoring relationship. Furthermore, an interest in developing themselves and the ability to respect confidential information are also important. 

That said, like mentors, no mentee is perfect either. In selecting mentees for your scheme, it is therefore pivotal to be on the lookout for negative mentee behaviours as well as the positive characteristics - be cautious about choosing mentees who display too many of these to too great an extent ... 

In the last part of this chapter we also highlighted factors other than mentor and mentee characteristics that influence the extent to which a mentee benefits from a mentoring association. Thus, experience-needs match between mentor and mentee is a vital contributor to a mentee s gains, as is (potentially) their membership of a particular national culture. 

It is vital for the success of your scheme to provide mentors, mentees and other relevant parties with first-rate mentoring training. In fact, the absence of such is a characteristic of many a scheme that has failed. Unless you have in-house trainers with substantial experience in mentoring and mentoring training, it is best to use external trainers who specialize in this area. Due to their experience, they will be more capable of answering questions and better equipped to respond to challenging situations. 

Characteristics of mentors For instance, a peer versus a senior member a line-manager versus another manager an older person versus a younger one... 

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