Developmental mentoring

Figure 1.1 illustrates the four main goals of mentoring. In this respect it is important to note that developmental mentoring emphasizes self-reliance, learning and support more than sponsorship, whilst it is the other way round in sponsorship mentoring. 

The statement that developmental mentoring emphasizes self-managed learning is not to say that mentoring in Europe is never... 

To complete the discussion regarding the American and European approaches to mentoring, we would like to introduce the terminology that shall from hereon be used to describe these North American mentoring will from now on be referred to as sponsorship mentoring, whilst European mentoring will be called developmental mentoring. 

The definition most endorsed by the authors of this book is that developmental mentoring is ... 

In Figure 1.3, the behaviours associated with sponsorship mentoring are mainly located in the upper right-hand quarter. The behaviours associated with developmental mentoring are more evenly spread across all four quarters of the axes. 

Business mentoring is regarded and practised somewhat differently in Europe and North America whilst sponsorship mentoring is embraced in many American companies, European firms tend to embrace developmental mentoring, the latter also being the concept endorsed by the authors of this... 

Case study 3.7 illustrates a cross-cultural pilot mentoring scheme set in a Western company located in Borneo. It is interesting to note that this type of mentoring may be both more difficult as well as different to other programs. For instance, due to cultural variations, Malay mentees were not so comfortable with the focus on self-managed learning within developmental mentoring - mentors were expected to be much more proactive than in a European environment. 

Similarly, to be a good developmental mentor certain prerequisites must also be fulfilled. Key competencies that a mentor should possess include well-developed communication skills, self-awareness and a genuine belief in the mentee s potential. For many mentoring... 

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... 

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

Acceptance of input from outside the hierarchy. Mentees are likely to be open to entering a developmental mentoring relationship with a mentor who stems from any environment - perhaps from another department or external to the company. Adherence to hierarchy. Mentees are likely to seek input from people who are in a more or less direct line relationship with them - e.g. their line-manager or his or her boss. Developmental input from an external source is unlikely to be accepted. 

Since the primary purpose of developmental mentoring is to foster self-reliance, dissolving the association tends to be less painful than in sponsorship mentoring. 

Throughout this book we have emphasized that within developmental mentoring the main responsibility for the relationships... 

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