Connection and guidance can have a significant impact on our ability to be successful. There’s a strong push for independence on a global scale, where we are all encouraged to work hard and accomplish great things on our own. However, we all need a little help and support along the way, which is where mentorship can come into play.

Understanding the Essence of Mentorship

A trusting relationship rests at the core of mentorship, which is designed to be an opportunity for an experienced or knowledgeable professional to offer advice and guidance to someone just entering a new field or position. Mentoring has been proven to be very effective, especially when it comes to promoting professional growth and employee retention. This is one of the reasons why it is becoming more common across most fields and industries.

What Is Mentorship?

Mentorship is defined by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a protected relationship that involves both a knowledgeable professional and an individual who has recently entered the field. While this mentorship definition refers specifically to professional development, there also are mentorship opportunities within higher education. Any person navigating through a specific stage of their life — whether they’re working toward earning a degree or beginning a career — may benefit from mentoring.

How the Definition of Mentorship Has Evolved

According to Mentor Spaces, there can be generational differences in mentorship, which has resulted in changing perceptions of the mentoring relationship. While the traditional approach in mentoring typically has the more seasoned employees mentoring junior employees, it can be a powerful experience that can benefit both the mentor and mentee and be enhanced by technology.

Why Is Mentorship Important? Understanding the Benefits

Mentorship can provide individuals with a point of connection that exists beyond traditional, professional boundaries. It allows them to have both casual and powerful conversations related to specific skills as well as career advice.

Some of the most significant benefits of mentorship include:

Personal and Professional Growth Through Mentorship

An effective mentor-mentee relationship can result in transformational growth, allowing you to improve on a personal and professional level. The mentorship experience can help you expand your professional network, receive personalized advice and guidance, and allow you to set realistic and attainable goals.

How Mentorship Has a Positive Impact on Organizations

Developing a mentorship program not only benefits the individuals who work for an organization, but it also offers a significant return on investment for employers. Mentorship can have a positive impact on organizations by organically developing future leaders for the company and improving employee retention rates.

Benefits of Being a Mentor

The benefits of mentorship are not one-sided, mentors will find that they enjoy developing this relationship just as much as mentees. Plenty of mentors find that they enjoy having the opportunity to empower someone else in the industry and to offer insight from their own experiences. Ultimately, many mentors feel more connected to their organization and the next generation when they take on this role.

Guiding Your Path: How to Find the Right Mentor

To have an effective mentoring relationship, you need to find the right mentor. It’s important to partner with a mentor who specializes in an area of expertise that you are interested in, and who has the level of experience that you can benefit from. Depending on your industry, you will find that there are various types of mentor roles available.

Key Qualities to Look for in a Mentor

As you begin your search for a mentor, these are a few key qualities to look for:

• Empathy
• Leadership qualities
• Active listening
• Honesty
• Appreciation for continuous learning
• Positive attitude

Different Types of Mentors and Their Roles

Depending on the organization that you work for or the position that you are in, you will find that there are different mentor roles available, such as:

• Informal mentoringInformal mentoring is more spontaneous and emphasizes the importance of organic relationship development. This is a flexible form of mentoring that may provide mentees with the opportunity to work with several mentors at once.
• Formal mentoringFormal mentoring is a more structured approach to mentorship, in which individuals are specifically paired with mentors who meet a certain set of qualifications. This typically involves regular meetings, goal-setting, and an established framework for the relationship.
• Peer mentoringPeer mentoring differs from other mentorship programs because it involves pairing two individuals of similar ages or stages of their career together. It is a structured form of mentoring that aims to establish companionship and collaboration in the workplace.

Success Stories: How Mentors Have Helped Pave the Way to Success

The mentoring relationship has undoubtedly played a powerful role in helping young professionals climb the corporate ladder and achieve leadership positions in their organizations or industries. A report by The American Society of Training and Development found that 75 percent of current executives credit their success to mentoring. This highlights the importance of investing in a coaching or mentoring program.

How to Cultivate a Meaningful Mentor-Mentee Relationship

Finding the right mentor to partner with is only the first step in the process. To take advantage of all of the benefits that mentoring offers, you will want to cultivate a meaningful mentor-mentee relationship.

These are a few steps that can help you create a productive and lasting mentoring relationship:

Build Rapport and Trust

The entire mentoring relationship is built upon trust, so it’s important that you begin building that rapport immediately. You can establish trust by:

• Initiating contact and showing your enthusiasm for the relationship. This is an ideal time to talk about your goals for the relationship as well as your personal and professional goals.
• Actively listening to your mentor and asking open-ended questions that show that you are genuinely interested in their experiences and insight.
• Sharing specific projects or initiatives that you are working on and requesting feedback. As you work through professional challenges, provide your mentor with updates to show that you are listening to them and relying on their feedback.
• Maintaining contact. Check in regularly, provide your mentor with updates and offer to meet on a regular basis to continue developing the relationship.

Set Goals for Direction of the Relationship

Both you and your mentor need to agree on goals and parameters for the relationship. The SMART framework is one of the best options for goal setting in mentorship. Using this framework, you and your mentor should outline goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Nurture and Sustain the Relationship

Initiating the mentoring relationship is the first step, but you will unlock the true benefits of this experience by nurturing and sustaining it. You can cultivate a long-lasting mentoring relationship by:

• Scheduling informal check-ins, either through e-mail or videoconferencing.
• Providing your mentor with updates on projects that you are working on.
• Meeting regularly in-person to have longer, more thought-provoking conversations related to professional growth and development.

How to Navigate Challenges in Mentorship

No relationship is without conflict or challenges, and the mentoring relationship is no exception. Knowing the most common challenges in mentorship, and how to maneuver through them, can help you create a more productive and positive relationship.

Common Obstacles in Mentorship

Some of the most common challenges in mentorship include:

• Meeting regularlyBoth the mentor and mentee are usually busy professionals, and it can be difficult to find a good time to meet on a regular basis.
• Differing expectations of the relationshipIn some cases, one party or the other may expect to be meeting more frequently or may have a different idea of what the relationship should look like.
• Over-dependence on the relationshipIt’s important to keep in mind that mentoring is not an alternative form of therapy. In some cases, mentees want to speak about their emotional burdens in the workplace rather than skill development or professional growth.

Strategies to Overcome Mentorship Challenges

Recognizing the most common issues that arise can allow you to implement some of the most effective strategies for solving them, which include:

• Work on scheduling meetings in advance to ensure that both parties can find a time to meet regularly.
• Begin the mentoring relationship by outlining goals and expectations so that both people understand what the relationship will look like.

Understanding the Dynamics of Mentorship Programs

Ultimately, the success of a mentorship program depends on matching the right mentors and mentees together. As a professional, you may find that you benefit from a blend of mentorship opportunities, including both formal partnerships and informal mentorship connections.

How to Assess the Success of a Mentorship Program

To measure the success of a mentorship program, both you and your mentor need to outline achievable goals at the onset of the relationship. As you progress forward, you should be able to see the results of the work you are doing together, which may include developing new skills or advancing in your career.

How Does Mentorship Influence Career Growth?

Through mentorship, you can receive personalized guidance and support throughout your career. Your mentoring relationship could impact your career growth by:

• Allowing you to navigate through a career transition.
• Giving you an opportunity to expand your professional network.
• Helping you better understand your industry or gain insight into other related industries.

Explore Mentorship Opportunities in Higher Education at Johnson & Wales University

Johnson & Wales University offers online undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs in more than 50 fields of study. Founded in 1914, Johnson & Wales has a current enrollment of around 8,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Financial aid is available for qualified students.

For more information about completing your degree online or on-campus, complete the Request Information form, call 855-JWU-1881, or email [email protected].