Approaches to Mentoring
Mentoring has been around for ages, and is typically referred to as someone with more experience assisting someone with less experience. There have been many approaches to mentoring through the years, and the ideology has shifted over time.
01
Traditional Mentoring
A traditional mentoring model is based on the idea that a mentor is the expert and the mentee is the apprentice. All information in this approach is moving one way- from mentor to mentee (Winston & Lee, 2013). The mentee cannot provide anything to the mentor and the mentor is in complete power of the relationship. This is a more outdated approach.
02
Reverse Mentoring
A fairly new approach to mentoring, this ideology is based on the idea that a more senior person in a field turns to a younger person in the field to gain specific technical skills or knowledge (Zachary, 2012). This may occur when an older person needs assistance learning a new software program or when an account manager turns to his team to learn more about their individual roles in the company.
03
Peer Mentoring
A unique approach to mentoring where two peers mentor each other or where one peer mentors the other. Neither is a 'senior' leader, but each has a skill set that the other desires. They work together to provide each other with the knowledge they require. Both peers can serve as mentor and mentee (Zachary, 2012).
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This approach can be used in a group as well, with several peers coming together to help each other.
04
Supervisory Mentoring
This approach is based on one's supervisor becoming their mentor. As Lois Zachary (2012) discusses, a supervisory mentor partnership does not work as a formal mentor-mentee relationship. Typically, supervisors will mentor or coach their employees on a sporadic basis, giving them advice and encouraging them to grow in their career.
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Zachary suggests clearly establishing your roles and responsibilities in this relationship to ensure success, and be mindful of role conflicts.
05
Group Mentoring
Similar to peer mentoring, this approach is about a group of individuals who mentor each other. It can also be that one person mentors a group of individuals as a facilitator. The facilitator asks questions to provoke critical thinking and problem solving, and provides feedback to the group (Zachary, 2012).
06
Personal Board of Directors
This approach is called a Personal Board of Directors because one person will hand-pick several personal mentors to guide them during transitions (Zachary, 2012). This provides the mentee with feedback and perspectives from multiple people at one time, giving a much more objective picture to the problem at hand.
07
Distance/Virtual Mentoring
In a world of new technology (especially post-pandemic), distance and virtual mentoring is important (Zachary, 2012; Winston & Lee, 2013). This does not have to require only synchronous meetings, but can include telephone, text, and e-mail conversations. These all assist in providing the mentor and mentee with the opportunity to connect to each other while working with their schedules.