Mentoring

There is a lot of debate about the difference between mentoring and coaching, according to Eric Parsloe, The Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring, "Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximize their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be."

The MentorSET website posts this additional information:  “Mentoring is a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. It is an effective way of helping people to progress in their careers and is becoming increasing popular as its potential is realized. It is a partnership between two people (mentor and mentee) normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences. It is a helpful relationship based upon mutual trust and respect.

A mentor is a guide who can help the mentee to find the right direction and who can help them to develop solutions to career issues. Mentors rely upon having had similar experiences to gain an empathy with the mentee and an understanding of their issues. Mentoring provides the mentee with an opportunity to think about career options and progress.

A mentor should help the mentee to believe in herself and boost her confidence. A mentor should ask questions and challenge, while providing guidance and encouragement. Mentoring allows the mentee to explore new ideas in confidence. It is a chance to look more closely at yourself, your issues, opportunities and what you want in life. Mentoring is about becoming more self-aware, taking responsibility for your life and directing your life in the direction you decide, rather than leaving it to chance.”

As an organization that believes in the power of mentorship, Entrusted Legacy believes that there is certainly an element of coaching that goes into mentoring and also into being a positive role model.  However, we believe that the key ingredients of empathy and empowerment take mentoring a step further.  Gradual Release of Responsibility is a learning theory that for me defines the mentor-mentee relationship.  If you consider Gradual Release as a teeter-totter, in the beginning, the mentor is holding the mentee aloft and gradually, over time, releases the “hold” to the mentee, all the time supporting and scaffolding the release.  In the end, the mentee is empowered to handle it, whatever the “it” may be, on his/her own. 

Please join with Entrusted Legacy as we work to support the development of positive role models and mentors.  The ripples of this work will know no boundaries.  Contact us at support@entrustedlegacy.org