Mentoring: a learning relationship to foster change

Mentoring is a learning relationship, the aim of which is to promote change and development (Connor and Pokora, 2007; Gopee, 2008). A ‘traditional’ mentoring relationship tends towards hierarchy, where the mentor, who is seen as senior to the mentee, concentrates on ‘telling’ and influencing (Clutterbuck, 2004; Holt and Ladwa, 2009a). In contrast, a contemporary mentoring relationship is ‘developmental’ and mentee-centred. In this relationship, the mentor empowers, enables and facilitates the mentee towards autonomy of learning, and setting his or her own agenda towards personal and professional growth (Connor and Pokora, 2007; Holt and Ladwa, 2009a; Kay and Hinds, 2009). A successful ‘developmental’ mentoring encounter can benefit both mentor and mentee in learning and development outcomes (Bayley et al. 2004; Connor and Pokora, 2007; Kay and Hinds, 2009). Where mentorship programmes are imposed, or where roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined, individuals may lack motivation, and the process may lack direction, contributing to failure (Bayley et al. 2004; Clutterbuck, 2004; Connor and Pokora, 2007).