Mentoring

Mentoring is a method of learning that takes place within a mutually agreed and supportive partnership between two people, the mentor (or trusted adviser) and the mentee (learner). The focus of the mentoring partnership is the skills development of the mentee.

Mentors share their experience and guide the mentee in the skills they need to develop, either for their current role or towards what is needed for a future role or career path. It can be a valuable development option for anyone, but particularly for those who are ‘career upward’.

Mentoring is found to increase staff commitment, job satisfaction and retention. The benefits are three-fold, in that mentees develop their knowledge and skills, get support to manage their career goals, develop networks and build confidence; while mentors get the opportunity to practice their development skills and share their knowledge and expertise.

The organisation benefits from the knowledge and skills shared, from improving the career support and retention of valued members of staff and from improving the internal talent for key roles. 

1. NHSGGC encourages anyone who wants to develop their skills in a particular direction to reach out to a mentor (or perhaps even more than one mentor for different skills).
2. In NHSGGC it is self-driven, that is, it is up to you to determine (often with your Line Managers support and input in PDP discussions) what skills you may benefit from to grow in your current role, or to get you ‘vacancy ready’ for a future role that you aspire to and have the potential for.
3. Identifying someone who has the level of skills and experience that you are looking to develop in yourself is the start, and your line manager may advise you on this as well. They may even help you and set up the approach to them.
4. You can also develop a ‘mentoring type’ relationship with your line manager to more naturally draw on their skills and experience, but the norm for actual Mentoring is usually with a third party, outside your own immediate department in order to get more objective support. Sometimes they may even be outside NHSGGC. 
5. You then approach the individual and explain what you are seeking help with and ask them if they would be prepared to meet you and spend some time to guide your development. This may or may not be referred to as mentoring. Many people undertake these developmental relationships without them necessarily being referred to as mentoring and they may be very informal. Otherwise a more structured and formal arrangement may be set up between you. The formality, regularity and duration of meetings is by agreement between you, it is not prescribed.
6. It is predominantly the case that when people are approached with this request they are more than happy to help you. Not everyone however may be a skilled mentor and although they may be willing to assist, you may have to guide the discussions between you to get what you need.
7. It is vital however in these relationships that you explicitly agree the ‘rules’ that are important to you, such as confidentiality, or that these are established implicitly with trust. 

LearnPro and TURAS Learn offer further information on a variety of mentoring resources and provision including learning programmes, eLearning and guidance.

You can also seek support as a Mentor from your local OD Advisor.