This blog has talked a lot about the formal mentoring relationship, but we often find ourselves in informal mentoring relationships as well. Which is better? There may not be a good answer to that. In the formal mentoring relationship, there is a special emphasis on the development of the mentee involving what the mentee sees as his needs for development. In the informal relationship, the mentor may give the mentee advice many times or just once. Things are much more relaxed and it could be that the mentor or the mentee is no fully aware that he or she is in a mentoring relationship at all. The mentor may see something that the mentee is doing and feel the need to offer advice. Or the mentee may need help and asks questions of the mentor. Neither actually asks to begin a mentoring relationship.
There is room for both types of relationships. If the mentee is seeking ongoing help to improve an area of his life, the formal mentoring relationship is better because it gives both people a chance to set their goals for the relationship. If the mentee is just seeking occasional help, the informal relationship is better.
1 comment:
Interesting post. My personal view is both sides need to be flexible and really listen to each other to get the most out of it.
Kate x
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