What mentoring could do for you

It’s a male thing
Men have long understood the importance of mentoring – historically it is their domain. Traditionally, a young male protégé will be identified by an organisational senior citizen as being a suitable candidate for initiation into the ‘old boy’s club’. This works very well indeed in old-fashioned male-dominated hierarchical organisations. However, in today’s leaner, meaner and flatter organisations old rules are being rewritten – by women.

No… it’s a woman thing
Men past their ‘sell-by-date’ continue to resist letting us into ‘the club’. So modern women are redefining the mentoring relationship. It’s not surprising: we females instinctively know just how important supportive relationships are. Women, not content to await the arrival of a mentor in shining armour, find their mentor of choice through in-house mentors, professional mentors, mentoring networks and peer-mentoring groups.

The right person
‘The real difficulty mentoring a woman is getting her to believe men are as simple-minded as they really are,’ says Dr Paul Brown, consulting clinical & organisational psychologist. The mentoring relationship will work if you choose wisely. The right mentor will have the experience and expertise to show you the ropes, serve as your guide, point you in the right direction, warn you of potential pitfalls, challenge your assumptions, and steer you away from detours and dead ends.

Research by mentor, Suzy Wales, shows that the right relationship is based on honesty, trust, openness, and understanding. With a good mentor you will learn, explore, be challenged, be criticised, and respected; and discover what about you is of value and how to put it to best use for your own satisfaction.