Feb 6, 2008

What is mentoring?

The word 'mentoring comes from the Greek myth where Odysseus entrusts the education of his son to his friend Mentor.

 

The CIPD defines mentoring as the long term passing on of support, guidance and advice.

 

In the workplace it has tended to describe a relationship in which a more experienced colleague uses their greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff.

 

It is also a form of apprenticeship, whereby an inexperienced learner learns the tricks of the trade from an experienced colleague, backed-up as in modern apprenticeship by offsite training.