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O P I N I O N
T he mentoring partnership is an agreement between two people to share experiences and expertise to help with the personal and professional growth of the person being mentored. Live and learn Mentorships are supposed to be two-way streets, so when you consider your program, make sure you make the right connections.
Though supervisors obviously mentor their supervisees, this is not what we’re talking about here. In a formal mentorship program, the pairings are outside of the traditional supervisory relationship so that the employee is assured that whatever s/he brings up will not affect her or his performance evaluation. If possible, the partnership should be separate from the chain of command to ensure an open and honest dialogue. It works best if there are at “Mentors must be willing to spend time with the mentee to develop a good working relationship that is trusting and honest.”
least two grade levels between them, but can also be comprised of folks who are at the same grade level and even a veteran employee whose status is below the mentee’s, if the discussion is focused on specific areas of expertise that are held by an employee at any level. What does it mean to be a mentor? 1) Mentors need to have the desire to share what they have learned during their careers. 2) Mentors must be willing to spend time with the mentee to develop a good working relationship that is trusting and honest. 3) Good mentors must be able to offer a reality check when necessary. 4)They must be willing to work with the mentee to
Gerri King CONSULTANT’S CORNER
See GERRI KING, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER October 3, 2016, ISSUE 1170
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