The value of mentoring for line managers
Featured in the People Development Methods training manual
By Beverley Williams
Category: People Management and Motivation
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
Mentoring has always been practised informally, allowing inexperienced people to benefit from the knowledge, skills and guidance of those in more senior positions. Increasing numbers of organisations are using formal mentoring schemes because of the benefits to the individuals involved and also to the organisation as a whole. There are potential problems; for example, an appointed mentor who isn’t committed to the development of the protégé can undermine confidence. This training activity encourages participants to look at the mentoring process from an objective point of view and to consider how it could be implemented within their own organisation.
Begin this training activity by encouraging the participants to define the term ‘mentor’ and then move on to elicit their ideas on the role of the mentor. You ask participants with personal experiences of a mentor to share their thoughts on the benefits – and possibly the drawbacks – of the relationship. You divide the participants into groups of three or four and they discuss issues surrounding mentoring and reach conclusions. You then reconvene the whole group and lead a plenary discussion, questioning where appropriate to ensure that their conclusions have been reached logically. You take key learning points from the participants before distributing a key learning points handout and commenting on its contents where appropriate.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to enable participants to examine the benefits, costs and practicalities of mentoring.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 10 |
| Typical Duration: | 01:40:00 |
| No of Pages: | 11 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers with line managers who are involved in the development of others. Ideally, participants will have already covered, ‘Investigating development methods’, prior to taking part in this training activity.
Download the training activity, The value of mentoring for line managers as featured in the Fenman training manual; People Development Methods