10 Myths and Facts About Mentorship

A mentor gives advice and guides someone less experienced and successful, for example, a mentee.

Mentoring can be an excellent way for a mentee to develop skills, gain experience, receive feedback, and get exposure to people, processes and events that they might not be used to in their daily work. Most mentors also gain significant benefits for themselves as well.

But there are myths surrounding mentorship that should be addressed, here are some of them:

 

1. It is best if the protege selects mentors.

That's a recipe for disaster. Proteges usually choose people they like as their mentors, as opposed to an expert that will help them develop their skills.

Usually, being paired up according to the talents of mentors and the needs of mentee works better.

Mentorship should focus on the development of the mentee.

2. Mentors and mentee usually work together for many years. 

This myth is false. According to a study, the most effective length of a mentoring relationship is between six months and a year.

 

3. Mentors and mentee pairings work best when both have similar interests and styles.

The goal of the relationship is to develop and learn, so similar interests and styles are not essential, and usually, both learn more when styles and interests are not the same.

 

4. Mentoring works best when it is an informal process. 

While the mentoring process should not be too strict, it works better when there is a set of guidelines. The guidelines help set expectations for both the mentor and the mentee.

 

5. Same-gender pairings usually work out best for a mentoring relationship.

According to research, the diverse perspectives of an opposite gender pairing are more beneficial.

 

6. Mentorship is only for high-potential employees. 

Mentorship is for everyone. The most crucial element is to match up the needs of the mentees with the skills and abilities of the mentors. But, organisations cannot always provide mentors for all workers, so high potential employees are usually chosen.

Anyone can participate in a mentorship program.

7. One of the primary roles of a mentor is a counsellor.

The mentor's primary roles do not include being a counsellor. There may be occasions to discuss approaches to specific situations, but the result of the mentorship should be developmental.

 

8. To be successful, mentoring must be done face-to-face. 

This statement is plain untrue. Though introductory sessions are most beneficial done face-to-face, subsequent sessions can be done just as effectively virtually with excellent outcomes.

 

9. Mentoring is a significant investment of time for the mentor. 

Not necessarily. Usually, mentors are very busy people and are asked by many others to guide them. Hence, their role should be to provide guidance and direction to the mentee, and the amount of time spent by both parties should be agreed upon upfront.

 

10. Mentoring works best when the mentor and mentee are in different fields. 

This myth can be either true or false, as it depends on the desired outcome. If the skills needed are function-specific (i.e. marketing skills), then it will be helpful to have the mentor be in the same field given they are not in the same organisation. If, on the other hand, the desired outcome is something more general such as specific leadership qualities, then it may be more beneficial to have the pairs be from different fields to give a broader perspective.

 

Many of these mentoring myths need to be addressed, so employers and managers understand the importance of mentorship.

Source: About.com

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