National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January since 2002 to promote youth mentoring in the United States.
Youth who have a mentor are more likely to:
- Attend and engage in school
- Complete their education, including college
- Have more positive relationships and attitudes
Mentoring among adults in business can also be a highly positive, mutually beneficial experience. With the goals of personal and professional development, an experienced individual will share knowledge, experience, and advice with a less experienced person. The relationship should be based on mutual respect and trust. It can offer benefits, personally and professionally, for both the mentor and the mentee.
Benefits to the mentee are expected, and some that are reported include:
- Provides impartial advice and encouragement
- Develops a supportive relationship
- Assists with problem solving
- Improves self-confidence
- Offers professional development
- Encourages reflection on practice
- Learn from the experience of others
- Become more empowered to make decisions
- Identify goals and establish a sense of direction
- Career advancement
There are many benefits to the mentor as well:
- Opportunity to reflect on own practice
- Enhances job satisfaction
- Develops professional relationships
- Enhances peer recognition
- It uses your experience, making it available to a new person
- It widens your understanding of the organization and the way it works
- It enables you to practice interpersonal skills
- It provides personal satisfaction through supporting the development of others
- Builds leadership skills
- Improves communication skills
- Advance your own career
- Learn new perspectives
In short, mentoring can be a positive and productive experience for all involved. Whether you feel a need for guidance or feel you have experience to lend, consider a mentoring relationship to help you develop both personally and professionally.
Resources:
Mentoring: A Mutually Beneficial Partnership
Celebrate National Mentoring Month