What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a personal enhancement strategy that encourages the sharing of known resources, expertise, values, skills, perspectives and experiences.
It involves a mentor (experienced individual) and a mentee (learner) and is based upon encouragement, constructive comments, openness, mutual trust, respect and a willingness to share and learn from expertise and experiences.
The mentee is able to build skills and knowledge, and develop goals for their professional development.
The mentor also benefits from being able to share expertise and continuously reassess how to improve and build upon their skills and knowledge.
What does research show?
Research shows mentoring can have a positive influence on mentees, mentors and organisations in areas of professional development, productivity, promotion and retention.
Professional development
- In a recent (2009) independent survey of 59 of the 79 Local Government CEOs in Victoria, 88% identified professional mentoring programs as one of the best ways to develop the skills required to become a CEO in Local Government (Source: Metropolis Research)
- In a further survey of 232 potential CEOs in Local Government in Victoria, 80% identified professional mentoring programs as one of the best ways to develop the skills required to become a CEO in Local Government (Source: Metropolis Research)
- More than 60% of students listed mentoring as a criterion for selecting an employer after graduation (Source: MMHA)
Productivity
- 71% of Fortune 500 companies use mentoring to ensure learning occurs in their organisations (Source: ASTD)
- 95% of mentoring participants said the experience motivated them to do their very best (Source: The War for Talent by Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones & Beth Axelrod)
Promotion
- 75% of senior officers attribute mentoring to playing a key role in their careers (Source: ASTD)
- CEOs attribute mentoring as one of the top three factors affecting career growth (Source: AccountTemps survey of Fortune 500 companies)
Retention
- 77% of companies say mentoring programs increase staff retention (Source: The Center for Creative Leadership)
- 62% of employees who receive mentoring said they are very likely to stay with their current employer (Source: Yellowbrick)
Program Intake & Training Dates
Series 1 (2010)
- Program Orientation Day - Tuesday 9th February 2010 (full day)
- Facilitated 1st Mentoring Session (optional) - Tuesday 23rd February 2010 (9.30-11.30am)
- Mid-Program Review Workshop - Thursday 10 June 2010 (9.00am to 1.00pm)
- Final Program Debrief Workshop - Wednesday 13 October 2010 (9.00am to 1.00pm)
Series 2 (2010)
- Program Orientation Day - Thursday 13 May 2010 (full day)
- Facilitated 1st Mentoring Session (optional) - Thursday 27th May 2010 (9.30-11.30am)
- Mid-Program Review Workshop - Thursday 9th September 2010 (9.00am to 1.00pm)
- Final Program Debrief Workshop - Tuesday 1 February 2011 (9.00am to 1.00pm)
Series 3 (2010)
- Program Orientation Day - Thursday 12 August 2010 (full day)
- Facilitated 1st Mentoring Session (optional) - Thursday 26th August 2010 (9.30-11.30am)
- Mid-Program Review Workshop - Wednesday 8th December 2010 (9.00am to 1.00pm)
- Final Program Debrief Workshop - Wednesday 20 April 2011 (9.00am to 1.00pm)
