The mentor role and skills required

The mentor role is principally that of a non-judgemental friend and colleague, who can be a source of challenge, support, insight and advice. To be successful, the relationship between mentor and mentored must be open and confidential. Trust, rapport and mutual respect allow the mentored to feel safe and confident to discuss issues of concern and seek advice. During the course of a partnership the mentor will assume a number of roles. The most common will be those of:

Sounding Board: being independent and uninvolved, the mentor can give honest feedback on tackling a issue. 

Critical Friend: the mentor is in a position to say things the mentored's colleagues may be reluctant to - challenging assumptions, probing beneath the surface of issues, and prompting questions about the mentee's own behaviour and motivations.

Listener: the mentor is there to offer encouragement and provide an empathetic listening ear.

Counsellor: the mentor's reflective and questioning skills will help the mentored analyse their problems and opportunities in a dispassionate manner.

Career Advisor: the mentor can help their mentee think through career options, plan personal development towards defined career goals, and build on previous experience.

Networker: the mentor can access networks and/or individuals the mentored would find useful.

In terms of skills, mentors will be experienced ICT professionals, fellow members of the Society who have accrued proven management knowledge and experience.  Such experience will not necessarily guarantee suitability as a mentor. Also critical is the ability to use softer skills such as:

• listening – including via email exchanges.
• reflecting back and discussing ideas
• empathising with the mentee.
• questioning  – open questioning will be the norm.
• summarising – ability to consolidate progress before moving on.
• challenging  - confronting if necessary.
• defining and keeping within boundaries
• giving effective feedback
• rand monitoring progress in development.
• assertiveness.

The mentor is not required to be a consultant, or teach the mentored in particular areas. Technical skills are not essential.

Appropriate training and support information for the mentor role will be available if required. 

Mentored responsibilities

The mentored and mentor have a joint responsibility to make the relationship work. It is important that the mentee considers his/her objectives carefully before seeking a mentor, and a discussion with the scheme administrator can be helpful at this point. 

Once a mentoring relationship is established, the mentored must demonstrate:

• commitment to the relationship
• willingness to learn and develop
• determination to succeed despite problems
• good organisational skills
• willingness to take ownership of their personal
• development and learning