Best-Practise Mentor Programmes

Abstract

The chapter focuses on features of mentor programs and emphasizes their growing importance. It aims to bring clarity to the concept of mentoring and offers clear guidelines on how to set them up and make them best practices. It starts by looking at the different roles and definitions of mentors, sponsors, coaches, and line-managers and how they work together to enable employees to develop their potential in a workplace environment. A short overview of the change in human resource strategies over the last two decades shows the history and motivations as to why mentor programs have become not just an accepted people development tool but are also increasingly recognized as a reliable tool for influencing and changing organizational culture. Finally, key drivers of good mentor programs will be reviewed and an assessment of the benefits to the individual and organization provided. Trends in mentor programs will also be touched upon. References in this chapter are based on work with clients in industry and research conducted at Richmond, The American University in London.