Organizational Excellence
Mentor Expectations
What does it mean to be a mentor?
Being a mentor means using one's experience and knowledge to guide a less experienced individual. Results of mentorship are noticed through the protégé's work and development.
Five Important Attitudes and Beliefs
Mentors must have:
- A willingness to invest time and energy in the professional learning of their colleagues.
- A strong conviction and belief that other mentors are likely to have a positive effect on the quality of community and education leadership
- Confidence in their own abilities
- High standards and expectations for their own abilities and for the work of their colleagues
- A belief that mentoring is a mutually enhancing professional learning opportunity where both partners will achieve equal satisfaction from their relationship
General Responsibilities of Mentors
- Advising: The mentor responds to a colleague's need to gain information needed to carry out a job effectively
- Communicating: The mentor works consistently to ensure that open lines of communication are always available
- Counseling: The mentor provides needed emotional support to a colleague
- Guiding: The mentor works to acquaint a new colleague to the informal and formal norms of a particular system
- Modeling: The mentor serves as a role model by consistently demonstrating professional and competent performance on the job
- Protecting: When needed, the mentor serves as a buffer between a colleague and those in a system who might wish to detract from that person's performance
- Skill developing: The mentor assists others in learning skills needed to carry out their jobs effectively