The magic of mentoring is the combination of insight arising in the mentee, inspiration, and motivation to take action toward a goal, and the confidence to keep going in the face of challenge.
For the magic of mentoring to happen both elements of skill and experience need to be present. It isn’t enough to have expertise; it isn’t enough to be great at listening, asking questions or developing rapport. A great mentor brings the two elements together in a harmony that is in service of the mentee and promotes growth and development.
In Its' Simplest Form the Mentoring Equation Is: Teacher + Coach = Mentor
The word ‘Mentor’ originally came from the Greek Classics – Homer's Odyssey. Mentor is a character's name; a person who teaches and oversees Odysseus' son, Telemachus. Mentor's cloak was a symbol of the protection his role provided Telemachus. In Greek Mythology, Minerva, goddess of schools, art, war and commerce, and, most importantly, wisdom, was also invoked.
Figure 2.1 Experience + skill = mentoring magic.
Combining these two powerful symbols creates a ‘whole person’: guided and taught externally, with inner wisdom and learning. Thus, mentor has come to mean trusted adviser, friend, teacher, and wise person.
The process of mentoring is defined in many ways:
Off‐line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work, or thinking
(Clutterbuck and Megginson 1995).
Mentoring is a developmental relationship where one person, typically older, or more experienced, or with more expert technical knowledge, shares their knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to support the personal and professional growth of someone else. In some cases, the mentor may also share their contacts or networks
(Forton Group 2002).
The process whereby an experienced, highly regarded, empathic person (the mentor), guides another individual (the mentee) in the development and re‐examination of their own ideas, learning, and personal and professional development. The mentor who often, but not necessarily, works in the same organisation or field as the mentee, achieves this by listening and talking in confidence to the mentee
(The Standing Conference on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education SCOPME 1998).
Mentoring can be provided using a variety of formats. Face to face is perhaps the most frequently used, or there is distance/virtual mentoring using telephone or internet platforms where the mentor and mentee are in different locations, but it is still a one to one relationship.
Group mentoring is where a single mentor works with a group of mentees, for example within a dental practice setting, or via audio or visual conference facilities.
Who Is a Mentor?
The mentor is generally (although not always) a senior member of the profession who has a combination of experience, position, authority, and status. Regardless of seniority, mentors possess some experience, knowledge, and skills that are greater than the mentee.
Experience, knowledge, and skill acquisition is not age dependent and, in today's intergenerational workforce, less about older people mentoring younger colleagues (see Reverse Mentoring section).
The mentor uses their experience and attributes for the good of their mentee(s) in a positive and profitable relationship, which has the potential to benefit both sides. Blending roles for the benefit of the mentee takes training and experience.
The mentor may support their mentee to do a current job more effectively, offer insight into potential career paths or support the motivation or ambition of the mentee.
The mentor may have, and be willing to share, access to networks and connections, or have insights into personalities or relationships of potential value to the mentee.
The mentor may offer their knowledge and understanding of the structural, political, or social field of the workplace – both the visible and invisible structures – such that the mentee is better able to be resourceful, influential, and successful in that environment.
Why Be a Mentor?
Mentoring can be extremely rewarding, with huge satisfaction gained from seeing someone else learn and grow. It is a great personal development opportunity, compelling the mentor to think differently and more constructively.
Being a mentor will keep you on your toes, challenging you – like the child who keeps asking ‘why?’. The beginner's mind‐set helps experienced practitioners find new solutions to old problems. It gives insight into the way younger colleagues are treated and feel.
Reverse Mentoring
Reverse mentoring, sometimes called co‐mentoring, refers to initiatives in which, for example, older individuals are paired with and mentored by younger individuals on topics such as technology, social media, and current trends.
In organisations that rely heavily on technology, reverse‐mentoring is seen as a way to bring older colleagues up to speed in areas that are often second nature to younger people, whose lives have been more deeply integrated with digital technologies.
The idea that practice owners might learn from Foundation Trainees (FTs) goes against traditional professional practices, where more experienced dental professionals provide the most input, make decisions, and provide mentorship to newer professionals with less experience. Nonetheless, the fast‐moving developments in technology, materials, and techniques in dentistry has reversed this logic; older professionals may have experience and insight, but lack skills in newer technologies and may not always recognise their potential.
Being mentored by a new colleague, takes a shift in attitude; it's an opportunity for give and take, where individuals share their knowledge, boosting everyone's understanding and improving overall communication and collaboration.
Reverse mentoring plays an important role in bridging intergenerational gaps: baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1976), and Generation Y, also called millennials (born between 1977 and 1996). A new generation is entering the workplace, Generation Z (born from 1997 onwards). In any one dental practice it will be commonplace to find four generations of dental professional working together. This will present both great opportunities and great challenges.
These groups have experienced vastly different social and cultural situations, resulting in varied work ethics, mindsets, and attitudes.
This has led to prejudices and stereotypes forming. For instance, some people view millennials as spoiled, unmotivated, and self‐centered, while some millennials view older generations as inefficient and resistant to change.
Professionals need to learn how to cross the generational divide and communicate with, motivate and engage colleagues. Reverse mentoring challenges these stereotypes, and benefits team members, patients, and organisations alike.
Inter‐professional Group Mentoring
This could be the most challenging mentoring format for some dental professionals to appreciate. This type of mentoring is when a mentor from one professional group, for example dentist mentors someone who is from a different professional group, for example dental nursing. Both mentor and mentee are dental professionals, however they undertake different roles. Whilst for some it might seem reasonable for a dentist to mentor a dental nurse and indeed it may be, the real challenge is when a dental nurse mentors a dentist. That may seem less reasonable.