Professional Mentoring Unpicked #6

This blog, the next in my short series exploring the key aspects of professional mentoring, unpicks and challenges the suggested definition of the mentee status.

Key Aspect #6: Typically (but not always) Less Experienced

“While traditionally focused on junior individuals, mentorship can also benefit those transitioning careers or taking on new leadership roles. The key is a difference in relevant experience.”

The implied caveat and parenthesis are well placed here.

In the first few weeks of launching my mentoring service, I received enquiries from, and had exploratory conversations with, LnD and other professionals at different stages of their career journey.

As a result, I am now working with several mentees and we’re exploring the following themes:

• professional mobility,

• recognition of and reward for specialism/skills,

• anxiety about future of L&D and roles & skills therein,

• direction, focus, and development of additional/alternative skills

• understanding of current themes and activity in UK L&D and abroad

• networking, connection, community

…and they are NOT segmented by age or experience.

Indeed, I have been struck by how these topics and concerns resonate and repeat across the supposed experiential generations.

What they all have in common is a desire to develop, to learn and to progress in their careers.

It’s my privilege to have been invited to work with each of them and to continue supporting them achieve clarity and direction.

If you think you could benefit from a non-judgemental, objective and external professional partnership, as described above, wherever you may be on your career trajectory, or recognise yourself in any of the themes above, do contact me for a no-obligation exploratory chat.

My contact details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallgavin/