Types of Mentor Relationships
- morganlchristopher
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
Albert Shanker, the late president of the American Federation of Teachers, describes mentoring as “chancy as a blind date” (Evans, p. 245). This has become one of my favorite quotes. Understandably, developing a mentor relationship is not straightforward. Each relationship is dependent on context. To start the relationship, the mentor and the mentee need to bring their expectations, many of which will be determined by the context of the relationship. This allows both parties to develop a strong two-way learning outcome that provides mutual benefits (Clutterbuck, p. 7-8). The success of the relationship is contingent on the needs of both individuals (Rajashi and Reio, p.107).
Researchers have many names for the different types of mentor relationships. Susan Metros outlines seven different types of mentors: (Metros, 5.5).
The wise leader
The life coach
The teacher
The peer mentor
The confidante
The self-help mentor
The inner mentor
There was a time when mentoring played a major role in American business. Young adults were chosen and trained through apprenticeships. The mentee’s career advancement depended solely on the individual performance and support of their mentor (Evans, p. 244). On the other hand, there's peer mentoring. Peer mentoring is a relationship between two peers of the same age and in the same stage of life. Usually, colleagues or friends, the two pair up to help each other grow within an organization or their chosen field. The two set out to gain professional development, share networking contacts, and support each other when needed (Metros, 5.5).
Despite all of the different types of mentoring relationships, one thing is certain: all mentoring relationships include an element of chance. Whether one is seeking mentorship from a neighbor, friend, family member, or senior coworker, the success of the relationship is determined by the mentor and mentee defining the relationship (Evans, p. 256).
Mentoring: "chancy as a blind date."
Albert Shanker
There’s a debate among researchers about whether it’s best to begin a mentoring relationship informally (spontaneously) or formally through a mentoring program. In 1992, the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche, located in New York City, revolutionized mentoring by starting a program that combined mentoring, career counseling, and job flexibility to help women advance in the workplace. Deloitte passionately referred to this effort as “The War for Talent” and she sought to win! By 2000, Deloitte and Touche saw 30% growth, which is still a benchmark that shapes the firm today.
In 2016, Deloitte and Touche surveyed almost 8,000 Millennials across thirty countries. It is generally agreed that a Millennial is someone who was born between 1981 and 1997 (Kaplan and colleagues, p. 37).
Guilty. I'm a Millennial.
Two-thirds of respondents said they wanted to leave their organization by 2020. Deloitte and Touche described this as a “remarkable absence of loyalty.”
That's offensive.
The firm then became heavily invested in the retention of Millennials. Today, Deloitte and Touche offer new interns a “Discover Internship.” The newcomer is equipped with a counselor and an onboarding advisor to assist them and offer guidance throughout the experience. During the internship, a senior manager shares potential paths to advancement within the company with options for flexibility (Kaplan and colleagues, p. 41-42). This type of program made the Millennial intern feel “special” and not overlooked (Kaplan and colleagues, p. 49).
Deloitte and Touche soon realized that this was not a “remarkable absence of loyalty,” but an oversight of the amount of attention one generation craves over another (Kaplan and colleagues, p. 50).
Still offensive... but you're not wrong.
Millennials desire mentorship, however, they have a difficult time finding a mentor through informal methods. Companies like Deloitte and Touche have responded with formal programs; however, if Millennials don't feel supported, they won't repay the organization with loyalty and will leave positions sooner than previous generations (Kaplan and colleagues, p. 51).
Facts.
Whether the relationship is formal or informal, the goal of mentoring relationships is to learn from each other, grow together, and possibly form a long-term bond and a sense of community. Which type of mentor relationship do you prefer, formal or informal? How have your mentor relationships started?
Join me next month as we look at why mentorship and community are so important. If you have a topic you would like covered or have a question about a project you’re working on, drop me a line. I would love to chat!
Clutterbuck, David. Everyone Needs A Mentor. United Kingdom, Kogan Page, 2014.
Evans, Thomas W. “The New Mentors.” Teachers College Record, vol. 102, no. 1, 2000, pp. 244-263. ERIC, https://eric.ed.gov /?id=EJ605846. PDF download.
Ghosh, Rajashi, and Thomas G. Reio. “Career Benefits Associated with Mentoring for Mentors: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Vocational Behavior, vol. 83, no.1, 2013, pp. 106-116. https:// www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S0001879113001012. PDF download.
Kaplan, Marilyn, et al. “The Hero Viewpoint and the Perception of Mentors: Why Millennials Need Mentors and Why They Have Problems Finding Them.” Academy of Business Research Journal 2, 2018, pp. 36-52. ProQuest Central. PDF download.
Metros, Susan E. and Catherine Yang. “Chapter 5: The Importance of Mentors.” Cultivating Careers: Professional Development for Campus IT, edited by Cynthia Golden, EDUCAUSE, 2006, pp. 5.1-5.13.
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