Introduction

Mentorship is a crucial element for success in the corporate world and elsewhere. Regardless of your profession or position in your life or career, you will need the wisdom of mentors to make it big in your life and career. Mentors are your go-to persons when there arises a crisis or situation which challenges your decision-making process. They help you with your situations through their vast knowledge base and experience. Mentors have been the driving forces in changing the world since time immemorial. In the current corporate world, mentorship has become a mainstream industry.

According to a Mentorcliq survey, 90% of workers who have a mentor report being happy in their job. If you have the right qualifications and experience, you can mentor people who need it through online or offline platforms. It can give you a fulfilling career because you can build others' careers and lives through your experience. It can be fulfilling for individuals to see their works coming to fruition. Before you move onto the mentorship industry in detail, let us learn the types of mentoring.

Types of Mentoring

1. Formal and informal mentoring

According to a Olivet Nazarene University survey, 41% of participants stated that their mentoring relationship has formal goals. The kind of mentoring that most people are probably familiar with is formal mentoring. These are formally established programmes that pair mentors and mentees. There are usually guidelines to follow, scheduled meetings, and ways to tangibly monitor the mentees' progress and professional development. Formal mentoring involves a clear goal, measurable results, and a time limit. Additionally, it has specific Goals that align with the fundamental principles of the company.

The opposite of formal mentoring is informal mentoring, where either the mentee or mentor starts a mentoring relationship. This kind of mentorship is more natural and typically takes place when the parties involved are already friends. Mentoring informally is more relaxed. Mentors informally are excellent listeners. The length of each "session" is typically not constrained. Since there is no official contract, you can choose them as you see fit. Information mentors don't offer expert instruction or have set objectives.

Mentees, on the other hand, can make friends and grow comfortable with their mentor. They can converse about any subject and exchange personal stories. Informal mentoring is a powerful tool for developing leaders. It can help individuals grow in their ability to make decisions and solve problems, and it can provide opportunities for developing trust and rapport.

Related Blog - Overcoming Coaching and Mentoring Challenges

2. Peer mentoring

Peer mentoring is a great way to get engaged in your community and help someone else. It can also be a great way to learn new things. Peer mentoring is when you help another person with something they are interested in, like learning to cook or playing the guitar. It’s a great way to get to know someone and build a relationship. It is two people working together in a mentorship but both parties are from a similar job level or age range. It is similar to one-on-one mentoring.

They could alternate between "mentor" and "mentee" roles or schedule sessions more flexibly. Sharing knowledge and expertise, learning from one another, and holding one another accountable are the goals.

Peer mentoring performs well as a component of a focused programme, such as one that supports new parents returning to the workforce or onboards new employees. Employees may have the chance to hone their leadership and interpersonal abilities in a self-sufficient, peer-to-peer setting. There are lots of ways to find a peer mentor. You can look online, in your community, or at your school. You can also try finding a mentor through any online service nowadays.

3. One-to-one mentoring

Traditional 1-to-1 mentoring is the most popular type of mentoring style for 38% of workers according to the Mentorcliq survey. This kind of mentoring is usually what comes to mind when you think of it. It follows the classic mentoring concept, where a mentor and mentee agree to work together to assist the mentee to grow, improve, and accomplish their objectives. In this kind of mentorship, the mentor can serve as a counsellor and guide because they have greater knowledge of the subject matter the mentee is interested in. This could pertain to the development of leadership skills or career orientation.

Although the mentee is the main focus, the mentor will also gain from the relationship as they gain leadership skills, get to know their mentee better, and feel good about helping someone further their career. One-on-one mentoring has the added advantage of fostering a long-term relationship over time. Both partners' confidence, mental health, and other aspects of personal development may be significantly impacted by this.

4. Group mentoring

Group mentoring can be a great way to share knowledge and expertise among a group of people. It can also help you to build relationships and trust within a group. In this mentoring model, a single mentor collaborates with a group of mentees. The group of mentees will each contribute a variety of expertise and experience to the sessions, which will be directed by the mentor. When organisations lack quality mentors, group mentoring can help to reach and have an influence on more mentees in less time than traditional mentoring.

It is a successful strategy for upskilling groups, maintaining knowledge, and promoting a sharing-oriented culture within your organisation. Additionally, group mentoring increases each participant's collaborative abilities. It is a crucial strategy for promoting inclusivity and teamwork. Here are a few tips on how to make group mentoring work for you:

1. Define the purpose of the group mentoring session. What do you hope to accomplish? What goals do you hope to achieve?

2. Choose the right people to participate. Group mentoring works best when the participants share similar goals and objectives.

3. Set ground rules. Establishing ground rules at the beginning of the session will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

4. Be prepared. Coming into the session with a plan and specific goals will help to make the most of the group mentoring time.

5. Follow up. Be sure to follow up with the group after the session to see how everyone is doing and to answer any lingering questions.

5. Reverse mentoring

Reverse mentoring is a process whereby a more experienced individual mentors a less experienced individual. When a more junior employee coaches a more senior employee in a company, this practice is known as reverse mentoring. In a DiversityInc survey, it was found that 72% of its Top 50 companies have reverse mentoring programs. It is typically used to transfer knowledge and skills between generations, but can also be used to share different perspectives and experiences. Reverse mentoring can be an incredibly beneficial experience for both parties involved. The mentee gets the opportunity to learn from someone with more experience, while the mentor gets to share their knowledge and help someone grow. It can also be a great way to build relationships and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

It acknowledges that there are learning opportunities and skill gaps on both sides of a mentoring relationship. Reverse mentoring can be used, for instance, to upskill senior personnel in digital technologies or as part of a diversity and inclusion project. Since we can always learn a lot from one another, reverse mentoring has the potential to be used in all one-on-one mentoring interactions. A reverse mentorship programme, however, formalises and expands the accessibility of this process.

If you're considering reverse mentoring, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, it's important to find a mentor who you respect and who has the knowledge and experience you're looking for. Second, be sure to set clear goals and expectations for the mentorship. And finally, don't forget to give back to your mentor - remember, they're taking time out of their busy schedules to help you grow, so be sure to show them gratitude.

Related Blog - Creating Powerful Coaching Conversations: Techniques for Coaches and Mentors

6. Flash mentoring

Flash mentoring, as the name implies, entails brief one-time mentoring sessions designed to teach a crucial concept or ability. Flash mentoring helps foster significant knowledge exchange without placing undue emphasis on forming a long-term connection. To maximise the session and reach more employees, it can also be utilised in conjunction with other forms of mentoring, such as group mentoring. New mentors and mentees can be introduced through it. Before committing to a longer-term mentorship, a flash mentoring session can serve as a trial run for a new mentoring relationship and assist people in expanding their networks.

Here are some tips you should follow in a flash mentoring process.

1. Be patient – remember that everyone learns at their own pace. Don’t try to force your mentee to learn faster than they’re comfortable with.

2. Be encouraging – give positive feedback when they’ve done something well, and gently offer constructive criticism when they could improve.

3. Be flexible – be willing to adjust your teaching methods to suit your mentee’s learning style.

4. Be available – make sure you have the time to dedicate to your mentee. If you’re not available when they need you, it can be very discouraging.

7. Team mentoring

Team mentoring entails a group of mentors and a group of mentees who conduct mentoring sessions as a team, much like in sports. The main distinction between team mentoring and group mentoring is that the latter frequently entails more than one mentor working with the group. A group of mentees working on the same project or goal may benefit from team mentoring. Each mentee will have personal development objectives that they can pursue jointly under the direction of several mentors.

As it creates a space for a variety of people with a variety of viewpoints and perspectives to come together and learn from one another, this kind of mentoring can aid in the promotion of diversity and inclusion. Similar to group mentoring, this kind of mentoring fosters teamwork and gets rid of any chance for favouritism or elitism, which can occasionally be connected to one-to-one mentoring.

8. Virtual mentoring

Finally, given the importance of remote work in today's workplaces, virtual mentoring is a crucial sort of mentorship to provide for your staff. Using a range of apps and software for virtual communication, many different sorts of mentoring can be conducted remotely. Since you may connect with people without having to meet in person, mentorship is now accessible to people in various locations and even throughout the world. By providing virtual mentoring, you may expand the reach of your mentoring programme to include staff members who are unable to attend in-person meetings or who prefer to communicate online.

It is a crucial component of the assistance you may give remote workers as well. Virtual mentoring can take many forms, but all involve using technology to facilitate communication and connection between mentor and mentee. There are many benefits to virtual mentoring, including the ability to connect with mentors from around the world, increased flexibility in meeting times, and the ability to easily keep track of conversations and progress.

If you're thinking of starting a virtual mentoring relationship, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Choose the right platform.

Many different online platforms can be used for virtual mentoring. Be sure to choose one that will be easy for both you and your mentor to use and that has all the features you need. While you may use Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype, there are also other specific software solutions like guider.ai which minimise hurdles in an organisational setting.

2. Set some ground rules.

Just as with any other relationship, it's important to set some ground rules for your virtual mentoring relationship. This might include things like how often you'll meet, what you'll discuss, how you will set and manage your time, what topics you share, and how you should react if problems arise in communication.

Related Blog - The Importance of Coaches and Mentors

Conclusion

Mentoring relationships can be built through a variety of mechanisms, including spontaneous interactions, formal mentorship programs, or peer groups. Regardless of the form, mentoring provides a forum for learning and development and can be a valuable resource for career growth. When done well, mentoring can provide a valuable bridge between mentor and mentee, and can help individuals become better leaders. It can also help build a sense of community within organisations and can be a valuable resource for developing skills and knowledge.

Mentors can benefit from learning how to initiate and manage a mentoring relationship, and from gaining insights into how mentees learn and grow. Individuals seeking mentoring opportunities can find resources and support through professional organisations, online communities, and personal connections. Regardless of the type, mentoring can boost your life and career to the next level.

If you are a senior management professional with experience in coaching and mentoring, you can apply for SNATIKA's Masters Degree Program in Coaching and Mentoring. The program is online, flexible, and of high quality. It can open many mentorship opportunities for you with its global recognition and academic prestige. Visit SNATIKA to know more.

Related Blog - How to be a Great Mentor