Getting the right mentor-mentee partnership match can sometimes be a challenge; I have talked about this aspect of a mentoring programme in a previous newsletter. Getting the partnership matching right has been a constant reflection for me as I work with organisations to establish effective mentoring programmes for their people development. From feedback I have received over the years regarding a mentoring partnership that hasn’t worked, a consistent comment from both mentors and mentees has been a disconnect between the partner’s respective behaviour and communication style.
There are numerous personality profiling tools that you can use to try and get the best mentor-mentee match. I have developed my own, with the focus on communication styles.
I think that the more the mentoring partners know about each other early in the relationship, the more likely the relationship will work. Or, they find out at the beginning of the relationship that the match may not be/probably isn’t a ‘fit’ (rather than spending precious time and energy on a relationship that just will not work).
My Style Inventory™ is designed for both the mentor and the mentee to complete. It comprises four steps:
Step 1:
Identify your unique communication style by completing the ‘Determining My Style’ Questionnaire.
Step 2:
Identify how your style influences the ways in which you communicate and interact with other people.
Step 3:
Decide on the attributes you look for in your mentor or mentee which will complement and/or support how you communicate and interact with each other in the mentoring partnership.
Step 4:
Identify what you would like to develop, change or improve and develop a ‘Plan for Change’. This will help you and your mentor/mentee know how you can support each other in – and get the most out – of the mentoring partnership.
Look out for the My Style Inventory™ available soon in my WebShop. I believe it is a tool you will find invaluable to use in your mentoring programme.