Paying It Forward: On Mentors and Mentoring

Abstract

Since the time of Aristotle and Plato, the concept of mentoring has permeated our psychosocial and career development at all stages of our lives. Although the mentor--mentee relationship is common in a variety of fields, it is an invaluable resource in social work education and practice. Given that social work is a practice-oriented profession involving skill-based learning, experienced practitioners are the role models for those newly entering the social work field. Although we casually use the term in our profession, what exactly do we mean by mentoring? Eby (1997) defined the concept as follows: Mentoring is an intense developmental relationship whereby advice, counseling and developmental opportunities are provided to a protege by a mentor, which, in turn, shapes the protege's career experiences.... This occurs through two types of support to proteges: 1) instrumental or career support and 2) psychosocial support. (p. 126) There is a specific knowledge base and related skills that one uses when mentoring students, practitioners, and faculty members. In mentoring students, understanding developmental stage, assessing student capabilities, and meeting student psychosocial and educational needs are key. When mentoring colleagues or employees in the field, there is a greater focus on assisting the mentee in fulfilling work obligations, developing professional self-awareness, and learning advanced techniques for attaining effective outcomes with clients within the limitations of the agency. In an academic environment, mentoring involves helping scholars work independently and navigate the culture of academe, helping in pursuit of promotion, and developing their area of expertise to make the most influential contributions to the profession via research, service, and teaching. As different as these types of mentorship relationships are, the qualities of a good mentor are similar. All successful mentors are selfless in the giving of their time, their nonproprietary sharing of knowledge, and their commitment to another's growth and success rather than their own. They create a trusting and supportive atmosphere. They provide encouragement at moments of disillusionment, crisis, or despair. They celebrate the accomplishments of another without self-aggrandizement. Mentors provide an outlet for their colleagues to voice their opinions without fear of retribution, to explore their ideas without fear of judgment, and to discover their strengths and limitations without fear of failure. Although the mentoring relationship fosters learning and growth for both the mentor and mentee, it is grounded in the acknowledgment of the mutually respectful relationship. Without mentors, the pressures of social work practice, education, administration, and research could become overwhelming at best and agonizing at worst. Mentors help in making pivotal decisions in personal and professional aspects of one's career. Mentorship is clearly an art that requires a considerable amount of time and energy. Not all mentors or supervisors are good ones. And supervisors are not necessarily mentors. In fact, we have known about many supervisors who failed to inspire and ignite the fire of new supervisees and social work practitioners. Mentors may have no direct control over one's work but, instead, may possess character traits, knowledge, or behaviors that one desires to emulate. The mentor--mentee relationship may form voluntarily without any formal structure. Good supervisors have the capacity to become mentors to those individuals they supervise. Mentoring, however, is more than providing adequate supervision to a student or an employee. It involves extending oneself and genuinely sharing those inner qualities that can assist mentees as burgeoning professionals. Mentors are not concerned about what's in this for me; their interest lies in assisting the mentee in becoming the best he or she can be. …