Mentoring

Mentoring is a concept that is claimed to have originated in Greek mythology with The Odyssey. In Homer’s epic, Odysseus entrusts his friend Mentor with the care of his household while he is away. Mentor subsequently serves as a wise teacher and guide to Odysseus’s son, Telemachus. Although mentoring lacks a universal definition, it is generally defined as a collaborative relationship established between two (or more) people for the purpose of professional and personal development. In traditional models of mentoring, the mentor typically has more experience and knowledge and is guiding a mentee with less experience and knowledge. The mentor is often older than [Page 1037]the mentee, but not always. Ideally, mentors provide a healthy balance of support and challenge while helping mentees develop the ...