Mentoring

The term mentor has been used to describe relationships between apprentices and masters within trade guilds, but most recently it is used to describe relationships between professionals and protégés.

Mentoring can benefit both mentor and mentee. Mentors who actively recruit less experienced talent have the advantage of contacting quality pre-professionals early, and mentees get experience and begin to build a network. Mentors also learn valuable training and leadership skills while enacting their role and can experience greater job satisfaction.

Various studies have been conducted to learn more about the concept of mentoring. In the Journal of Human Counseling, Tsedal Beyene, M. Anglin, William Sanchez and Mary Ballou (2002) reported a study titled “Mentoring and Relational Mutuality: Protégés' Perspectives,” where they studied the responses of the mentees after their experience in a mentoring program. One hundred and thirty-three students were questioned—they had diverse backgrounds and represented 35 different majors.

The researchers' definition of mentoring was a relationship in which both mentor and mentee derive knowledge and skills, as well as emotional support. Mentees look to their mentors to model professional behavior and to learn the often unwritten rules of an organization. The results were fairly consistent—almost everyone agreed with this definition, and most agreed that the mentor became a role model to them. The majority of the participants were not intimidated about questioning their mentors, and almost three-fourths agreed that the relationship was a success. The main qualities that the mentees described for an ideal mentor were “nurturing, knowledgeable, listening, a friend, trustworthy, open-minded, a role model, approachable, helpful, encouraging, initiating, loyal, patient, nonjudgmental, should share similar interests, and should have a positive attitude and a sense of humor” (Beyene, et al., 2002, pp. 87–102).

Today mentoring is one of the most important tools in equipping professionals for the future. A mentor influences the life of another (mentee) by guiding and motivating him or her in the right direction outside the normal manager-subordinate [Page 532]relationship. These relationships help mentees reach the next level in their professional careers. Mentoring encompasses wisdom, loyalty, motivation, and trust. This role is not a one-time function; it is an ongoing process that lasts until the goal of the mentee has been accomplished. Because of this, mentors monitor their mentees on a regular basis to assess their development. When applied properly, mentoring is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The public relations profession knows that mentoring is important. This is why the profession has made many successful efforts to implement mentoring programs in the field.

Because public relations plays a vital role in organizations, mentoring professionals and providing them with the right tools for success is essential. Because the public relations field is changing at a rapid rate, there is a great need to keep the employees up to date and committed to their organization and to the profession.

Some PRSA chapters have set up internal mentoring programs. These programs give new practitioners a chance to be guided by older, more experienced professionals. This is a chance for the experienced professional to show how things work. This guidance prepares the mentee to take on the upper-level positions of his or her superior in that organization or elsewhere. These investments show that organizations value their employees and will do whatever it takes to see them succeed.

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