WHAT IS MENTORING?

The word mentoring is derived from the name Mentor in Greek Mythology. Mentor was an old wiseman, to whom Odysseus entrusted the education and development of his son Telemachus in Homer's epos The Odyssey.


WHAT IS MENTORING NOWADAYS?

1. Mentoring is a long term relationship that meets a development need, helps develop full potential, and benefits all partners, mentor, mentee and the organisation. - Suzanne Faure
2. Mentoring is a mutual relationship with an intentional agenda designed to convey specific content along with life wisdom from one individual to another. Mentoring does not happen by accident, nor do its benefits come quickly. It is relationally based. - Thomas Addington and Stephen Graves
3. Mentoring is a supportive learning relationship betwen a caring individual who shares knowledge, experience and wisdom with another individual who is ready and willing to beneft from this exchange, to enrich their professional journey. - Suzanne Faure
4. Mentoring involves primarily listening with empathy, sharing experience (usually mutually), professional friendship, developing insight through reflection, being a sounding board, encouraging. - David Clutterbuck
5. Mentoring is a one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in which an individual voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This is typically developed at a time of transition in the mentee's life and lasts for a significant and sustained period of time. - Active Community Unit
6. Mentoring requires a thorough penetration by a mentor in the mentee's problems and the discussed themes. However, the mentor doesn't provide solutions directly, but points to the right way.
7. Mentoring in NGOs - the goal is to enrich experience of the involved individuals, develop their abilities, as well as deepen their professional skills and give them a wider view on the external environment.



TYPES OF MENTORING

The perception of mentoring can vary; thus, several types of mentoring can be distinguished:

1. mentoring in entrepreneurship – experienced businessperson shares his/her knowledge with a young entrepreneur or a person who would like to start his/her business. Association “Lidere” provides Mentoring program for entrepreneurs in Latvia.
2. career mentoring - a high level professional or an experienced entrepreneur helps a perspective young careerist or a young entrepreneur to develop his/her career or business. This type of mentoring is popular in the USA and Europe;
3. mentoring in enterprises / education - the older/more experienced employees of the enterprise help their younger colleagues. This is also a type of work education. In Sweden, enterprises engage the pensioned employees in giving advise and sharing experience; thus, encouraging the participation of pensioners and making them feel needed. This type of mentoring is popular in Scandinavian countries;
4. mentoring in NGOs - on a voluntary basis, participants share their experience with the members of their own as well as other organisations, and help other interested persons from various fields; thus, encouraging the development of professional skills and life experience. This type of mentoring is popular in Europe;
5. adults and children mentoring - adults voluntarily help children and, in a way, act like a godfather/godmother. This type of mentoring is popular in the United States of America (organisation Save the Children in the USA).

THE PREVALENCE OF MENTORING

The roots of mentoring are found to be older in the USA than in Europe. In Europe, the popularity of mentoring has increased during the last 20-25 years. Mentoring is most widespread among women. The interest about learning and development in the voluntary sector of EU has evidently increased after publications in 1998 - European Comission, the White Book about The Encouragement of the Role of Voluntary Organisations and Foundations in Europe. This publication anticipates an increase of the importance of the role of voluntary organisations through increasing their contribution to European integration. In Europe, such organisations have developed in the last 20 years (45% of the current organisations were established after 1981).
Despite the fact that mentoring has become very popular, there has been no united reseach about it, nor a systematic review of the mentoring practice. Most of the publications about mentoring have been in the USA and the UK.

MENTORING PROGRAMMES FOR ENTREPRENEURS (MPE), organised by association "LIDERE" in Latvia

Association Lidere in co-operation with Women’s Enterprise Agency (Finland) and with the support of Ministry of Economics of Latvia started first Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs in Latvia at the beginning of 2005.

Several programmes have been closed from 2005 to 2010:

1. 1st MPE
2. 2nd MPE
3. 3rd MPE
4. MPE in the framework of EQUAL project
5. 2007/1st MPE
6. 2007/2nd MPE
7. 2008/1st MPE
8. 2008/2nd MPE
9. 2009/1st MPE
   
   

Several programmes have been carried on right now:

1. 2009/2nd MPE
   
2. 2010/1st MPE
   
   
   

Total number of programmes - 11 MPE

272 participants have participated in the MPE's from 2005 to 2010:
- 131 mentors (110 women, 21 men)
- 141 mentees (124 women, 17 men)

Statistics on companies of mentees:
- have company - 65
- do not have company - 28
- has sold shares of enterprise - 2
- has suspended economic activity of enterprise - 7
- 23 new companies have been established during MPE's during 2005-2010

What is Mentoring program for entrepreneurs?

Mentoring program for entrepreneurs is free of charge. There are no more that 10-12 pairs in one program and the program lasts for 12 month. In the framework of the program experienced entrepreneurs (mentors) share their experience with young entrepreneurs (mentees).

The aim of the program is to support newly started entrepreneurs and those who would like to start their business in the cities and regions of Latvia; support development of new enterprises and work places; provide with the possibility to get information and consultations.

The objectives of the program:

1. Identify 12 pairs of mentors and mentees;
2. Carry out Start-up, Midterm and Closing seminars;
3. Carry out competence developing seminars;
4. Carry out mentoring program in the framework of one year;
5. Provide with the support mentoring pairs during the program;
6. Evaluate the process and the results of the mentoring program;
7. Adopt program for the next mentoring program in Latvia.

Program results:

1. Development of new enterprises;
2. Development of current enterprises, development of quality of the business processes;
3. Enchaining entrepreneurs to new businesses;
4. Development of new workplaces;
5. Preventing closing of businesses;
6. Development of independent mentoring system in Latvia.

RESEARCH “EVALUATION OF MENTORING”

The society “Līdere” in collaboration with a market and social researches centre “Latvijas Fakti” executed a research, whose goals were to clarify:
(1) the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring movement in the point of view of mentors and mentees;
(2) mentors’ characterization viewed by mentees and mentees’ characterization viewed by mentors;
(3) mentors’ and mentees’ personal qualities, which either encourage or impede cooperation;
(4) mentors’ and mentees’ adequacy to the model of an “ideal mentor” and an “ideal mentee”. 10 mentors and 10 mentees were inquired during the research.

With a research you can get acquainted here.


1 BALTIC MENTORS CONFERENCE

In October 4 was held 1st Baltic Mentors conference in Riga where took part participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Austria and U.S. About the conference you can read here.


MANY FACES OF MENTORING

Association “Lidere” in co-operation with the publishing-house “Lietiskas informacijas dienests” has published the book “Many Faces of Mentoring” in Latvian and Russian by Tuulikki Juusela, Tuula Lillia, Jari Rinne.