Mentoring and
Peer Learning FAQs

Mentoring Definition: The act or process of helping and guiding another person to support their personal development.

In short, mentoring is the act of supporting, advising and guiding another person, or people, for the purposes of personal growth. A mentor uses their knowledge and personal experience to help a mentee to develop. Find out more in our article What is a Mentor.

Yes! There are many different types of mentoring that can be used in different ways. These include: traditional 1:1, peer-to-peer, group, reverse and flash mentoring.

A reverse mentoring program, for example, can be a great way to educate senior leaders on the issues faced by marginalised groups. In this type of mentoring, the junior employee acts as the mentor to someone senior.

This is just one example of how the types of mentoring can be used. We’ve put together a full guide to the different types and their uses.

The benefits of mentoring are wide-ranging for both the mentor, mentee and the organisation that’s running the program. Both parties can expect to improve their self-confidence, communication and leadership skills, and are both more likely to receive a promotion.

Organisations will benefit from greater productivity, the breaking down of inter-departmental silos and fostering a more inclusive working environment. But these are just a few examples! To find out more take a look at our guide to mentoring benefits.

Although they are similar concepts, mentoring and coaching have some key differences. In mentoring, the mentee leads the sessions, not the mentor, driving their personal development by setting the agenda. Mentoring is also free and ongoing, centred around building a relationship for personal growth.

Coaching, however, is driven by the coach, who is paid to provide learning in a particular area. Coaches are qualified and accredited by a reputable source, whereas mentors do not need to be professionally trained. You can learn more about the difference between mentoring and coaching on our blog.

Peer learning in the workplace is when colleagues come together to teach each other key skills and knowledge. This includes through mentoring, lunch and learns and shadowing.

It’s effective because everyone learns from the exchange. The ‘teacher’ consolidates their learning and the ‘student’ learns in a relaxed, equal environment.

Sponsorship is similar to mentoring with one key difference. The goal of a sponsor is to use their power and influence to actively open doors for their sponsee.

This means that they will vouch for their sponsee and help them gain access to progression opportunities, wider networks and even promotion. They will also offer guidance and advice, similar to mentoring, but with a stronger emphasis placed on what the sponsor can do outside of sessions to help the sponsee develop.

Allyship is when a person works in solidarity with someone else from a marginalised group in order to help take down the systems that challenge that group’s basic rights.

The purpose of an ally is that they use their position and power to create a safer workplace for everyone. An ally can be from the same or different background to the person they want to help, so long as they are committed to challenging systems and supporting those around them.

It might surprise you to know that anyone can be a mentor. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be of a certain age, experience level or position to be a good mentor. In fact, there is so much to learn from people of all ages and experience levels that it’s important to keep an open mind.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, why not give it a try? Becoming a peer mentor or joining a reverse mentoring program are great ways to develop your experience.

While many people can be good mentors, there are some key characteristics that they share. Including; listening skills, a strong interest in others and giving good feedback. These are all skills that you can learn and develop in order to become a great mentor and can look for in others.

We’ve written a guide to the top characteristics of a good mentor to learn more.

The ultimate objective of mentoring is personal and professional development. But, this can happen in a number of different ways such as; building confidence, knowledge sharing, developing leadership skills, or career planning.

It’s up to you to set the goals and objectives in your mentoring relationship and come up with a plan to achieve them. If you need additional guidance, we’ve put together a handy guide to goal setting.

Absolutely. Both finding a mentor and becoming one can boost your chances of promotion. This is because mentoring is a great way to develop your communication and leadership skills, as well as work on other specific knowledge areas that you need to progress in your career.

While this isn’t the only benefit, it’s a really common reason for people to seek out mentorship.

It’s not just mentees that benefit from mentoring. The mentor will improve their leadership and communication skills, improve confidence, learn from the different perspectives of their mentee, and are more likely to receive a promotion too. There are further benefits to the mentor’s mental health and wellbeing, with mentors reporting lower levels of stress and anxiety than those that don’t mentor.

Finding or becoming a mentor can be tricky, but there are good mentors out there we promise! The first place to look is within your current workplace. Is there a company mentoring program that you can join? If not, try contacting HR directly, who may be able to facilitate a match for you.

Outside of work, you can find mentors by reaching out to your network of colleagues and friends, joining industry networks or events, or looking for an external mentoring program. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people that you admire. For further guidance on how to approach mentors, we’ve put together a handy guide.

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