Mentoring
The most common way mentoring is used within SOAS is for probationary academic staff but this can usually be arranged for others on request. Contact the staff development office for more information.
All new academic staff are appointed a mentor for the period of their probation, and there are guidelines for this.
What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is often about helping someone work effectively within an organisation. A mentor is often described as a "critical friend" or "supportive challenger".
A mentor can provide support in the form of information and help with direction. A mentor may help the mentee to understand themselves more fully by helping them to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and then helping them to address weaknesses or gaps in knowledge.
Who is Mentoring for?
Mentoring support is often provided to help someone:
- adapt to a new role, eg new teacher, new Head of Department
- undertake a major project
- develop and apply new learning
- with career planning.
What are the Benefits for SOAS?
- It helps to develop and support individuals (the mentees)
- The individuals feel more valued because someone is spending time with them and showing an interest It uses the skills and experience of the mentors which may otherwise be untapped
- It's an alternative to the "workshop" approach to staff training and development and as such may reach staff which other development/training activities don’t
- It helps mentors reflect. Discussing issues with a mentee can force the mentor to think about their own issues and ways of working
- It helps both the mentor and the mentee develop their communication skills such as listening, questioning, problem solving skills, etc.
- It helps create informal networks. By setting up mentoring relationships across units, departments and/or faculties it will create relationships which might not otherwise exist and so help the staff involved to see the University from a different perspective.
What Makes a Good Mentor?
- An ability to listen and to ask sensible questions.
- It will help if the mentor has a better or wider experience of the University.
- They need to be trustworthy and to maintain confidentiality if appropriate.
- But the most important quality is a willingness to give time to the process.
