mentor

A mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor who supports the development of a less experienced person, or mentee, in professional, academic, or personal contexts. Mentoring aims to transfer knowledge, provide guidance, and foster growth over time. The term derives from the character Mentor in Homer's Odyssey, who advised Telemachus, conveying a long-standing association of mentorship with guidance and stewardship. Mentoring can occur formally within institutions or informally through voluntary relationships.

Mentors perform various roles: they share expertise, offer feedback, help set goals, expand networks, model professional behavior, and provide psychosocial support. Mentoring relationships may be one-to-one, group-based, or in newer forms such as reverse mentoring where younger colleagues mentor more experienced ones. Mentoring differs from coaching and sponsorship: coaching tends to be short-term and skill-focused, while sponsorship involves advocacy and access to opportunities; mentoring emphasizes holistic development and long-term growth.

Benefits include improved skills, confidence, and career progression for mentees; leadership development and job satisfaction for mentors; and organizational gains such as talent development and retention. Effective mentoring relies on clear objectives, mutual respect, active listening, confidentiality, and boundary setting. Common challenges include misaligned expectations, time constraints, power dynamics, and cultural or communication barriers. A successful mentoring relationship often begins with an explicit plan, regular check-ins, and feedback loops.