Concepts and protocols involved in a mentoring relationship
WHAT IS MENTORING?
The concept of mentoring has developed from the Ancient Greek times, when Mentor and his
protégé, Telemachus, developed a relationship, in which Mentor was able to oversee Telemachus’
progress and provide support, advice, skill development and guidance (Wallis, 1997.
In more recent times, the business world, followed closely by the professional world, have adopted
the concepts and practices of mentoring. Two of the many definitions available that suit the
approach taken by Speech Pathology Australia emphasise that:
“mentoring involves a relationship in which the mentor, usually a more experienced individual, works
closely with the protégé for the purposes of teaching, guiding, supporting and facilitating the
professional growth and development of a colleague” (Taylor, 1992, p48)
“(mentoring is) a complex, interactive process occurring between individuals of differing levels of
experience and expertise which incorporates interpersonal and career development.” (Wunsch,
1993, p353)
A mentoring program external to the employee’s workplace may be particularly necessary when:

That employee doesn’t feel comfortable or safe having their issues “exposed” and
potentially considered problem-areas.

There is no satisfactory supervision process in the workplace (particularly profession-based,
for example in rural and remote settings or small organisations).

The employee has few external networks (e.g. new graduates).

Mentoring in this Program
The Speech Pathology Australia mentoring program aims to:
create effective mentoring relationships, guide the desired behaviour change of those involved, and
evaluate the results for the mentees, the mentors, and the profession with the primary purpose of
systematically developing the skills and leadership abilities of the less-experienced members of the
profession. (adapted from a definition in Murray, 1991,p5).
Based on the Association’s own past experience, as well as best-practice programs described in the
literature, the critical components of mentoring in this program are:

Mentors and mentees working together in a flexible, dynamic, and appropriate manner.

The relationship and content of discussions are negotiated and remain confidential.

Concepts of adult learning are applied.

Collaboration and reciprocity are involved

The mentor’s experience complements the lack of experience of the mentee.

Critical reflection is undertaken.

The partnership involves confirmation, empowerment. and
non-judgmental interactions.

A holistic approach to growth is taken.

Guidance is provided to develop self-directed professional growth.

Contact includes discussion of attitudes and values.

The partnership is a short-term support mechanism, with the goal of the mentee becoming
capable and confident of functioning without assistance from a mentor.
The mentoring program facilitates:

Clinical support – this may include some specific advice about a difficult case, or helping to
plan a session, but more often it will involve assisting with clinical reasoning and
development of an approach to service delivery.

Professional support – this may include assistance with caseload management, staff issues
(e.g. how to deal with conflict), administration, and time management.

Personal support – this may include assistance in discussion of ambitions and goals, stress
levels, boosting of confidence and self-esteem, reassurance.
“Facilitates” and “support” are critical terms in the definition of mentoring, as the mentor’s main
responsibility is to guide the mentee towards self-directed growth and learning rather than being a
solution-giver or a judge.
What Mentoring in the Mentoring Program is not
As the mentoring relationship relies on collaboration, being non-judgemental, and empowerment,
the role of the mentor does not encompass:

Supervision – Supervision is primarily to ensure that staff have the clinical competencies to
adequately perform their duties at work and has an inherent power imbalance. This is not
to say that a person’s supervisor cannot bring mentor qualities or behaviours to their
supervision. Conversely, however, a mentor does not act as a supervisor. Some of the
differences between a mentor and a supervisor are outlined in Table 2.1.

Coaching - this generally involves a systematic approach to direct the person to some end
result. This often involves little active listening, unless conducted by someone with a
psychology background. Coaching is often used by executives and is most successful for
those who have been solidly mentored previously. The concept has largely been developed
from the sporting world, and may focus on simple answers and quick fixes (Burglas, 2002).

Peer relationships/support –colleagues with similar levels of experience may learn from each
other through discussing clinical and work place issues. However, this form of relationship
lacks one of the key features of mentoring, being that the mentor draws upon their extra
years of experience in order to help guide the mentee. Peer relationships may work best, or
be more possible in larger departments or organisations.
Mentoring in the Speech Pathology Australia mentoring program can be summarised by the
following acrostic:
M entoring is motivating
E nthusiastic professionals, empowering environment
N ot Supervision
T wo-way learning and responsibilities – collaborative
O bjectivity outside the workplace
R eflection
I ndividualised, inspiring and interactive relationship
N urturing, helping nature
G rowth, without necessarily aiming for change