Mentoring Groundwork

Right now, think about your own childhood and youth; first, remember your happiest times; like how your grandma always brought your favorite candies whenever she visited; or like the time you scored the winning goal in overtime and your coach lifted you on his shoulders for a victory lap. A lot of your best memories likely involve your mentors - those people who let you know you were special, who encouraged you and took the time to be with you.

Now think about some difficult times; like failing an important exam; or maybe you have memories of suffering abuse. You probably got through many of your worst times with the support of people who showed you that they cared, that you could rely on them, that you would be all right, that they had faith in you. Maybe it was a teacher who helped you study to pass the next exam, or a friend's father who offered refuge when you could no longer take the abuse at home. These people were also your mentors.

Your own life probably shows how the power of mentoring works. It works to create positive outcomes and to prevent negative ones. It works to build on strengths and to provide support in times of trouble. The keys that make it work are your mentors' spoken or unspoken messages that you are worthwhile and that they believe in you.

The powerful potential of mentoring is increasingly being recognized. This awareness is resulting in the expansion and proliferation of formal mentoring programs. But if the powerful potential of mentoring is to be achieved, the good intentions of program staff and volunteers are not enough. Good intentions must be supported by solid structures and effective practices.

A lot has already been learned about the structures and practices needed to create positive mentoring outcomes. Sharing and acting on this learning can advance the collective mentoring cause. But mentoring as a movement is only as strong as its weakest link. Those programs that are not built upon solid structures and effective practices can do damage to young people and to mentoring as a whole.

To build a program that produces quality mentoring - the kind that creates powerful, positive outcomes - you must first prepare the groundwork. Before you start to construct the foundation, you need to understand:

• What mentoring is
• The different types of mentoring
• The need for mentoring programs
• The ideals versus the realities of mentoring
• What quality mentoring is.

To begin laying the groundwork for your quality mentoring program, your first task is to define mentoring.

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