Mentoring Relationships

A mentor should not have direct control over your advancement in your organization—the relationship should be ‘power neutral.’ Karen Houseknecht There are a number of elements to a successful mentor–protégé relationship. Each element is a reflection of the temperament, interests, experience, and perspectives of the individuals involved. Not all encounters at all times with a mentor will be uniformly positive. Sometimes our mentor may be distracted by concerns about her/his own life and not able to focus on what we feel we need at that particular moment. Recognizing the myriad aspects of not being perfect human beings, we can be prepared to more productively engage with our mentors. There are some principles which can help us to have successful relationships and interactions with our mentors. Obviously these principles are equally applicable to the mentors themselves.