Consider The Art Of ‘Mentworking’

Mentworking does not replace traditional mentoring

Mentworking is a hybrid term that combines the relationship building of mentoring with the wide-angle lens of networking.  It is an original approach to learning that assumes a willingness to empower others.  This new concept is different from the traditional one-on-one commitment between a single mentor in a senior position and a selected protégé.  It has the capacity to truly build a learning organization.

The time-honored practice of mentoring has always been with us.  It has taken all kinds of forms from manager to employee, teacher to student, parent to child, coach to athlete, therapist to client, or clergy to lay person. It is even applicable to relationships between partnering nations or organizations. Wherever two or more gather in the name of support and wisdom, there is mentoring.

The term “mentor” originated in classic Greek mythology. Kind Odysseus asked his friend, Mentor, a wise teacher, to watch over his beloved son, Telemachus, as the kind embarked on an extended journey. As a substitute parent, Mentor offered support, guidance, protection and blessing to the young child until his father returned. It is from this classic example that we have come to know “mentors” as those who guide and nurture the growth of others through various stages of their development.

When real bonds grow in traditional mentoring relationships, they can be powerful learning partnerships. But in our fast-paced, constantly changing world of work, traditional mentoring is not enough. Those who have mentoring wisdom to offer need to offer it to more than just a handful of protégés. It is also important to remember that mentoring wisdom does not just belong to those in senior positions. Everyone has his or her own particular wisdom to offer.

Mentworking does not replace traditional mentoring. It simply expands the concept and gives it a new dimension. It is not meant to be disruptive to any one-on-one relationship with a protégé you currently have. The underlying theme of Mentworking is that you mentor “many” others in your extended network. You pass on “sound bites” as well as sound advice that you’ve gained from your experiences.

The Mentworking process becomes a giving/receiving relationship for everyone involved.  The mentor is no longer the “master,” nor is the partner the “apprentice.” Instead, both parties are in an active teaching/learning mode. Mutual respect is the “bottom line” of this new process.  People come together to create a mutual learning opportunity. A creative and equal exchange is the result.

Bottom line, it’s about people helping each other to expand and grow so that everyone involved wins.