Mentoring is a very critical management process which we will discuss specially in the context of Business Management Institutions. Let us start with the help of a few images.

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If we pause here before reading on, what would we say mentoring is?  And how do we define a good mentor and a good mentee in the two-way street that mentoring is?

Before that, origin of the word mentor:

The word ‘Mentor’ comes from The Odyssey, written by the Greek poet Homer. As Odysseus was preparing to fight the long Trojan War, he realised he is leaving behind his one and only one heir Telemachus. He hired a trusted family friend named Mentor to be Telie’s tutor and caretaker.

“Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximize their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be”.  

So friends, Mentoring is typically focused on one person and the Mentor has a sincere joy in the role of being a helper along the journey towards the destination.

Mentor’s job is to teach mentees how to see their minds are growing in the same way they can see their muscles grow when they look in a mirror.  The need to make sure that mentees are exerting themselves. Praise them when they deserve and to tell them honestly when they have to work harder 

Thus, Mentors:

• Help develop mentee’s passion into a career
• Teach discipline and help them reach their potential
• Support them to overcome their insecurities and fears
• Encourage when all seems lost, and fight the battles with them to the very end and last but not the least
• Find happiness in the success of their mentees
  

Having understood the concept and that mentoring is both science and art, we will now understand Student Mentoring at IESMCRC.

Mentees need guidance in:

• Coping with new pedagogy
• Removal of mental blocks
• Clearing confused emphasis in career choice
• Lightening of “background baggage”

So that they don’t “miss the bus” both in clarity in fundamentals and personal development.

Accordingly Mentoring at IESMCRC

• Individual & compulsory
• At times group mentoring
• 10 mentees are guided by 1 member of faculty
• Make the weak strong, make the strong stronger
• Periodic formal meetings
• Pro-active mentees highly encouraged
• Freedom to approach other mentors
• Mentor monitors attendance, academic performance, social interaction, extra and co-curricular activities and maturity growth and provides a monthly “rating” to the mentee.

We conclude with a famous painting by Michelangelo.

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