The Mentor-Protégé Relationship

Mentoring is a time-honored method for learning in graduate education and professional development. Mentoring is a symbiotic relationship between a mentor protégé pair who assist each other to meet mutual career objectives. Close mentor-protégé relationships often play a critical role in the lives of successful individuals in academia and business. Effective mentoring is an intentional activity requiring conscious effort. Mentors teach, sponsor, encourage, counsel, and befriend their protégés. Four distinct periods exist in most mentor protégé relationships over time. Mentors are typically 15 to 20 years older than the protégé. Females report having more difficulty forming mentoring relationships and the most suitable mentor candidates are usually males. The framework for effective mentoring is grounded in social and invitational learning theories. The successful protégé eventually develops the self-regulating behaviors that enable autonomous performance and mastery. Formal mentoring programs are commonplace but data supporting this practice are scant.