Defining The Terms and Concepts of Mentoring, Mentor, Mentee (Clarity)

by Stephen Hobbs

To define the terms and concepts associated with your organization of work is a vital first step to stay on course between managers and staff working in groups, teams or more. Then, to have all involved agree (and/or at least accept) the definitions increases the likelihood of clarity from consistency.

Such is the case for the terms mentoring, mentor and mentee. An Internet search lists variations to the three questions answered in this article. Every consideration is given to celebrate those definitions and to weave their meaning into this presentation.

Before reading the article, take 10-20 seconds and reflect on the meaning you assign the terms.

3 Considerations

Before moving on, here are three points for your consideration:

Some insights presented here can also explain and describe coaching. However, coaching and mentoring are different. Coaching has the coach ask the questions while urging the coachee to fulfill their accountabilities. Mentoring has the mentee asking the questions to tap into the lived experience of the mentor.

The insights presented in this article are based on a “pull mentoring” framework – one in which the mentee seeks out a mentor rather than someone is assigned to the mentee (called push mentoring).

The possibility of financial requirements may or may not be included in the arrangement. Such dialogue is left to the those involved.

Definitions of Terms

Mentoring is the process (procedure and practices) associated with “to mentor.”

It involves two people whereby the mentor helps the mentee to succeed.

It involves an agreed upon arrangement in which both parties work together while establishing professional (and as appropriate friendly) connections.

The term mentor is defined in both verb (v) and noun (n) forms.

Mentor (v) as an action-process frames the educative action the person takes in sharing real-world insights from lived experience (area of expertise) based on questions the mentee asks in pursuit of her/his personal (life in general) and/or vocational (work related) intentions.

Mentor (n) as a person activates the process upon request of a mentee.

The mentor has lived experienced relevant to the questions the mentee will ask. And he/she is willing to (a) enter into and sustain an arrangement, (b) establish and sustain a relationship and (c) assist the mentee to succeed.

Mentee is a person who requests a mentor to engage with her/him in the process. A mentee can also be called a protégé, protégée, learner, student, mentoree, apprentice, etc. depending on the setting of the arrangement and relationship.

Additional Terms and Insights

Mentorship is about the knowledge and skills generally accepted as important for mentoring as described, explained and demonstrated by those involved.

Mentoring Arrangement refers to the structure of the relationship. Answers to the question, “How does mentoring work between those involved?” That is, the arrangement focuses on these two questions:

• How does a mentor structure and participate in the arrangement?
• How does the mentee structure and participate in the arrangement?

Mentoring Relationship refers to the shared person-to-person connections fundamental to the arrangement. These types of questions are asked:

• Who am I to be a mentor?
• Who am I to be a mentee?
• Who is the mentor – from mentee perspective?
• Who is the mentee – from mentor perspective?

Mentor was an old man who guided Telemachus, Homer’s son in Homer’s Odyssey. The Greek goddess Athena assisted the old man and in some explanations of the story Athena became Mentor.

Also, the master-apprentice connection via trade/craft guilds over the centuries (especially in Europe) has strong alignment with mentoring.