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The Mentor's Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships

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I thought I knew what mentoring meant, but it wasn't until I read this new book by Lois Zachary that I realized that I didn't begin to fathom the depth of the learning journey as it relates to the mentoring process. This author spells it out every step of the way. For those in the business sector; for those in the business of volunteering; for just about anyone who cares about nurturing others, she covers all aspects of the field. There are strategies, exercises, examples -- anything you will need to get you in the right frame to be a mentor and to "facilitate effective learning relationships." I am very impressed.

This book provides mentors the tools they need in order to develop and maintain a mentoring relationship. In order to develop a successful mentoring relationship, it is important that the mentor have a good foundation in the purpose of the mentor/mentee relationship and then how know how to develop the relationship. The Mentor's Guide, by Lois J. Zachary, gives mentors this foundation and provides them with support in developing the mentor/mentee relationship.

Lois goes on to provide mentors with the information they need in order to be successful. Learning, according to Lois, is the primary goal of the mentoring relationship. In order for learning to occur, the relationship must be learner centered. The book provides guidelines on creating a learner-centered environment.

The book provides information as well as worksheets that help mentors develop their mentoring skills. Worksheets on developing goals and priorities, confidentiality, boundaries, planning, cross-cultural mentoring, assessing the quality of interactions, skill assessment, as well as strategies to develop successful reflections are a few of the worksheets provided by the book.

This is an excellent book that provides mentors will the tools they need in order to be successful.

Lois Zachary has made a wonderful contribution to the field of mentoring. Her new book is an "easy read" with wonderful metaphors, appropriate emphasis on relationship building, clear distinctions between old style mentoring versus mentoring as a partnership, interesting examples, and useful exercises.

I bought the book out of curiosity rather than truly being interested in the topic. In minutes I found myself fascinated, and I even saw applications of the information to my relationship with my 10 year old grandson!

I just finished my thesis on mentoring child care center directors. The Mentor's Guide was the best resource. My thesis quotes many authors but there was non better than Lois Zachary. Her book is the easiest to read and she puts into words what I was thinking. I can't say enough about the wealth of information, ideas, quotes and straight comments that I found useful in this book. If you are embarking on a mentoring relationship this book is a must read. Thank you Lois.

This book provides the best definition of a mentor that I have come across thus far with the statement "...and at there best they inspire us to reach beyond ourselves; they show us how to make a positive difference in a wider world". It is an easy to read reference tool filled with applicable information about how to prepare for and what to watch for during your journey as a mentor. The author does an excellent job of inspiring a can do attitude by giving the reader the ability to use this book as a workbook to be able to work through real life experiences. This book is a must have for anyone desiring to be in a mentoring relationship.

This book provides mentors the tools they need in order to develop and maintain a mentoring relationship. In order to develop a successful mentoring relationship, it is important that the mentor have a good foundation in the purpose of the mentor/mentee relationship and then how know how to develop the relationship. The Mentor's Guide, by Lois J. Zachary, gives mentors this foundation and provides them with support in developing the mentor/mentee relationship.

Learning, according to Lois, is the primary goal of the mentoring relationship. In order for learning to occur, the relationship must be learner centered. The book provides guidelines on creating a learner-centered environment.

The book provides information as well as worksheets that help mentors develop their mentoring skills. Worksheets on developing goals and priorities, confidentiality, boundaries, planning, cross-cultural mentoring, assessing the quality of interactions, skill assessment, as well as strategies to develop successful reflections are a few of the worksheets provided by the book.

This is an excellent book that provides mentors will the tools they need in order to be successful.

I spent my summer researching mentoring as an independent study project for my PhD program. This guide incorporated much of what I found to be essential in an effective mentoring program: incorporation of adult learning theory, focus on the responsibilites of the mentee, practical exercises and reading for the mentors, and much more. I have used the exercises with great success and highly recommend this book to anyone considering implemeting a mentoring program.

This book has helped my organization in creating a mentor program. The author provide useful information for individuals as well as companies. I recommend the book because it has actionable suggestions for the mentoring relationship.

I read this book for an adult development class. It's not a bad book, and goes through the process of becoming and being a mentor adequately. But it's too long. If I would condense this book into a version that contained only information and exercises that I thought were necessary, this book would be significantly shorter.

Zachary's book is designed as an instructional workbook that focuses on developing a mentor/mentee relationship (p. 6). She includes several worksheets to evaluate the mentoring process. For example, mentors are instructed to complete preliminary paperwork to reflect on their past informal and formal mentoring experiences (p. 10-11). Some of the questions asked include, "My mentors were [who were your mentors?]," "What wisdom have you gained from each of your mentors?," and "What did you learn about being a mentor?" (p. 11)

Zachary outlines some specific guidelines regarding mentoring (p. xviii):

* Mentoring can be a "powerful growth experience... mentors will learn new things about their [peer mentor] and themselves"
* Facilitating successful mentoring is a reflective practice that takes preparation and dedication. It begins with self-learning. Taking the time to prepare for the relationship adds value to it"
* Mentoring is a process of engagement. No one can mentor without connection. In fact mentoring is most successful when it is done collaboratively"

Since FBC Mt. Healthy has an ethnically diverse population, the section entitled "Cross Cultural Mentoring" was of special interest (p. 38). Zachary mentions that in some cultures, the word, "Mentor," can inhibit open communication because a mentor is viewed as a "status ranking" or "hierarchy" position (p. 42). Although there might be some challenges to cross cultural mentoring, the experience can lead to a greater "knowledge, appreciation, and sensitivity" for the other culture (p. 41-42).

Zachary includes an "Intercultural Communication Checklist" that can be useful for any mentoring relationship at its onset (p. 44). This is because some of the items describe certain behaviors necessary for being a mentor. These include, "use active listening skills (clarifying and confirming)," "be patient," and "accept differences" (p. 44). Mentors must understand that being a previous mentor does not necessarily mean that he/she is prepared for a new mentoring relationship. In fact, some mentoring experiences can lead to disappointment or dissatisfaction if the mentor goes into the relationship without much preparation (p. 65). Zachary insists that motivation can have a "direct impact on behavior, attitude, and emotionally resilience" (p. 67); which is something that may be lacking if a person does not prepare for the rigors of mentoring.

As Zachary points out, the lack of time can also hamper the mentoring experience so she suggests that mentors "spend quality time," "schedule time in advance," "monitor your time," and "take care of yourself" (p. 63). This is a good reminder that mentors must consider the time they will need to invest in the other person and to balance that time with personal growth and development (such as personal bible study and individual prayer time).

The questionnaire, "Mentoring Design and Implementation Challenges," should have been shared earlier in the workbook (it was included as an appendix) (Appendix A, p. 168). The questions associated with each challenge are useful for evaluating "why" and "how" a mentoring program should be implemented. The 15 challenges and accompanying tasks provided a good outline of what should be done and how to do it (p. 168-173). They are listed below:

Even though the book's emphasis is on a different form of mentoring (workplace/professional mentoring vs. peer mentorship), it still offers a good basic foundation for starting a mentorship program. Zachary's comment really reflects the core of mentoring--"Mentors who become students of their own experience use reflection to inform what it is they do and how they do it. In reflecting on their experience, they learn something about themselves" (p. xv).