Mentoring Charter

Our mentoring programme exists to connect members altruistically in order to share knowledge and experience. As such, everyone involved must first agree to adhere to our Mentoring Charter.

For Everyone Involved

  • A mentoring relationship should begin with the understanding that a Mentor does not know the Mentee’s business, but will listen openly and provide advice as they feel appropriate.
  • Mentoring should be a partnership. For both parties, it should be a respectful environment but also one which is challenging, inspiring and enjoyable.
  • Mentoring should not be a chore, should not be stressful or unrealistic and nor should it include any element of inter-trading or sales. As the Forum’s mentoring programme is conducted altruistically, no financial recompense is expected, nor is it necessary to offer any.

Roles:

Mentor:

A mentor acts as an altruistic, wise friend, offering advice and counsel and providing constructive feedback. A mentor listens and offers a mix of encouragement and pragmatic advice, recommends developmental activities, suggests resources and communicates experiences and challenges.

Mentee:

A mentee asks questions, listens to the answers and recognises the value in not leaping to the defence of all their own views and actions; is open to the mentor’s suggestions but is responsible for their own decisions and development.

Guidelines

 

  1. Mentoring is a confidential activity; both parties have a duty of care towards each other.
  2. Mentor and Mentee should respect each other’s time and other responsibilities.
  3. The Mentee should be clear about what they want from the relationship and communicate this to the Mentor. The Entrepreneurs’ Forum will communicate the initial requirement and aim to link the Mentee with a Mentor who has the relevant experience or knowledge.
  4. Either party can end the relationship at any time.
  5. The Mentee is not obliged to follow the Mentor’s guidance but should be open to discussion.
  6. The Mentee is not obliged to follow the Mentor’s guidance but should be open to discussion.
  7. The length of a mentoring relationship varies between pairings. It may be a one-off meeting, several meetings or an ongoing relationship. This will be determined by the nature of the mentoring requirement and the time availability of the Mentor. The Entrepreneurs’ Forum will attempt to establish the time requirement from the outset in order to match the most appropriate Mentor and Mentee.
  8. The frequency of subsequent meetings, if any, should be agreed by Mentee and Mentor at the first meeting.
  9. The nature of future contact (face to face, email, telephone) should be agreed by Mentee and Mentor at the first meeting.
  10. Mentor and Mentee should make adequate preparation for meetings.
  11. A Forum representative will contact you periodically for an update on the progress of the mentoring relationship for reporting purposes.

 

Mentoring

Mentoring

What to Expect

What to Expect

Case Studies

Case Studies

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