Caroline's Mentoring Journey....

'I've been mentoring people for quite a few years, and it's something I really enjoy.  I’ve had a number of mentoring relationships with people both new to the profession, and those who have been working in financial planning for sometime who just want some one to one development support.

My role as their mentor has been to help them on their way, covering areas such as study and exams, practical help and advice on skills and knowledge needed to do the job, and longer term career options.

Mentoring not only provides great support for the mentee, it also helps the mentor develop new skills and perspectives. When done right, it really benefits both parties and helps each to develop and grow.'

What is Mentoring?

That's a good question! The dictionary defines mentoring as:

'the act or process of helping and giving advice to a younger or less experienced person, especially in a job or at school'

and a quick web search provided a good description of a mentor:

'A mentor is a person who can support, advise and guide you. They typically take the time to get to know you and the challenges you're facing, and then use their understanding and personal experience to help you improve.'

How can mentoring help?

'Over my career I have been fortunate to have some amazing mentors. They have supported, advised and guided me, just like the description says, enabling me to grow and develop throughout my career.

So, I know from my own experience, the benefits of having a great mentor, and just how it can help you on your career path.'

There are many reasons for using a Mentor;

✔️ They can give you guidance on specific areas, problems or challenges you may have, based on their own experiences 

✔️  They can give you a different view and perspective to your own

✔️  They can act as a sounding board for your views and ideas

✔️  They can help you identify your own career goals so you can develop, grow and work towards them

✔️  They can help you to build your confidence, skills and understanding

Training v Mentoring

But don’t people get all this support from training?

That depends! But it is important to understand that mentoring is very different to training. Training is about learning ‘the way we do things’; Mentoring is about helping someone to develop their skills and expertise to be able to progress in the direction they want.

When someone goes through training, most of the time, it simply involves giving someone instruction and showing them how to do something, Mentoring is a symbiotic relationship between the Mentee and the Mentor. Using the Mentor’s experience and knowledge, they discuss, analyse, plan and agree how to help the mentee develop and move forward in a way that’s right for the mentee. It’s not about telling and instructing, it’s about sharing and collaborating to get the best outcome.

Using Sparrow Solutions for Mentoring

If you’d like to know more about Sparrow Solutions Mentoring service and how it could help you or your team, just get in touch using our handy form!