Читать книгу Practical Applications of Coaching and Mentoring in Dentistry - Janine Brooks - Страница 18

The word ‘Mentor’ originally came from the Greek Classics – Homer's Odyssey. Mentor is a character's name; a person who teaches and oversees Odysseus' son, Telemachus. Mentor's cloak was a symbol of the protection his role provided Telemachus. In Greek Mythology, Minerva, goddess of schools, art, war and commerce, and, most importantly, wisdom, was also invoked.

Figure 2.1 Experience + skill = mentoring magic.

Combining these two powerful symbols creates a ‘whole person’: guided and taught externally, with inner wisdom and learning. Thus, mentor has come to mean trusted adviser, friend, teacher, and wise person.

The process of mentoring is defined in many ways:

Off‐line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work, or thinking

(Clutterbuck and Megginson 1995).

Mentoring is a developmental relationship where one person, typically older, or more experienced, or with more expert technical knowledge, shares their knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to support the personal and professional growth of someone else. In some cases, the mentor may also share their contacts or networks

(Forton Group 2002).

The process whereby an experienced, highly regarded, empathic person (the mentor), guides another individual (the mentee) in the development and re‐examination of their own ideas, learning, and personal and professional development. The mentor who often, but not necessarily, works in the same organisation or field as the mentee, achieves this by listening and talking in confidence to the mentee

(The Standing Conference on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education SCOPME 1998).

Mentoring can be provided using a variety of formats. Face to face is perhaps the most frequently used, or there is distance/virtual mentoring using telephone or internet platforms where the mentor and mentee are in different locations, but it is still a one to one relationship.

Group mentoring is where a single mentor works with a group of mentees, for example within a dental practice setting, or via audio or visual conference facilities.