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Mentoring partnerships are connections whereby two people - regardless of generation - see themselves as colleagues with compatible learning styles who bring desired skills, experience, and knowledge to the relationship.
Traditionally in a mentoring relationship, a senior-level person provides guidance, support, and information for a younger person just beginning her career pathway.
The mentoring partnership model is unique since it is intentionally designed to develop a relationship that provides a two-way inclusive interaction, as well as the opportunity to exchange insights, knowledge, and expertise. This results in mutual learning benefits for both participants regardless of generational or workplace status.
For example, younger generations often are interested in learning project management skills, while many Boomers would like to understand newer generations' communication and learning preferences. This is an equal partnership, connecting two individuals who bring different talents, skills, and experiences to the table who want to learn from each other.
Why it works
In many traditional mentoring programs, the coordinator (often in human resources) makes the mentor-mentee relationship assignments. Both participants complete an information form used by a third party to make the match. It is difficult to take into consideration personalities, compatibility, or synergy.
One of the most distinctive steps in this model is the matching process. Partnerships are based on mutual selection - individuals identify what they want to learn and what they want to teach or share in their respective partnership exchanges. This information is the basis for a self-matching process that provides the means to actively identify a partner and explore developing a working relationship.
Once a partnership has been confirmed, they complete and sign an agreement establishing commitment, accountability, and terms of the relationship. The agreement includes timeframe, each partner's learning goals, and commitment to the equal contributions made to...