V. MENTORING FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD PROGRAM

A structured mentoring program promotes a learning organization and is a vehicle for knowledge management and succession planning.

What is a Learning Organization?

According to Peter Senge, author of "The Fifth Discipline", learning organizations are: …organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.

What is Mentoring about?

The mentoring partnership is an agreement between two people sharing experiences and expertise to help with personal and professional growth.

What might the purpose be for a mentoring program with new employees?

Every organization is different, however regardless of the vision or mission or strategic plan of an organization mentoring programs promote learning. In the simplest explanation, a mentoring program will provide:

• Opportunity for employees to benefit from a mentoring relationship by learning from an experienced or seasoned employee.
• Structure to mentoring relationships.
• Networking and career exploration opportunities.
• A greater understanding of organizational values, relationships, and unwritten rules.

With every successful mentoring program goals and objectives are set at the outset and through collaboration will be agreed upon with the organization point of contact.

It should be noted that any of the workshop topics described above can be incorporated into a series of learning events throughout the lifecycle of the mentoring program.