Mentoring Program for Senior Women
What are the Benefits of Mentoring?
From the literature it is proposed that the following benefits may be expected from the program:
For the mentee
- Improved leadership strategies and problem solving skills
- Extended networks
- Increased and nuanced knowledge of the sector
- Enhanced self-knowledge, confidence and professional identity
- Understanding of ethical leadership and decision-making
- Improved understanding of the importance of the leadership role, and the capacity to contribute to the sector, leading to greater career satisfaction
- Identification of areas for professional growth
- The competence and wisdom to negotiate institutional and sectoral politics
- Greater understanding of senior appointment processes and how to negotiate these
- Greater understanding of the mentoring process and therefore improved capacity to mentor.
For the mentor
- The opportunity to extend contribution to the sector through a new initiative
- The satisfaction of sharing knowledge and experience
- The opportunity to have a formal role in developing the next generation of female leaders in Higher Education
- A context for productive reflection on their own leadership and enduring contribution
- A learning opportunity through relationships with mentees whose experience may be very different to their own
- Increased knowledge of change in the sector, particularly of the impact on institutions of the new policy environment
- The opportunity to see a familiar world through a different lens
- Greater understanding of the mentoring process and therefore improved capacity to mentor
- Enhanced self-esteem through recognition of continuing professional contribution.
- Recognition through the L.H. Martin ‘Associates’ Program.
For the sector
- A new avenue for formal support and development of women leaders
- Great awareness and visibility of senior women in the sector
- Enhanced contribution and broadened links with past leaders
- Evaluation and research that will lead to stronger conceptualisation of the mentoring process and improvements in program design.