There appears to be a groundswell of interest in group mentoring. New formats and forms of group mentoring are emerging all the time and in different industries and setting around the globe.
In group mentoring individuals either mentor each other or rely on one or more individuals to facilitate the learning of a group of mentees. Mentoring groups can be peer-led or facilitated by one or more experts who serve as group mentors.
10 Best Practices for Getting Group Mentoring Started
- Get to know the members of your group— not just their business titles but who they are as people.
- Clarify the purpose of the group. What is the purpose of your group and what do you want to accomplish?
- Decide on the process you are going to follow. Who will lead the group? What process will be used to make sure that participants receive what they need from the group?
- Define roles and responsibilities of group members so that each participant is clear about what is expected of them.
- Make everyone feel safe by putting confidentiality agreements in place.
- Talk about personal and group boundaries and how to address potential stumbling blocks, when and if they occur.
- Establish an agreed-upon set of ground rules. Will there be an agenda? When is the group going to meet? What happens if someone’s attendance is inconsistent or infrequent?
- Discuss each person’s learning style and how individual learning styles might affect the learning that goes on in the group.
- Agree on when and how to bring the group to positive closure. How will you know it is time for the group to come to closure?
- Establish an accountability process to help the group and its members stay on track. Is the group meeting its goals?
