3 Guidelines for Establishing a Mentoring Programme within the ...

Guidelines for Establishing 

a Mentoring Programme within 

the Framework of the 

IEC Young Professionals 

Programme 

Establishing a Mentoring Programme within the Framework of the IEC Young Professionals Programme

Contents 

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 3 

What is Mentoring? .................................................................................................................................. 3 

Why is Mentoring Important to Achieving the Outcomes of the IEC Young Professionals 

Programme ………………………………………………………..….……………………...……………….….. 3 

What Makes a Successful Mentoring Programme .................................................................................. 4 

Planning and Design ............................................................................................................................... 6 

Planning .................................................................................................................................................. 6 

Design ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 

Participants, their roles and responsibilities .......................................................................................... 10 

IEC National Committee ................................................................................................................... 10 

Facilitator .......................................................................................................................................... 11 

Mentor .............................................................................................................................................. 11 

Mentee ............................................................................................................................................. 12 

Training ............................................................................................................................................ 12 

The Mentoring Relationship .................................................................................................................. 13 

Matching Mentors to Mentees .......................................................................................................... 13 

The Mentoring Relationship ............................................................................................................. 15 

The Mentoring Process ........................................................................................................................ 16 

Evaluation and Review ......................................................................................................................... 19 

Facilitating Ongoing Opportunities ....................................................................................................... 20 

Resources ............................................................................................................................................ 21 

Establishing a Mentoring Programme within the Framework of the IEC Young Professionals Programme

Introduction 

Mentoring was identified by several participants in the 2011 IEC Young 

Professionals Workshop as being one tool that would help them to 

become involved, or more involved in IEC work. 

These guidelines are intended to provide a framework for a Young 

Professionals Mentoring Programme that can be used by IEC National 

Committees to establish a mentoring programme in their countries 

within the broader context of the IEC Young Professionals Programme. 

This material is not intended to be prescriptive, but rather a guidance 

document which will provide National Committees with the tools and 

resources to implement their own tailored programme. It aims to 

encourage National Committees to implement local programmes that 

increase the participation of young professionals in both national 

committees and IEC technical committees with the intention of 

improving the transfer of technologies and experiences. 

What is Mentoring? 

Mentoring provides an informal pathway to developing and 

strengthening a Young Professional‟s career in standardization or 

conformity assessment. Mentoring has many varied definitions; 

however in the context of the IEC, it may be best defined as a 

developmental partnership through which one person shares 

knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal 

and professional growth of someone else: a one-of-a-kind opportunity 

for collaboration, goal achievement and problem-solving [1]. 

In its best form, mentoring provides benefits to both the mentor and the 

mentee. 

Why is Mentoring Important to Achieving 

the Outcomes of the IEC Young 

Professionals Programme 

The mentor can experience enhanced self-esteem, better fulfilment of 

their own developmental needs and industry recognition. As a bonus, 

the relationship may bring exposure to new ideas, other perspectives 

and intellectual stimulation. The mentee may also „upwardly mentor‟ 

their mentor, for instance in using new technology. 

3 Guidelines for Establishing a Mentoring Programme within the Framework of the IEC Young Professionals Programme

The mentee gets support in furthering their involvement within the 

IEC community. 

Benefits should include access to an informed second opinion, gaining 

insight into their own performance through a „critical friend‟, identifying 

personal development needs and opportunities as well as learning from 

the experience of the mentor. 

The IEC National Committees and the overall IEC community in turn 

will benefit through the development of future experts and leaders, and 

from the transfer of knowledge from experienced to new participants. 

Mentoring is effective because humans learn through conversation in a 

social context, which is the essence of mentoring. [2] 

What Makes a Successful Mentoring Programme 

A successful mentoring programme relies on commitment from a strong 

and passionate facilitator who identifies and matches eager mentors 

and mentees whose objectives are in line with the established goals of 

the programme. 

Whilst the following are no guarantee of success, without these key 

success factors it is likely the programme will not achieve the desired 

outcomes: 

1. Defined objectives and support from the leadership of the 

IEC National Committee. 

a. Goals should be SMART – specific, measurable, 

attainable, relevant and time-bound. 

i. E.g. The goal of the IEC Young Professionals 

Mentoring Programme is to increase participation 

rates in the early 20s to mid-30s age group by 

X% in X years. 

b. A senior leader within the IEC NC who strongly believes 

in the programme should be identified and willing to 

serve as its champion and advocate. 

2. Select a strong and passionate programme facilitator: 

a. Successful mentoring programmes are not only 

comprised of mentors and mentees – they are managed 

by a third party that establishes, designs, plans, 

resources, promotes and administers the programme, 

identifies and matches mentors and mentees, provides 

them with training and support and evaluates the 

outcomes. 

b. This facilitator may be a committee or an individual from 

the National Committee. 


3. Clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and limits to 

expectations for all stakeholders. 

4. Make sure all participants and stakeholders are involved 

voluntarily. 

5. Ensure flexibility is designed into the programme: 

a. Whilst mentoring is an educational experience, its merits 

lie in its informality and commitment to the needs of the 

individual. 

b. If a programme is too formal, and structures too rigid, the 

preferred learning methods and outcomes sought by the 

individual will not be met. 

6. Promote the programme: 

a. Promotion is essential to attracting participants (both 

mentors and mentees) to the programme. 

b. Effectively communicate the benefits and strategic value 

to all stakeholders. 

7. Consider the needs of the mentors and well as the mentees: 

a. Establishing a strong and reliable group of mentors that 

remain in the programme for the long term is critical, 

otherwise recruiting and training mentors will drain the 

programme‟s resources. 

b. Mentors are typically busy professionals with limited time 

so the time they devote to the programme must be 

effectively utilized. 

c. Recognition and reward strategies, which could include 

formal certification as a mentor, could aid in attracting 

and retaining quality mentors. 

8. Training and preparation are essential for both the mentors 

and mentees: 

a. All participants need to be fully aware of the 

programme‟s goals, their roles, best practices and the 

IEC NC‟s mentoring process. 

b. Mentors should receive formal training and ongoing 

support. 

c. An orientation session at the commencement of the 

programme, followed by guidance throughout is one 

option. 

d. Mentors and Mentees should write down their objectives 

for participating and track their progress against these. 

9. Match mentors to mentees 

a. The relationship between the mentor and the mentee is 

at the core of any mentoring programme. 

b. This match-making process should consider the mentees 

learning needs, field of interest and personality. 

c. Ensure there is a process for a fault-free re-assignment 

of matches in the case of mismatches. 

10. Have a plan in place for managing conflicts of interest 


11. Establish mentoring metrics 

a. Metrics should be established during the design of the 

programme around each of its objectives so that the 

progress of the programme can be effectively tracked. 

12. Set an end date 

a. A closure point should be established for each mentoring 

relationship with milestones established and monitored 

for set points throughout it. 

b. There should be a formal process for ending the 

mentoring experience. 

13. Provide ongoing opportunities 

a. After the mentoring process, the mentee‟s participation in 

standardization may need to be facilitated by the National 

Committee. 

b. Without ensuring that mentees have been put into 

contact with relevant technical committees, and that they 

have the opportunity to practice what they have learnt, 

the experience will have been in vain. 

14. Recognize successes 

a. Identify, communicate and recognize individual and 

programme-wide successes. 

b. This applies to both mentors and mentees. 

Planning and Design 

Planning 

The IEC National Committee should establish a committee, consisting 

of potential participants and other stakeholders, to identify the level of 

support for the programme within their organization, the risks involved 

and potential outcomes. This planning should entail: 

1. Verification of the needs of young professionals at a national 

level and the viability of mentoring as a solution to these needs. 

2. Confirmation of enthusiasm for a mentoring programme – if 

there is no enthusiasm for mentoring, training or other options 

may be more viable. 

3. Identification of mentees – who is the target and how can the 

programme meet their needs? 

4. Identification of mentors – identify key areas of experience, 

competence and attitude both as a professional and as a person 

who should meet potential mentee needs and the programme 

objectives. Is there an adequate pool of experienced candidates 

who are willing to invest their own time into mentoring young 

professionals? 

5. Confirmation that the IEC National Committee will provide 

adequate resources for the programme, which may include 

financing training, providing staff and meeting spaces. 


6. Identification of who will design and develop the programme 

– this should include a variety of stakeholders including potential 

mentors and mentees. 

7. Who will act as the programme facilitator, responsible for 

communication, recruitment, training, support and evaluation? 

This may be an individual or a group. 

8. Consideration of logistical issues including: 

a. Start dates 

b. Time required to develop the programme 

c. Lead-time for marketing the programme 

d. Resources required 

e. Training and support events necessary. 

9. Identification of measurement metrics including establishment 

of baseline data. Metrics should include qualitative and 

quantitative measurements. 

10. Establishment of marketing plan – establish a communication 

strategy including above the line and below the line marketing. 

11. Drawing up a budget for the programme. Possible costs would 

include: 

a. Capital investments: 

i. Preparation 

ii. Programme design 

iii. Publicity materials 

iv. Infrastructure: meeting rooms or 

teleconferencing/web conferencing facilities. 

b. Recurrent costs: 

i. Coordination & support 

ii. Ongoing publicity 

iii. Training 

iv. Networking and other events linked to programme 

v. Evaluation & programme amendments. 

Design 

If the planning phase does not identify any insurmountable barriers to 

establishing the mentoring programme, the next task is to design the 

programme. The design committee should consider: 

1. What are the specific objectives of the programme? 

2. Will previously defined mentoring best practice, or standards be 

followed: for example the International Standards for Mentoring 

Programmes in Employment. 

3. How will an ethical framework be established for the 

Programme? Guidance may be sought by referring to 

mentoring standards. How this ethical framework will be 

communicated and enforced will also need to be considered. 

4. What are the mentoring metrics and how will outcomes be 

evaluated? 


5. Who will participate and how many? This may need to be reexamined 

after the availability of suitable and willing mentors is 

determined. 

6. What level of formality is desired? Remember there needs to 

be some flexibility. More administrative control will lead to few 

participants. Complete informality may leave participants without 

adequate support and programme goals unmet. 

7. What sort of mentoring model is appropriate? The mentoring 

programme may recommend one model only, or a combination 

of the following: one to one, senior-junior, peer to peer, juniorsenior, 

group or panel. The selection of mentoring model must 

consider which experiential differences are most appropriate in 

light of mentee needs and programme goals. These guidelines 

deal predominately with the one to one, senior-junior model, but 

can be applied to other models. 

8. Characteristics and skills needed in the mentor? The specific 

experience sought in a mentor depends on the aims of the 

programme and the needs of the mentees. Other important 

characteristics are: 

a. Listening with empathy 

b. Sharing experience and learning 

c. Being a sounding board 

d. Providing professional friendship 

e. Developing insight through reflection 

f. Being interested in the development of others. 

9. What individual goals are appropriate for mentees? These 

should be used at briefings and in other programme information. 

As individual ideas on what mentoring is and can do vary a lot, 

managing expectations from the start is crucial. 

10. How will participants be recruited, including both mentees 

and mentors? 

a. Some options include calling for nominations and 

personal applications. 

b. Consideration should also be given to how people will be 

persuaded to join. 

11. How will applicants be screened and matched? 

a. Leave some choice available to both mentor and mentee 

in deciding partnerships. 

b. Make sure they know how to end the relationship without 

blame if the match doesn‟t work. 

c. Mentoring software could be considered as there are 

several suites such as Chronus that have been 

specifically designed for this purpose. 

d. Consider potential conflicts of interest in the matching 

process and how these can be managed. Management 

techniques can include: 

i. Place participants from industry with those from 

outside industry (e.g. academia/consumer 

protection) and vice versa. 


ii. Place participants with those from non-competitor 

companies. 

iii. Have agreements in place from the participant‟s 

employers that they can engage in a mentoring 

relationship with someone from outside their 

company. 

iv. Have strong confidentiality policies in place, 

which are understood and agreed to by 

participants. 

v. Market the benefits of participating to employers. 

12. How will equity and the perception of equality be managed 

in the matching process? 

a. Mentoring partnerships may cut across gender, culture, 

language, disability and/or generation as well as 

experience which can lead to difficulties arising. 

b. Some points to bear in mind: 

i. Cross-gender relationships can provoke gossip if 

not handled openly or may be culturally 

inappropriate in some countries. 

ii. People often feel more at ease with mentoring 

partners of the same sex and culture. 

iii. Partners who differ in one or more of these 

characteristics may be unable to provide the 

exchange sought by their partner, because 

priorities and experience are too far apart. 

iv. When there is little equality or equity, dependency 

may arise – whereby a mentee feels dependent 

on the mentor for the future of their career. This 

needs to be avoided wherever possible. 

c. Differences in experience and perspective also offer 

positive outcomes such as providing insights not 

otherwise obtainable. 

d. Trying to match participants too closely may result in 

there being few mentoring partnerships. 

13. What procedures will be put into place to handle relationships 

that do not function as intended? 

a. For example, arrange that mentoring partners meet with 

or give feedback to the facilitator after their first or 

second meeting to confirm that the partnership feels 

positive and that learning goals have been agreed. 

b. If there are signs the relationship is not functioning as 

desired, the facilitator should propose and arrange 

meetings with alternative partners emphasising that 

personal fit is a priority for all involved. 

14. What orientation and training will be provided to participants? 

The following should be considered: 

a. Introduction to mentoring information pack 

b. Orientation presentation 

c. Training on how to benefit from mentoring for both 

mentors and mentees. 


15. How will participants be supported? This could include: 

a. Informal networking opportunities 

b. Formal sessions where a particular group can get 

together to discuss common issues and possible 

solutions. 

c. Further training and formal recognition. 

16. What is the communication strategy? This could encompass: 

a. Encouraging everyone involved to spread the word, 

which could include via social marketing methods such 

as Facebook/LinkedIn. 

b. Traditional marketing such as flyers and advertisements. 

c. Letters to employers associated with the National 

Committee. 

d. Letters to existing technical committee members. 

e. Pre-programme orientations and progress events. 

Participants, their roles and responsibilities 

Mentoring relationships should be based on trust, acknowledgment of 

mutual benefit and a balanced responsibility for conduct with attention 

to the confidential nature of the relationship. [3] 

IEC National 

Committee 

Facilitator 

Mentor 

Mentee 

•Strategy 

•Promotes 

•Resources 

•Supports 

•Supervizes 

•Monitors 

•Shares 

•Solves 

•Motivates 

•Explores 

•Applies 

•Progresses 

IEC National 

Committee 

• Develops a mentoring policy and strategy. 

• Communicates this to all stakeholders. 

• Promotes mentoring at every opportunity. 

• Cultivates a mentoring culture. 

• Participates in programme events. 

• Members of the National Committee may volunteer as 

mentors. 


• Provides the resources to plan, design and implement the 

programme. 

• Supports the facilitator, providing ideas and suggestions 

where necessary. 

• Participates in the monitoring and review of the programme. 

Facilitator 

• Markets the programme to involve new mentors and 

mentees. 

• Processes applications from mentors and mentees to be 

involved in the programme. 

• Provides training and other support events. 

• Facilitates the matching of mentors to mentees. 

• Arbitrates conflict between mentee and mentor. 

• Supervises participants. 

• Ensures all participants remain focussed on the programme 

objectives and adhere to set standards, ethics and 

boundaries. 

• Monitors and reviews progress of programme, and whether 

goals are being achieved. 

• Provides feedback on the programme to the IEC National 

Committee. Ensures mentees have the opportunity for 

further development following completion of the mentoring 

relationship. 

Mentor 

A mentor facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual by 

sharing the knowledge and insights that have been learned through the 

years. [4] [3] 

They are a: 

 

Teacher – who shares their knowledge and experience as a 

current or former participant in IEC activities and encourages 

the mentee in their learning journey. 

• Problem solver – providing solutions to the mentee‟s 

issues, but more importantly enabling mentees to gain 

confidence in analysing and solving problems and become 

effective decision-makers. 

• Motivator – supporting mentees in discovering, defining and 

actioning their goals within the scope of the programme. 

• Listener – who provides an open and non-judgemental 

space for mentees to discuss their issues, and after listening 

provides encouragement and support in resolving them. The 

mentor listens, clarifies, reflects back and, when necessary, 

challenges what the mentee says. 

• Guide – Assisting the mentee to reflect on their beliefs, 

thoughts, feelings and behaviours and to view issues from a 

number of perspectives. 

Mentors need to be able to [3]: 

• Commit time to their mentee 

• Be accessible 


• Be a positive influence 

• Give and receive constructive and honest feedback 

• Be non-judgemental 

• Respect confidences. 

A mentor is not the manager or director of the mentoring relationship. 

They should not be the mentee‟s direct supervisor or manager in their 

working environment either. 

Mentee 

A mentee is an achiever – "groomed" for advancement by being 

provided opportunities to excel beyond their current limits. [4] 

They are a: 

• Learner – with a strong desire to learn new skills and 

abilities. 

• Decision maker – taking charge of their career path within 

the IEC, and learning to find their own solutions. 

• Initiator – a mentee is willing to explore challenges on their 

own initiative. The mentee initiates meetings with the mentor, 

manages meeting dates and times and sets the agenda for 

the relationship within the scope of the programme. 

• Risk taker – “If you want to increase your success rate, 

double your failure rate,” said Thomas Watson, Senior, 

founder of IBM. A mentee needs to be open to and 

appreciate different perspectives and ideas. They cannot be 

afraid of learning or changing. 

• Communicator – the mentee must be able to listen as well 

as to talk. They need to listen, clarify, reflect back and, when 

called for, challenge what their mentor says. 

• Goal setter – if you know where you are going, people are 

willing to help guide you. Mentees should have specific 

individual goals for participating in the mentoring programme 

which they can clearly communicate to the facilitator and 

mentor. They should be able to take responsibility for 

identifying and achieving their own development goals. 

Mentees need to be able to [3]: 

• Spend time with their mentor 

• Be accessible 

• Be receptive 

• Give and receive constructive and honest feedback 

• Respect confidences. 

Training 

It is vital to the success of the mentoring programme that both mentees 

and mentors understand the programme objective and their individual 

roles and responsibilities. 


Formal or informal training should occur before the mentoring 

commences, with consideration given to covering the following topics 

and issues: 

The objectives of the programme 

Explaining both the benefits and risks to the mentor and mentee 

Definition of relationship boundaries: 

o Confidentiality 

o Interaction 

o Communication 

o Socialising 

o Timeframes 

Roles and Responsibilities 

Communication skills, particularly listening skills 

Negotiation and conflict resolution 

The standards and ethical framework for the programme 

Confidentiality and conflict of interest 

Goal setting 

Administrative and other procedures that need to be followed 

How the programme will be monitored and evaluated. 

The Mentoring Relationship 

Matching Mentors 

to Mentees 

Matching mentors to mentees is the responsibility of the Facilitator and 

is critical to the success of the programme. There are a number of 

considerations which need to be taken into account in the matching 

process, with the exact criteria being defined by the programme‟s 

objectives. For example, if the objective of the programme is to increase 

the participation rate of Young Professionals in committee meetings, 

mentees need to be matched with mentors who have had experience in 

this area. 

The criteria for matching will differ for each National Committee, taking 

into account both their objectives for the mentoring programme, and 

also cultural considerations specific to their country. 

Some considerations in matching include: 

How cultural and social differences may impact upon the 

mentoring relationship and the potential issues which may arise. 

 

Gender considerations: 

o Senior professionals in management and engineering 

and thus prospective mentors are often male, which 

makes it especially important to consider gender when 

matching participants. 

o A male mentor to a female mentee must be sensitive to 

issues and barriers women encounter including 

discrimination, social isolation and family and work 

conflict. 


o A female mentor to a male mentee likewise should be 

sensitive to any discomfort the latter may feel, particularly 

given that they may be used to hierarchical relationships 

where males are leaders, and may find equal or 

subordinate relationships with women disconcerting. 

o In mixed gender mentoring relationships it is vital to take 

steps to avoid inappropriate conduct or rumours thereof. 

Personality: 

o 

The relationship style of the mentor and mentee will 

impact upon the mentoring relationship. Some people 

may seek out relationships, whilst others may avoid 

contact or be ambivalent. 

o Compatibility should consider work ethic, need for 

achievement, motivation, preferences for structure, 

productivity and turnaround. 

Confidentiality and conflict of interest 

o The employers of both mentors and mentees may have 

concerns about confidentiality and conflict of interest 

which may become barriers to involvement if not properly 

managed. 

o These could be managed by: 

• Pairing mentors and mentees from different fields 

represented within the IEC, for example: 

Academics 

Corporations 

Consultants 

Consumer Advocacy Groups. 

• Pairing mentees who attend, or wish to participate 

in one committee with a mentor from a committee 

operating in a different area. This would require 

the mentor to provide guidance in terms of IEC 

processes and procedures rather than technically 

specific guidance. 

• Using professional mentors – these are mentors 

who provide a mentoring service as part of their 

business. 

Compatible matches lead to successful mentoring relationships, 

however it is important to note that if the mentor and mentee are too 

close in their experience and attributes, they may learn nothing from the 

experience. 

The best outcomes are typically achieved where the mentee has a 

choice. This could be organized by the programme facilitator through 

informal networking prior to the commencement of the mentoring 

relationship. 

Choice needs to be balanced with equal access to mentoring 

opportunities to mentees from minority groups. 


Above all, if the match proves to be unsuccessful, there needs to be 

mechanisms in place for both the mentor and mentee to dissolve the 

mentoring relationship on amicable terms, and to move on. 

The Mentoring 

Relationship 

A successful mentoring relationship changes through the course of 

time, as the mentee experiences personal development and career 

growth as an outcome of the mentoring process. 

Mentoring literature notes that mentoring relationships tend to follow 

similar pathways of progression, and it is anticipated that the 

relationships developed as part of this programme will fit into the 

following five-stage model [2]: 

1. Stage One: Building Understanding. In this stage the mentor 

and mentee find out whether they will be able to work together, 

a decision which is typically based upon: 

a. Alignment of work, personal and cultural values 

b. Mutual respect 

c. Agreement as to the purpose of the relationship 

d. Alignment of expectations (see Relationship Agreement 

below for further detail). 

To assist in building this understanding, the programme 

facilitator should ensure that there is ample opportunity for open 

dialogue between the prospective mentor and mentee prior to 

the formal relationship starting. They should also manage any 

re-matches which arise as a result of this stage. 

2. Stage Two: Goal setting. In this stage the mentor and mentee 

set goals for the relationship within the bounds of the 

programme objective. 

3. Stage Three: Progression. By this stage two to three meetings 

have taken place between the mentor and the mentee. This 

stage of the relationship is the core period, and lasts at least six 

months. It is during this period that both participants challenge 

each other‟s perceptions, explore issues and experience mutual 

growth. The mentee takes greater responsibility for the 

development of the relationship. 

4. Stage Four: Winding Up. Once the mentee feels that they 

have achieved most of their goals, or is equipped to be able to 

do so without the mentor‟s assistance, it is vital that both mentor 

and mentee take steps to wind up the formal mentoring 

relationship in a positive way. This should be done by reviewing 

and celebrating what has been achieved, and not by drifting 

apart. 

5. Stage Five: Moving On. This does not mean that the mentor 

and mentee have no further contact. This simply signals a 

transformation of the relationship into a friendship or alliance. 

Both participants may continue to seek out each other informally 

to discuss issues on an ad-hoc basis or to network. 


Understanding 

Goals 

Progress 

Winding Up 

Moving On 

The Mentoring 

Process 

The precise framework used for the mentoring process needs to be 

considered by the National Committee, as cultural factors have a strong 

influence on the suitability of the model chosen. 

In considering the framework to use, it is important to remember that the 

purpose of the mentoring process is to allow the mentee to feel able to 

converse with their mentor and in doing so address issues concerning 

their career growth and personal development. The goal of this process, 

in turn, is to support the goals of the programme and ultimately to 

develop future experts and leaders through the transfer of knowledge 

from experienced members to new participants. 

In principle, there are four main components to the mentoring process: 

Mentoring 

Programme 

Relationship 

Agreement 

Mentoring 

Conversation 

Actions & 

Outcomes 


Mentoring Programme 

Sets scope and provides supervision, measurement and training 

Matches mentors to mentees 

Supports mentors and mentees. 

Relationship Agreement 

 

 

 

Whilst it is not necessary to have a formal relationship 

agreement, it is vital to plan for the development and end of the 

mentoring relationship at its beginning. 

An important part of this process is to clarify the expectations of 

both the mentee and the mentor as to: 

o Nature of the relationship 

o Roles of both parties 

o Responsibilities of both parties 

o Boundaries: including confidentiality, socialising, and 

acceptable methods of communication (including phone 

numbers and email addresses that can be used) 

o Frequency of meetings 

o Location of meetings and acceptance of other means of 

contact 

o Time frames. 

Whether the relationship agreement is formal or informal, when 

complete, it should provide a useful tool that both mentor and 

mentee can use to manage their relationship. 

Mentoring Conversation 

 

 

 

It may be useful for the mentor to develop an informal structure 

with the assistance of the Programme Facilitator that can be 

used to guide and direct each mentoring conversation. 

It is important for the mentor to have a model that they are 

confident in implementing so that they can focus on what is 

being said, and not what they have to say or do next. In short, 

having a structure supports active listening. 

There are many structures already documented in mentoring 

literature which may provide useful frameworks. Some examples 

of these models include: 

o „The Learning Conversation’ [2]: 

1. Reaffirmation: The mentor and mentee reestablish 

their bond prior to commencing the 

formal conversation. This should include reaffirming 

mutual respect and examining the 

progress made by the mentee since the previous 

conversation. 

2. Identifying the issue: The mentor and mentee 

identify the issue for discussion, in addition to why 

this issue needs to be discussed and the outcome 


the mentee is hoping to achieve. Through this the 

mentor discovers how they may be able to assist 

the mentee. 

3. Building mutual understanding: The mentor 

and mentee explore the issue in depth, with the 

mentor careful not to solve the issue, or discuss 

their own similar experiences in too much detail. 

When the issue has been fully discussed, the 

mentor may summarize the discussion to ensure 

mutual understanding has been reached. 

4. Explore alternative solutions: The mentor and 

mentee discuss a range of possible solutions to 

the issue, from which the mentee can choose one 

to implement or consider them in further detail. 

The mentor should set timeframes for 

implementation, and also discuss how they may 

monitor the mentee‟s progress. 

5. Final Check: The mentor should enable the 

mentee to review their action plan in addition to 

what they have learnt about the issue, and also 

about themselves. 

o The Three Stage Process [5] 

1. Exploration: The issue is appropriately explored. 

2. New Understanding: The mentee gains new 

understanding of the issue. 

3. Action: The mentor and mentee consider what 

actions can be taken based on this 

understanding, which the mentee can implement. 

o The Seven Steps of Mentoring [2] 

1. Identify need 

2. Gather evidence 

3. Motivate, set targets 

4. Plan how to achieve 

5. Create practice opportunities 

6. Observe and give feedback 

7. Support through setbacks. 

Actions and Outcomes 

 

 

 

The goal of the mentoring conversation is to identify actions that 

a mentee can take to resolve an issue or make progress in their 

development which is in line with the programme‟s objectives. 

Action could include accomplishing a task or simply reflecting on 

the conversation and implementing what they have learnt in their 

daily life. 

Actions and outcomes are not solely limited to the mentee. It is 

equally important for the mentor to act upon what they have 

learnt from the mentoring conversation. 


Evaluation and Review 

Metrics should be established during the design of the programme 

around each of its objectives so that the progress of the programme can 

be effectively tracked. The Facilitator should continually monitor the 

success of the programme against these metrics and use the 

information gathered to implement ongoing improvements and to 

enhance future occurrences. 

Metrics (what is being measured) may include [3]: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are the programme‟s objectives being met? 

Is the programme functioning as it should? 

How are the administrative and other procedures working? 

Are all the procedures actually necessary, helpful and being 

followed? 

How are the relationships working? 

What issues are mentors having difficulty with? 

What issues are proving difficult for mentees? 

Has training been sufficient? 

How is the communication strategy working? 

Are there any areas for improvement? 

Some of the methods which may be used to monitor the programme 

could include: 

Surveys. 

Interviews with mentors and mentees at different stages of the 

mentoring relationship. 

Interviews with those not directly involved (for instance members 

of the National Committee) to gain an understanding of their 

perception of the programme. 

Statistics i.e. increase in the number of participants in IEC 

meetings/events who are under a certain age. 

Documenting changes which occur in the National Committee 

throughout the programme‟s life. 

The outcome of individual mentoring relationships should also be 

assessed based on the goals of the participants. This should ideally be 

done by the mentor and mentee, who should consider whether: 

 

 

 

The goals set at the start of the relationship are being met within 

an acceptable timeframe. 

Circumstances have arisen which have changed the course of 

the relationship. 

The relationship has adhered to the standards and ethical 

framework established by the National Committee, and within 

the boundaries established in the relationship agreement. 


There are any issues, or items of conflict which need to be 

resolved. 

The relationship needs to move to the next stage i.e. from 

progression to winding down. 

As part of the evaluation and review process it is also important to 

identify, recognize and communicate both individual successes, and 

programme-wide achievements. This could be done through National 

Committee newsletters, the IEC e-tech, or through reward and 

recognition programmes. 

Facilitating Ongoing Opportunities 

Once the mentoring relationship has concluded, the mentee‟s 

participation in standardization or conformity assessment may need to 

be facilitated by the National Committee. Some mentees may already 

be involved within a technical committee or other IEC programme or 

committee, however others will not. 

Some ideas for facilitating ongoing involvement of mentees in IEC work 

include: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowing mentees to observe committee meetings along with 

their mentor. The mentee could do follow-up work under the 

direction of the mentor and otherwise assist with the committee 

work but not vote. 

Granting access to committee meeting documents. 

Staging mock committee meetings to give mentees hands-on 

meeting experience. 

Establishing additional places on committees exclusively for 

Young Professionals. 

Asking Young Professionals to assist in the organization and 

running of committee meetings, for instance setting up of IT, 

taking minutes. 

Establishing a forum for Young Professionals to present new 

proposals or ideas at committee meetings. 

Establishing frequent networking opportunities for Young 

Professionals. 

Without ensuring that mentees have been put into contact with relevant 

technical committees, and that they have the opportunity to practice 

what they have learnt, their involvement within the programme, and the 

corresponding investment from the National Committee will have no 

immediate benefits for the IEC community. [6] [7] [8] 


Ressources 

Bibliography 

[1] USC College of Mass Communications & Information Studies Alumni 

Society, “Mentoring Program Manual,” February 2008. [Online]. 

Available: http://cmcismentorprogram.wordpress.com/mentoringprogram-manual/. 

[Accessed 1 May 2012]. 

[2] C. G. S. &. G.-H. Megginson, Mentoring in Action- A Practical Guide, 

London: Kogan Page Limited, 2006. 

[3] University of Queensland, [Online]. Available: 

http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/attachments/personnel/MentoringGuidelines. 

pdf. [Accessed 1 May 2012]. 

[4] “DOT Mentoring Handbook,” [Online]. Available: 

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/mentor/mentorhb.htm. [Accessed 

10 May 2012]. 

[5] G. &. S. Alfred, The Mentoring Pocket Book, Alresford, Hants: 

Management Pocket Books, 1998. 

[6] J. &. Ridley, Elements of Mentoring, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 

2004. 

[7] D. Kay & R. Hinds, A Practical Guide to Mentoring, Oxford: How to Books 

Ltd, 2002. 

[8] Crawford, Manager's Guide to Mentoring, New York: The McGraw-Hill 

Companies Inc., 2010. 

Reading 

Books 

Conway, C. (1998). Strategies for mentoring. Chichester: John Wiley & 

Sons Ltd. 

Klasen, N., & Clutterbuck, D. (2002). Implementing mentoring schemes. 

Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. 

Lacey, K. (1999). Making mentoring happen: a simple and effective 

guide to implementing a 

successful mentoring program. Warriewood, NSW: Business & 

Professional Publishing Pty Ltd. 


Websites 

http://www.learningresourcesunlimited.co.uk/mentoring/ 

http://www.coachingnetwork.org.uk/resourcecentre/articles/ 

http://www.generalphysics.co.uk/downloads-library/clutterbuckassociates/ 

http://www.theiet.org/membership/career/mentoring/index.cfm 

http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/pdp/Documents/Mentoring-Guidelines.pdf 

http://www.iitp.org.nz/mentoring/overview 

http://mentoring-australia.org/benchmark.htm 

International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment 

(ISMPE) 

The International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment 

(ISMPE) are a set of six principles upon which to base good mentoring 

programme practice. 

http://www.ismpe.com/

3 Guidelines for Establishing a Mentoring Programme within the ...

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