EMCC UK Mentoring Special Interest Group

Anyone working in L & D would have seen mentoring grow in popularity, as an intervention that supports people beyond training, providing a more holistic, person-centred form of development. Many would agree that being mentored is one of the most valuable and effective development opportunities you can offer someone.  Post COVID -19, studies show that many of us are looking for on-going support, a need to re-build confidence and self-resilience, the desire to continue to learn and develop but looking to do this on a more personal level, where we will be given the opportunity to self-reflect, receive feedback and individual support, from peers and more senior colleagues. Mentoring can provide this and meet these needs and as a CIPD survey reports, mentoring alongside coaching is an area of growth and provides the person-centred development that can be aligned to business needs both current and future.

Mentoring not only helps the mentee but is has a ripple effect, it develops the mentor and creates a positive company culture.

If, as the evidence shows, mentoring makes a significance impact on the individual achievement and development, why doesn’t mentoring receive the same status and high profile as other L & D initiatives such as coaching? Why isn’t is closely regulated and quality assured? Why is there the perceived belief that ‘anyone can be a mentor’?

I wanted to address these perceptions and create a network of mentors to discuss mentoring practice, to raise the profile of mentoring, its value and how we can ensure the quality and best practice of mentoring both within organisations and beyond.

So, the EMCC UK Mentoring Special Interest Group was formed, bringing together mentors and those involved in mentoring programmes. The aim of the group is to explore all aspects of Mentoring within today’s organisational, public and charity sectors and provide support to mentors by making opportunities for them to:

• share experience from their respective organisations
• discuss the many ‘flavours’ of mentoring
• learn from each other and help to develop best practice through mentor training and quality assurance
• generate new and creative ideas and signpost research on mentoring
• collaborate with other members with a view to providing mutual support outside meetings of the Group
• feel re-energised and equipped to drive transformation and the development of mentoring cultures within their organisations
• raise the profile of mentoring

The Group is co-ordinated and chaired by EMCC UK and is open to any mentor or specialist responsible for mentoring in their organisation. We achieve the aim through regular webinars and workshops, Knowledge Exchange events, and supporting the EMCC UK Board to represent members in the development of mentoring.  This group meets bi-monthly on Zoom with guest speakers & networking opportunities.

To find out more go to: EMCC UK