Course for mentor in the sector of eco-industry

Re. 4. What functions and tasks shall be performed by the mentor?

This question is key for further conceptual work. Before we even define who the mentor and the mentee will be, we should indicate roles and tasks of the mentor in the entire process.

As it results from the literature and practice of mentoring, the mentor may perform the following roles:

• Authority – role model, commands respect, transfers hidden rules, roles and values in teaching, inspires, manages the mentee's educational process, provides information, guidelines with use of specialist knowledge, skills and extensive experience
• Good parent – role model providing support, care, interest, explanation, help with developing self-confidence and self-respect
• Advisor – helps the mentee by providing guidelines, advising. Helps the mentee establish its goals, plan their accomplishment, indicates opportunities for development, helps the mentee accept the need for changes, improvement
• Evaluator – monitors progress of the mentee, stimulates to self-assessment, conducts evaluation of its actions, objectively assesses progress and analyses mistakes
• Leader – teaches and assesses, establishes tasks, defines their goals, indicates the best way of their accomplishment, stimulates and encourages to improve results, forms motivation of the mentee, teaches independence and responsibility for performed tasks, supports in introducing significant changes, leads the mentee in discovering its personal and professional aspirations, opportunities for growth
• Wise guide – direct source of information, advise, "first aid"
• Teacher – ensures establishment of particular stages, verification of understanding and actions, help in acquisition and implementation of skills related to self-learning, self-awareness, collection of information, taking actions, dealing with changes
• Representative, protector – appears as a connector with state or voluntary services, informal deputy and representative of the mentee in contacts with institutions, negotiator, helper
• Listener – shows its interest in the mentee, proposes its support, always available for the mentee, listens with sympathy, if needed

We should define which of these roles are key for the organisation, which roles are related to the mentoring form (forms) that we have selected for performance.

We should note some threats that may appear if we do not define what tasks and roles are planned for the mentor, as it may lead to the situation when the so-called toxic mentor represents values rejected by the organisation.