M2.05. Recording and reviewing the mentoring process

2. Principles and methods of assessment and monitoring of the mentee's progress

Correctly planned and executed mentoring process assumes continuous monitoring, combined with feedback for the mentee. The mentee's progress assessment should consider principles of assessment of adult education. Therefore, if adult motivation for learning (while mentoring is a form of learning, available at various stages of professional development) is determined by the following factors:

  • success (belief in the capability of learning new things and skills)
  • will (co-determination of a form and content of performed educational activities)
  • value (benefits for use in professional and everyday life)
  • pleasure (satisfaction)

description of methods of assessment and monitoring of the mentee's progress is worth of being referred to this scheme.

Success constitutes the combination of the principle of individualisation and compensation.

The individualisation principle refers to the preferred learning styles – therefore, assessment should include an answer to the question whether, within the scope of mentoring, as a mentee I am provided with learning methods and tools adjusted to my needs, so also the communication method? This principle is easier to be respected in the individual mentoring (especially informal), as every standardisation related to formal mentoring entails lesser individualisation.
Compensation – related to equality of educational opportunities, is significant, if in the mentoring process our mentees are at various age, with different educational experience. Assessment should cover the following aspects: whether in the mentoring process one draws attention to various educational experience of participants? whether in case of significant diversification mutual learning from each other is possible (elements of lateral mentoring)?

Will is the co-determination of a form and content of performed educational activities. By assumption, mentoring is a process in which the mentee defines goals that it wants to meet. The mentor accompanies it at creative discovery and development of its potential.
Questions worth of being asked as a part of assessment of the mentee's progress include:

  • does mentoring suit my educational needs?
  • if it is formal mentoring in which the organisation defines the main goals, do my individual developmental goals correspond with them?
  • what is my relation with the mentor, is it a partner relation assuming bilateral cooperation? are educational goals my goals, or are they formulated "top-down" by the mentor?

Value, that is benefits for use in professional and everyday life
Here, professional and practical knowledge and experience of the process participants constitute the starting point. Mentoring may be treated as training of skills acquired previously and transferred by experienced employees to learners (trainer-player relation). The mentee acquires skills of efficient operation in a given sector, discipline.
Questions worth of being asked as a part of assessment of the mentee's progress include:

  • can I apply new skills acquired in mentoring in everyday work and which one?
  • does my experience constitute the basis for sharing with others?

Pleasure (satisfaction) - mutual respect and the principle of inclusion.
In mentoring, trust and respect for oneself, as well as drawing up objectives and activities that will allow for meeting goals are crucial. Realistic goal setting and their proper staging guarantees satisfaction with the learning progress (positive satisfaction consisting in achieving small successes). Mentoring, especially for new employees, is also a type of socialisation (which is assumed by the principle of inclusion), getting to know a group and a team with whom somebody works. This principle may be particularly useful in international companies, where an aspect of getting to know and understanding cultural differences often constitutes an element of mentoring.
Questions worth of being asked as a part of assessment of the mentee's progress include:

  • is the relation between the mentee and the mentor based on respect?
  • do I achieve small successes throughout the educational process (perform activities that bring me closer to achievement of the assumed goals)?
  • does the mentoring process affect better cognition of colleagues, team integration?