What is mentorship?
Good question. The literature contains many definitions and styles of mentorship ranging from the traditional mentor-mentee pairing, to group mentoring and reverse mentoring. In essence, mentorship is about listening to individuals and supporting their professional development through a variety of roles including being a role model, a good listener, an advice giver, and a career guide. Modern definitions emphasise the importance of both parties working together to achieve good outcomes, with the mentee and mentor both benefitting from the experience. The BSG has recently relaunched its mentoring scheme with an emphasis on developmental mentoring.
Does this mean the mentor has to know all the answers?
No. In developmental mentoring, the focus is on the mentor acting as a sounding board for the mentee, giving the mentee space to reflect on situations or challenges, allowing them space to find their own solutions through drawing out the mentee’s own thoughts and reflections. The ability to ask thought-provoking questions and to be an attentive listener are key skills, alongside good feedback skills, the willingness to commit time to the relationship, and a desire to help others.
Are you saying the mentor should not offer any advice to the mentee?
No. Just that the mentee can often find their own solutions if given the opportunity. The mentor offers valuable support, guiding the mentee to look at a variety of options, provides a different perspective on situations, and can encourage and validate the mentee’s experiences. An ability to communicate strategies and techniques you have used in situations is more valuable that telling the mentee what to do. Being willing to own up to your own mistakes in addition to successes can often help the mentee. In the end, if advice is offered, it is up to the mentee to decide whether to make use of it.
Who decides the topics under discussion?
The mentee decides which issues to explore. Reviewing the areas of interest specified in mentoring requests in the new scheme include leadership skills, training, research, education, endoscopy, building self-confidence, work-life balance, teaching, managing career transitions, working abroad, service improvement, conflict resolution, and specific areas of medical interest such as inflammatory bowel disease. Mentees in the previous BSG mentorship programme reported getting pastoral, technical, and career support from their mentors.
Is the relationship completely unstructured?
No, it’s important to start the relationship with a mentoring contract, setting out the length of the relationship, the number of meetings to aim for, and whether contacting the mentor between meetings is part of the deal. It may seem uncomfortable to do this, but it is important as both parties will then be clear on the expectations of the relationship. It is also vital for both parties to realise that this is a confidential relationship; issues revealed in the meetings should not be shared with third parties. This is important for both the mentee and mentor. It is one reason why mentoring relationships often work well when the 2 persons involved do not work in the same institution. In the BSG mentorship programme, we envisage relationships lasting for about a year, with between 4-6 meetings being scheduled in that time. However, individuals may choose shorter partnerships if these suit their needs and objectives.
Are there any useful educational tools for the process?
Yes, there are some helpful tools which can be used to provide structure for a mentoring session.
The SWOT tool can help identify the mentees Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
The G-STAR model can be very helpful to explore a particular issue with a mentee: what are your mentee’s GOALS, what SITUATION is your mentee facing, what is your mentee’s THINKING at this time, what ACTIONS are they considering, what RESULTS are they expecting to achieve.
An alternative is the OSCAR model approach to an issue and looking at it as a journey: OUTCOME the mentee wishes to achieve, SITUATION or starting point, CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES or route options, ACTIONS or detailed plan, REVIEW to check the mentee is on track.
It sounds as if the mentee is doing most of the work here
And you would be correct in that assumption. This is not a passive relationship where the mentee brings problems to the mentor for the latter to sort out. The mentee plays an active role in shaping the relationship, decides the agenda, is proactive in identifying the issues to discuss, and puts in the work between meetings.
What if the relationship just isn’t working?
There is the option to end the relationship early if either party feels strongly that it isn’t working. It is important in a mentoring relationship that the chemistry is right, with both parties feeling comfortable.
I can see what the mentee might get from the relationship, but what about the mentor?
Evidence suggests that mentors benefit from the experience almost as much as mentees. They can gain a sense of personal fulfilment from working alongside another, aiding their professional development, and giving something back to the profession. Being seen as a role model can have a positive effect on their own sense of wellbeing. Mentors develop skills in active listening, drawing solutions from the mentee themselves, and giving feedback. It can be a new and rewarding challenge.
Sounds great. Where do I sign up?
If you would like to participate in the BSG mentoring programme as either mentor or mentee, please contact the BSG mentoring manager (k.ferdinand@bsg.org.uk) who will be able to advise you on next steps. You can also find out more about the mentoring programme and register here.
Article Sources
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tct.12756 Mentorship in the health professions: a review. Burgess A, Diggele C and Mellis C. The Clinical Teacher 2018;15:197-202
Author Biography
Dr Anita Gibbons MD FRCP MSt (Med Ed) SFHEA
Dr Gibbons is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Clinician Educator working at Hinchingbrooke Hospital (NWAFT) where is she is the Regional Sub-Dean, and at the School of Clinical Medicine and the Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge. She is a Bye-Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge. Her roles encompass teaching of undergraduates and postgraduates. For the last 2 years she has been the BSG mentoring lead setting up the current mentoring programme.