Preparation for Mentorship ( Given Scenario) Essay

Preparation for Mentorship ( Given Scenario) - Essay Example Due to his many issues, Paul is identified as having a learning disability. However, his case is neither new nor is it unique, and certain metrics can be utilized to better understand the situation. According to Duffy (2004), mentors find assessment of underperforming learners to be a substantial challenge. However, it is the role of both the health care professional and mentor to offer support to such learners, ensuring they are competent in their practice. Thus, as a mentor, coaching around Paul’s learning disability may make the process more difficult, but definitely not impossible. The mentor actually has a powerful takeaway from working with Paul in the sense he or she is able to share his experiences and coach another individual. In fact, it is overcoming his obstacles that may breed inspiration within his mentor in future scenarios. Research Aims Against this background, this work intends to critically analyse the role of the mentor in such a scenario. Initially, it wil l define mentorship, following up with an explanation of the mentor role, concluding with a critical analysis of research studying mentoring effectiveness in similar situations. Furthermore, this paper will explain the impact mentoring has on the mentor. In Paul’s case, mentoring will help him to live with his learning disability, rather than deal with it. At the same time, he will be doing more than learning, but also teaching. He will be showing the mentor that he can do what he is putting his mind to and so can they. Some of the characteristics of a mentor that will help Paul in realising this goal include the ability to initiate ideas and foster a willingness to learn in another person. While mentoring another person, the mentor is actually getting just as much, if not more, than the mentee. Paul will learn about emotional intelligence, and be afforded the opportunity to explore what that looks like in a mentoring relationship. Another characteristic is openness to divers ity. This is one characteristic that both benefits the mentor and the mentee. To the mentor, Paul is granting a unique and in-depth look into his life, allowing others to experience the diversity that he brings to various situations. What is Mentorship? To gain a clear understanding of the concept of mentorship, it is imperative to first define the terms for intents and purposes of this research. The Businesswomen’s Association (2011) website defines mentoring as â€Å"a relationship between two parties who are not connected within a line management structure, in which one party (a mentor) guides the other (the mentee) through a period of change towards an agreed objective.† This definition will be the one used for the purposes of this research. Mentoring is about providing help and support in a non-threatening way; such a manner that the learner appreciates and values the constructive criticisms and feedback, allowing it to empower him or her to move forward confident ly toward his or her ultimate goal(s). The process is also concerned with creating an informal forum in which one person can feel encouraged to discuss needs, wants, desires, and circumstances openly, confiding in another person who may be in a position to positively help him or her, or at the very least lend an ear and