All those considering taking on a mentoring role for the first time or developing their existing skills, as well as those involved in establishing or developing an existing scheme.

This thought-provoking, skills-based programme looks at what it takes to achieve mentoring excellence. We explore the essential skills mentors need and give practical guidance on setting up, or developing existing, mentoring schemes and the pitfalls to avoid. Good mentoring is about developing someone’s independence. We pay particular attention to the skills of non-directive mentoring where mentors enable mentees to think more for themselves and learn to solve their own problems. This is what mentors’ find the hardest to do and yet it is where the real benefits lie.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• identify your mentoring skills and development needs and be ready to put your new skills and techniques into practice with immediate results
• approach mentoring in way that helps ensure optimum success is achieved in all mentoring relationships
• adopt a more ‘hands off’ and empowering style when developing others
• make informed and practical decisions about establishing and developing mentoring in a way that is right for your organisation
• deliver a sound business case for mentoring in your organisation
• appreciate how businesses profit by developing the mentoring skills of their managers.