Workplace mentoring programs: A win-win approach to employee development

On-the-job guidance can benefit both protégés and advisers

By Golnaz Sadri

In Homer’s Odyssey, before he left to fight in the Trojan War, Odysseus places his friend Mentor in charge of educating his son, Telemachus. The relationship between Mentor and Telemachus defined the term “mentor” (in Latin as well as English) as someone who shares knowledge and passes on wisdom to a less-experienced person. In both formal and informal settings, the mentor takes on the role of an experienced and trusted adviser, passing on assistance and wisdom to the protégé, often informally referred to as the mentee.