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What is Mentoring?

MENTORING is a structured process where an experienced individual (mentor) helps another person (mentee) to develop their goals & skills through time limited, confidential one to one conversations.  It generally means to give advice and guidance to others by either helping newcomers settle in or in providing a role model for existing staff.

This enables staff to:

  • Reflect on their current roles and identify areas for personal and professional development
  • Enable them deliver to their potential in their role
  • Progress in their careers
  • Achieve a greater work life balance

Any staff member can avail of mentoring in UCC. There are several mentoring schemes - all have similar principles & goals and target difference staff audiences.  They include but are not limited to:

  • Newly appointed staff (Automatically assigned a mentor named on one’s contract of employment) An academic staff member on probation [mentee] meets at the end of year one with their Head and the form they discuss includes reference to having participated in mentoring
  • Female Academic Mentoring
  • Mentoring for Females
  • Aurora Mentoring Scheme
  • Mentoring & Researchers

Mentors - One pager

Mentees - One pager

 

UCC does not maintain a ‘mentor panel’ as any staff member can be a mentor in UCC, depending on experience, knowledge and skills. 

 

What is the difference between mentoring and coaching?

A Mentor:

  • Advises & suggests
  • Shares knowledge and experience
  • Leads by example
  • Gives examples and ideas
  • Is usually more experienced (than mentee)

A Coach:

  • Creates space to think
  • Challenges beliefs, thoughts and behaviours
  • Facilitates self-discovery
  • Draws out (from coachee) examples and ideas
  • Need not be an expert

Staff Wellbeing & Development

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