In our latest column on mentoring, we consider how some organisational mentors can suffer from a type of ‘Imposter Syndrome’
By Lis Merrick
Some recent upskilling of mentors, prompted me to write about this topic. I decided to use a slide outlining common mentoring dilemmas, with several groups of fairly new mentors.
It made the point that some mentoring fails because of the mentor’s lack of confidence in their ability. However, the response I received, both within the sessions and from mentors contacting me afterwards, was how much this statement resonated with them and that they felt a bit of a fraud or imposter being positioned as an effective mentor by their organisation.
How do these mentors feel?
Mentors who feel unconfident tend to fall into one or both of these categories:
- The mentor feels ill-prepared to be a mentor, either because they thought their training was too brief and they are new to formal mentoring or they did not have an opportunity to practise their skills in a safe environment before they were matched with a real mentee. If the mentoring does not go well, a sense of being ‘not good enough’ becomes reinforced.
- Their selection as a mentor, particularly if they have been positioned as a excellent role model to their mentee, has left them baffled and confused, feeling they are not up to ‘the job’. Some conscientious individuals think they may get ‘found out’ and have not got anything to give as a mentor.
So what tends to happen?
Some mentors are honest at the outset and say they are not ready to mentor and withdraw from the programme, either temporarily or until they can complete more training. However, in the pressurised environment of many organisational cultures, it is often ‘safer’ to keep your head down and take on the role. Some of these mentors feel very stressed about being in their relationships, particularly if they have been matched with younger, ambitious talent who want to get the most out of the mentoring.
Usually, mentors realise they can support their mentees effectively, but it can also lead to some feeling ill at ease in their relationships, which impacts the quality of the dialogue.
Can you prevent this?
The following guidelines can ensure this situation does not occur:
- Always explain to a mentor the rationale for them being selected, particularly if the programme is not a voluntary one
- Explain the reasons in detail for matching them with their mentee (if imposed) and give them the opportunity to discuss it with the programme co-ordinator in confidence
- If the programme co-ordinator is sensing the mentor is uncomfortable in the role, they need to sort this out before the mentor is matched
- Supply adequate training for all new mentors and ensure their knowledge continues to develop over the course of the programme life
- Provide supervision to mentors to reinforce the educative aspect, develop quality control and offer an ethical safety net to them.
With good communication and sound preparation, the majority of mentors should never feel inadequate. These common-sense guidelines will stop the ‘Imposter Syndrome’ getting into your programme.
- Next issue: a look at lessons learned from mentoring programmes operating in a VUCA environment
- Lis Merrick is a consultant and visiting fellow of the Coaching and Mentoring Research Unit at Sheffield Business School. She welcomes correspondence on anything to do with mentoring. Contact: Lismerrick@coachmentoring.co.uk