Mentoring

Mentoring focuses on helping employees' long-term development and emphasises an individual's career progression. Mentoring involves an experienced, knowledgeable person (the mentor) assisting a lesser experienced person (the mentee) with development in any or all of the following areas:

• Technical skills associated with the practical application of the mentee's proficient expertise in accounting and finance 
• Personal effectiveness skills which develop the communication, interpersonal and self-management skills required in the workplace
• Business skills expected of an accounting and financial professional in the business environment
• Leadership skills which develop the ethical, governance, planning and decision making skills required to realise potential as a leader.

Mentoring relationships can be conducted with the mentee's direct manager, outside the mentee's direct reporting line, or with an experienced professional who is external to the organisation.

Mentor

A mentor is an experienced person who provides advice, guidance, assistance, and encouragement and support to a lesser experienced person (the mentee) as a means of fostering the mentee's professional development. The role of the mentor is to:

• Act as a sounding board and provide information
• Share knowledge and experiences 
• Challenge the mentee where appropriate 
• Provide the mentee with guidance in relation to their career development

Mentee

A mentee can be any person – ranging from a graduate recruit to a senior manager – with an identified career development need.