MPs slam Train to Gain scheme
A scathing report released this week has slammed the Train to Gain scheme for poor implementation including overspending and unrealistically high targets as well as the lack of prevention of fraud. The report, by the House of Commons’ Committee of Public Accounts, found a catalogue of errors in the implementation of the £1.5bn scheme […]
Why shouldn’t senior HR professionals have an external mentor?
Judith Germain says its about time that HR stopped falling on its sword and get the training it deserves. One of the tragedies of modern training and development programmes is that not everyone in the senior management team is given the equal opportunity to enhance their skills. In the age of equality it is often […]
To regulate or not to regulate?
At the recent Association for Coaching UK debate, the subject of whether or not to regulate the industry was a hot topic and with the result of three in one voting against regulation for coaching, it got me thinking about whether or not this is actually the right response. The timing of this very topic […]
Bonanza Book Giveaway: Question #5
Answer the final quiz question in our Bonanza Book Giveaway and win ‘Further Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring’ by David Megginson & David Clutterbuck. Question 5: Who wrote: ‘How to overcome the wobble factor?’ and what are two of the five tips the article gives to help trainers? About the book: No one is better […]
Talking ’bout my generation
Cross-generational mentoring is a great way of banking those essential skills that could be lost over time, says Gaby Marcon. For decades we have known about the importance of mentoring in developing people. Yet few organisations have successfully leveraged it as part of their HR and training strategy in a way that aligns it […]
Mentoring for the future
Simon Edwards, founder of Mowgli, the not-for-profit online mentoring network says if ever there was a time for mentoring to take precedence it’s now. My definition of mentoring is a relationship that inspires, guides and empowers another in achieving their potential. It is about wanting unconditionally the best for another person, getting alongside them while they […]
The great debate: Coaching v mentoring
Do you know the difference? Richard Hawkes explores the age-old debate of coaching verus mentoring. I’m often asked by businesses and organisations whether they need a mentoring or a coaching programme, and what the differences are. It often surprises me that there appears to be confusion between the two. In theory, coaching and mentoring are […]
Why corporate mentoring often doesn’t work
The traditions of mentoring in organisations may be worthwhile but, warns Judith Germain, may doing more harm than good. There are a number of research projects that show that the more engaged employees are the bigger the productivity increase. Research also shows that there is around 20% of the workforce out performing their peers. So it […]
Mentoring: The professional’s pilgrimage
Mentoring can mean different things to different people, here Mark Walsh tells us of his own personal journey. People learn from people. People learn particularly well from people who have trodden a path before them. You can learn about something from Wikipedia, but to learn to do something of value you must have a […]
Mentoring a team
Before you bring in a mentor for your team, you should consider these questions, says John Pope. Why bother? Of course, if managers were not so occupied with doing things and devoted some more time to the way team members worked together, how the team developed, the strengths and weaknesses of each individual member and […]
Online mentoring for women sees significant boost, says report
The number of UK organisations going online to access mentoring and support has seen a dramatic increase, according to figures released by social networking site horsesmouth.co.uk. The website reported a 74% increase in visits to the business pages and profiles on the site between July to September 2009, compared with the previous quarter. What’s more, […]
The Dynamics of Mentoring Relationships – how mentoring supports learning
An article by Richard Hale which is available with free access on the Virtual University Press website (see below)Abstract Many organisations are turning to mentoring as a way of supporting the continuing professional development of managers, often relying on little more than common sense and anecdotal evidence in setting up mentoring initiatives. This article reports […]
