Summary

To be really successful, a mentoring programme must obtain acceptance and commitment from participants and non-participants alike. The scheme should have empathetic, carefully selected and trained mentors and mentees who understand how to make the most of opportunities, and clear goals accepted by all. A great deal of effort is therefore needed to prepare employees at all levels for the introduction of the programme, ensuring that everyone knows what is happening, why and how the scheme will work. Particular attention should be given to the mentoring pairs, the mentee's boss and the mentee's peers. Starting small with a modest experiment helps take some of the bugs out of the system before it is applied generally throughout the organisation.