Whats in it for the Mentor?
24 November 2009
Author: Georgiann McKenna
All right, let’s be honest: most of the time the main focus is on the benefits to the protégés in a
mentoring program, on selling the relationship to the junior person, or convincing program
champions that it’s a great idea. And it is.
Until author, Geogiann McKenna spent hours in her ‘people laboratory’ calculating the numbers,
interviewing partners, and reading the results, it was pretty well a blank slate as to what mentors
got out of the deal.
McKenna’s subjects reported dozens of reasons for taking the time to be unpaid mentors. Some
reasons may be surprising. Where some of the reasons ended – top or bottom of
The ratings list may also surprise you.
