Mentoring : 

"When a Designer is at his best, we either give him a different job or retire him, we don't make enough effort to transmit hard earned knowledge and experience"

Mentoring is probably the best way of transmitting knowledge from an experienced professional to a less experienced but motivated "apprentice". i-nova.cpds  can help you introduce a mentoring programme using recognised experts either working within your company today or recently retired. We also facilitate an international network of highly experienced CPD Professionals who are apt to assume the role of mentor. The programme is structured as follows :

• definition of the objectives for a mentoring programme;

• definition of the organisational framework, roles and responsibilities

• definition of the profiles for the mentors and the apprentices

• screening of the potential mentors both internal and external

• definition of expectations and a "code of conduct"

• tracking of the first experiences and corrective action if required

Mentoring can play a significant role in developing both effective Managers and Engineers.

Join the Product Development Network :

If you have availability, a minimum of 20 years experience in Product Development either as a  Manager, Marketer or Engineer and the idea of helping smart, young professionals grow appeals to you, then please contact us. We will answer all your questions, ask you some and together we will decide if mentoring is for you.

Send us a detailed CV to mentoring@i-novastar.com and we will contact you.

(see also our postal address)

What exactly is Mentoring  ? *

The objective of Mentoring, in the industrial company, is to assist a less experienced person to be more effective in his work, by learning from the experience, knowledge and ideas of someone who has already learned how to be successful.

It is based on an inter-personal relationship between the Mentor and the "apprentice" and success depends on the quality of this relationship. The Mentor must be confident enough to share his experience and skills willingly and openly. The apprentice must be able and willing to listen and motivated to progress. The nature of each Mentoring relationship varies according to the characters and styles of the two people. Mutual respect and confidence are essential ingredients for success.

The way of intervening as a Mentor will depend on the objectives and expectations of all concerned parties. Formal and informal time can be modulated to fit an operational schedule. The role of the Mentor is not to do the work in the place of the apprentice but to share knowledge which is directly relevant or guide the apprentice to, for example : consider alternatives, make better use of resources, plan more efficiently, understand how the organisation works etc.

Opportunities  provided by Mentoring :

For the apprentice, the opportunity is to gain good experience more quickly by :

• having access to relevant knowledge framed by experience

• understanding more about the company culture and organisation

• understanding the decision-making and leadership styles of senior managers

• obtaining sound advice, guidance and encouragement

• benefiting from the Mentors personal network 

For the mentor, the opportunity is not only to participate in developing future talent but also to :

• stay abreast of the changes in the profession

• reflect on the relevance of past solutions to current problems

• think of new approaches

• perfect leadership skills

For the company, the opportunity is to :

• show a visible commitment to employee development

• develop a more effective workforce

• improve sharing, learning, motivation and communication