IS SPEED MENTORING REALLY “MENTORING”?

It was the end of the year— when all ABC staff holdings held their annual seminar and team bonding program. Bimpe had been looking forward to this time since joining the organization at the beginning of the year. She would finally meet all her senior colleagues and have a word or two with them. Her strategy was to spend a couple of minutes with each of them and try to pick their brain. According to her plan, by the end of the program, she would have gained knowledge from most, if not all senior members of staff. A smart plan!

Bimpe’s strategy is what is known as “Speed mentoring” or “Flash mentoring”. Speed mentoring is one in which a mentee rotates within several mentors, asking specific questions. This questioning would happen within an allocated time. Much like speed dating, speed mentoring provides great networking opportunities. It also gives mentees access to advice outside their usual scope of mentors. It is also possible that during the process, a mentee could discover a mentor match. All that said does speed mentoring qualify as mentoring? Would we not be overshooting by calling it so?

 Traditional mentoring, as we know, it involves a mentor and a mentee, with the former being the guide. In the course of the relationship, the mentee picks up a thing or two from the mentor. Olivet Nazarene University’s study says the average time for a mentoring relationship is 3.3 years [1]. The few minutes spent in speed mentoring does not qualify. Both parties have access to one another, to give continual feedback and progress report on the relationship’s goals. Knowing what we do now, is it still safe to consider speed mentoring as a form of mentoring? I do not think so. “Speed coaching”: maybe, “Speed networking” definitely, but not speed mentoring.

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.

Proverbs 19:20 NLT

 Mentoring takes a deliberate effort and an investment of time to achieve the end goals. There can be nothing ‘speedy’ about it. Learn from senior colleagues when you can. However, good it does not substitute mentoring. If you need a mentor, there are steps to follow. You can find them here. It would be a lie to say there are no upsides to speed mentoring. One of the significant advantages is it is a great way to match mentor and mentee. A potential mentor and mentee’s ability to form a rapport in the ten or so minutes of the meeting could indicate a good match, which could go on to be a mentoring relationship. But, participants must not be misled. Mentees should not see those few minutes spent would suffice for a mentoring relationship.

 Companies and individuals should not hesitate to take advantage of “speed mentoring” opportunities. However, they should consider a broader and more sustainable form of mentoring.

 Thank you for reading. Have you ever participated in speed mentoring? Please share it with me. I will be in the comment section

 [1] https://online.olivet.edu/research-statistics-on-professional-mentors