TECHNOLOGY…A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT IN MENTORING

Technology has been ingrained into almost every aspect of our everyday life. From communication with friends and family to making domestic chores a little less so, technology has indeed improved our standard of living. Now imagine, if technology can help make little things such as shopping easy, how much more the big things such as mentoring. Perhaps you are wondering “how can technology fit into the scope of mentoring?” Well, it can. You would know-how in a bit. In a typical mentor-mentee relationship, there is a need for a face-to-face physical encounter before both parties can discover one another. And when the relationship is sealed, both parties will meet at intervals to discuss and strategize. What if I told you could still have a mentoring relationship without actually “meeting” the person?

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

Proverbs 12:15

 Here are some of the ways technology can help with mentoring.

Discovery: If you have a mentor, how did you find them? I think it is safe to bet that they were people you knew before. Probably your boss or pastor or family member. Most people had had an actual physical relationship with their potential mentors or mentees before the mentorship began. This is how it has been done for years, and it is a great way of finding a mentor. However, there are billions of people in the world whom you might never come in contact within a lifetime. Imagine if you could meet these people without ‘meeting’ them. With the advent of social media and cyber networking, finding a mentor has become so much easier. These social media platforms have billions of users from which you can discover and have a relationship with a professional who can mentor you. In other words, technology through social media has expanded the options available when it comes to finding a mentor. Some of these platforms are Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram and many others.

Meeting: Meeting is an essential aspect of mentorship. Mentors and mentees need to meet from time to time to discuss, plan and strategize. At the onset of the relationship, both parties would have agreed on a suitable schedule for meetings. These meetings need to be a physical face-to-face encounter. That said, sometimes circumstances could make these physical meetings impossible. Take the lockdown period brought on by the COVID-19 as an example. Many mentoring relationships took a hit because of the inability to meet physically. These limitations can be overcome with the help of technology. According to an Olivet Nazarene study, 41% of mentees claim that it difficult to get time with their mentor [1]. This gap can simply be bridged by technology. With technology, mentors and mentees can meet virtually and have their meetings virtually. From Google meet to Zoom to Skype and so on, there is a wide array of platforms to choose from. As a matter of fact, with this option, you can have a successful mentoring relationship with a person millions of miles away.

Mixing and matching: Some people have recognized the challenge of finding suitable mentors or mentees, and have taken it upon themselves to create platforms to connect well-matched mentors and mentees. On these platforms, you sign up and answer some questions after which you are matched with the best-suited mentor or mentee. This makes the process easier.

Technology has really brought a change to the mentoring sphere. Whether it be for finding a mentor or for meetings, endeavour to employ technology in your mentoring relationship.

Thank you for reading. Do you know any other way technology can help with mentoring? Please share with me in the comment box.

[1] https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2019/06/10/5-compelling-stats-to-know-for-your-mentorship-programs/