Making use of reflective examples from your own experience of being a protege, identify the contrasting ethos and approaches used in developing and delivering mentoring in a sporting and business context. Tam going to be writing about my experience as being a protege in my first year at university and to reflect on how my mentor has helped me in my academic year and theories I have used to be able to do this. Also how it can benefit me in the future in sport and business.
Also I will be talking about the different approaches used in a sporting and business context. Formal vs informal Research suggests that “informal organizational mentoring is more beneficial than formal mentoring” (Cotton and Ragins 1999). I notice that formal and informal mentoring approaches have not many similarities but quite a few differences. Informal mentoring and formal mentoring differ by the structure of relationship where formal mentoring is seen as a short term and informal is seen more of a long-term relationship.
For example formal mentoring would mainly be developed or operated in a business or organization. Research also suggests that “A formal structure is essential because it provides meaning a direction for relationships and support where necessary” (Jenkins. S. 2013). This would be beneficial in a business where a mentor would be helping the protege and giving them support in the area needed. I was given a mentor to help me in my first academic year at university. The protege and mentor may or may not voluntarily choose each other “(Cotton, Miller, & Ragins, 2000). Me and my mentor didn’t get to choose who we wanted to be with but we put that aside and focused on what we could do to build a relationship. For example one of my first tasks of the year was to organise a meeting with my mentor outside of university and discuss the experiences they had in their first year and all what is expected.
I believe that my mentor informally approached me because research suggests “Informal mentors were more likely to engage in positive psychosocial activities such as counselling, facilitating social interactions, role modelling, and providing friendship” (Inzer. L. D & Crawford. C. B, 2005) and this is what my mentor did to help me through my academic year for example due to our social interaction between each other made me feel confident around him and started to build friendships by inviting each other to come to the next university event.
European vs American mentors Research suggests that European and American mentors differ for example “one might expect graduate students who are of European or Anglo descent to have little difficulty in approaching their professors on an equal basis, articulating disagreements and opinions comfortably, and participating in a give-and-take that defines the mentoring relationship as equal. Students from traditionally high-power distance cultures (e. . , Latinos/Latinas and Asian Americans) place a relatively high premium on respect for people of greater power and status and may be less willing to participate in discussions or debates that suggest they are questioning the authority of a mentor” (Hofstede, 1980; Knouse, 1992; Oyserman & Sakamoto, 1997). It would be more beneficial for a protege in a low power distance culture for example Europe.
They are able to address their mentor or professor by being able to comfortably discuss opinions with your mentor helps building a relationship in sport or business. However, a high power distance culture like America it would be difficult to gain a relationship with an mentor because they wouldn’t like to be involved in activities and questioning the authority of a mentor can have an effect on the mentor.
Me and my mentor had little disagreements and was confident on asking him for feedback on pieces of my work for example for one of my previous assignments, I sent the work to my mentor for him to do a check up on the work and to give me feedback on what’s right and wrong and what I need to include and don’t need to include on my work and when my mentor would finish he told me what was wrong and happily took what he told me in and that was my spelling and punctuation.
My mentor told me how crucial they are when it comes to marking so to avoid that situation I would always remember to scan my work when complete. Business vs Sport In the sport and business sector being a protege has many outcomes for example they have a higher success rate experience more happiness and satisfaction (Dreher & Ash, 1990), and this reflects back to where l as a protege, can come to my mentor for advice about upcoming assignments and events for example before any of my assignments was due in, 1 would ask my mentor for help and guidance to know what have to do to achieve the grade I need.
We did this by gaining a communication with each other by exchanging numbers, so we could get into contact when I’m required for his help and to ask about all the problems and questions. Rhodes (2002, 2005) mentions that mentoring relationships may promote the social and emotional well-being and development of youth in several ways. The relationships may provide youth with opportunities for fun and escape daily stresses, corrective emotional experience that may generalize to and improve youths other social relationships and assistance with emotion regulation.
This reflects back to where l as a protege when I’m stressed I would go to my mentor for advice about the work. By doing this often with my mentor helping me it would bring a stronger relationship and be able for me too trust him when it comes to more problems I am having. Mentoring is a process that requires further research and is believed to lead to high levels of success in both personal and professional endeavours (Merriam, 1983) as well as being a protege being a mentor has its benefits in sport and business.
The mentor role can re-establish an individual’s sense of competence and self confidence in terms of abilities (Noe, 1988: Zey, 1984) so for an individual the role of a mentor has a big impact personally for the individual and for the protege. For example this reflects back to when I first was assigned to a mentor where my mentor was quite shy but as the weeks went on there was more meetings with my mentor he then got to be more confident and be more freely around me.
As well as him being my mentor I started to see him as a friend I could come to for previous experience that he has had in the time he has been at university. By doing this it makes it easier for me to know about any upcoming events and assignments. To conclude, my experience as being a protege has really helped me academically, personally and professionally. By having a mentor to help guide and advise me has helped me build a confidence and being able to confidently do work when it is given to me so I am able to try and achieve the grade I needed.
The theory I can use to relate to my time as being a protege in my first year at university is Johari windows. This theory helps me reflect on my academic year for example it was known to myself and others that I am not good at referencing also it was known to others that I am not organised and what’s unknown is that my time keeping is bad and finally it was known to myself but not others that I have a lack in confidence. Since I have had a mentor I have bin able to overcome all my problems I have had in my academic year and how I have overcome all my weaknesses to ensure I can get the grade I want.
