Mentor

Luckily I have a great mentor, who also happens to be my best mate. She became my mentor three years ago and I love working with her. Since then a very strong friendship has developed. I think it really helped me in the first 6 months or so to help me find my feet in my role. But she still helps me now.

Where I work all the managers did a 8 day training event and I think at that point something changed in the college, we all started to share information and knowledge to help each other out.

I also have a mentor for my Chartership, which I have just started.

As for informally I have other librarians who can help me out with advice, or for more general managers information- senior management team, HR or MIS. Obviously I have my faviourite people who I know will provide me with honest advice.

If I have a choice I would pick informal mentoring and normally I just ask for someone's opinion or sounding them out on an idea. From the mentors that I have had, they need to be informal about it. you don't need a teacher and you can't learn everything from a job that way. But there needs to be respect. Which is why I think I have benefitted some much from them. As the people I have selected or been selected for me, see that I have specialist knowledge, as do they. So we both approach it with a kind hearted- where you will both will learn something.

I would like now to able to mentor someone, maybe once I have completed my chartership I will formally become a mentor. I suppose as a manager I do it informally now, but it's not something I really think about.