Mentoring
It is not always straightforward to solve problems, make
decisions, initiate changes or deal with others in our personal and
working lives .Confounding other factors can often be very distracting and so
the help of an external facilitator can sometimes be quite useful. Traditionally the Mentor is a trusted and faithful guide for a
person who is on a journey of personal, professional and career development. The process of mentoring is designed to encourage an individual
to reflect on his or her situation in the presence of a skilled helper who tries
to facilitate the process by encouraging lateral thinking, exploring blind spots
etc , so that the individual can see their own way through any situation or
decision. In the process previously unrecognized new insights or new
possibilities are more likely to emerge. than the individual can find on
there own. Ideally mentoring should be part of any learning organizations
culture. The relationship between Mentor and Mentee is obviously
critical to the success of the process. It must be utterly confidential so that
an atmosphere of trust and support can develop. Ideally it should be
voluntary not imposed and a clear differential made between personal mentoring
and formal career appraisal. Just about any type of problem or issue, no matter how large or
small, can be addressed within the mentoring relationship. At any given point in
a mentoring relationship there may also be a simple support role or a even
counselling role. For issues with an emotional or personality theme formal
counselling may be a more appropriate option but often by the time this is
needed there are also coexistent practical issues that can be addressed in
parallel to the counselling. At the moment the NHS are getting a terrible bashing in
the press and in the political arena. We need to be careful not to undervalue
our talents and skills. Many members of the Team in group or single-handed
Practice can work in significant personal isolation and so the very process of
setting time aside and have someone give you their full undivided attention in a
warm and welcoming manner can very supportive. We are looking to develop
a mentoring culture amongst across all GP Team members in the Tees area. In the mean time, if
you fell the need to a helping hand in some way why not contact one of the mentors
listed. They would be delighted to help. Leslie and Ed are happy to be called
at home if you are unable to contact us at work. At present this is
only available to GP's and Practice Managers. We are in the process of working
with PCT's to develop such a service for Practice Nurses and Staff. If you want to check out what this involved take a look at these
sites