Commentary on Mentoring: The Advantages and Disadvantages for the Mentor and the Mentee in a University Setting

It is important that professionals, especially at the university level, use their expertise and experience to become mentors to their colleagues and students. The literature on mentors focuses mainly on professional mentor-mentee relationships but there is much to be gained from fostering more informal mentoring relationships especially at the university level. These informal mentoring situations arise when colleagues are willing to discuss their own experiences, in the classroom, to help others navigate their own practices. Similarly, professors can informally assist their students to develop both professionally and personally by offering guidance where required. Eby et al. (2010) discussed the different stages of mentoring that most people go through in their lives and how the type of mentor that a mentee requires changes over time depending on the circumstances. There are, of course, both good and bad mentoring situations that arise in everyone's lives and it is important to realize that not every situation is going to be a positive one. In order for a mentor-mentee relationship to work there needs to be mutual respect on both sides.