t: "Mentor relationships have the greatest potential to develop the future leaders within our public agencies."
This article is very significant for public managers. The complexity of issues facing government at all levels makes it increasingly hard to recruit the ranks of the best and brightest. Mentoring provides an environment of support in which the mentee is encouraged to learn and grow.
The article is effective in making its major points. The importance of mentoring is made clear and practical suggestions are given for both mentor and mentee. For example, mentors are counseled to be patient and persevere, develop mutual respect, enjoy others' successes, and sow the seeds of the mentoring relationship. Mentors are urged to select good bosses, create time to be with their mentor, learn to ask questions, develop people skills, sharpen observation skills, maintain a sense of humor, and take the initiative. In prodding mentees to be assertive about pursuing mentoring opportunities, the authors quote an unlikely but thought provoking source, Arnold Schwarzenegger, "No one ever got muscles by watching me lift weights."
The article was effective in supporting the author's conclusion. The City of Santa Clarita's experience in mentoring interns was provided as a case study. Quotes were sprinkled throughout the text from Chinese proverbs and philosophers on the merits of mentoring.
The subject of mentoring has been widely discussed in the literature. This is one of the few instances in which the concept is applied to public agencies. The authors' presentation of the material facilitates putting theory into practice. One of the policy implications of this article could be for organizations to encourage informal mentoring perhaps by making research about the subject available to employees.
The operation of informal networks becomes more critical the higher the level in the bureaucracy. Thus it is no surpris...