Human Resources Update
Mentoring for diversity
Prof. David Clutterbuck, Clutterbuck Associates, UK
Formal mentoring programmes, to support equal opportunities objectives, have become an established element of the corporate development portfolio. In particular, many companies have experimented with ‘glass ceiling’ programmes to support women in overcoming institutional and attitudinal barriers to advancement into middle and senior management.
In recent years, however, a range of new diversity applications has emerged. Some enable ethnic groups in multicultural organisations to redefine the balance between corporate culture and the cultural identities people bring with them into the organisation. Some attempt to capitalise on the inherent diversity of all employees, encouraging them to respect, value and learn from other people’s different perspectives. And some have found new ways to address the inequalities of power in organisational structures, for example by reversing the hierarchy.
The concept of mentoring for diversity is a relatively recent addition to the management lexicology. It can be interpreted in a variety of ways, which reflect organisational or individual biases in the way it has been applied.
Defining mentoring
Even a brief skim through the academic and practitioner literature on mentoring throws up dozens of definitions of mentoring. These divide broadly into what can be called the US traditional or godfathering and the European or developmental. The former starts from an assumption that the focus of the relationship is the mentor’s extensive experience and willingness to exercise power and influence on behalf of the mentee (typically called a protégé). It is often characterised by long-term relationships that may involve a degree of mutual dependence. It is also often confused with line management roles.
Web: www.clutterbuckassociates.co.uk
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