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More than half the Mentees who come to us are referred by their companies. In many cases, Mentees are falling down on one or other aspects of their job. Often what appears to be the problem is only a symptom of a difficulty the Mentee doesn’t even recognize, or, if he or she does, doesn’t easily disclose.

Causes of poor performance range from difficulty in communicating – both ways – to bullying, to problems outside work but perfectly capable of being helped, even disposed of altogether. Clear objectives, both company and personal, are a prerequisite to success. When destination is obscure it is hardly surprising that the journey is muddled and unsystematic.

The first and most important thing to do is a good needs analysis. This does not demand complex or introspective personality tests but hard-headed assessment of a Mentee’s resources and requirements. Personality is involved, of course, but equally are Abilities, Skills, Dreams, Ambitions and Qualifications.

That is why a preliminary to mentoring is a questionnaire called the PASDAQ Review. 100+ open-ended questions explore these components in depth, requiring the Mentee to devote careful thought to providing himself and the Mentor with a sound platform to shape guidance and advice. PASDAQ is not a set of checklists or a score card but a more advanced tool, depending as much for its success on interpretation as thoughtful completion.

Mentoring is ‘non-prescriptive’ and relies on asking the right questions, enabling Mentees to develop their own answers. Lasting solutions do not come out of a book but from flexible handling, avoiding making a Mentee a clone of some theoretical ideal and fully developing his or her inherent gifts. People learn what they discover for themselves, not what others tell them.

People of all ages benefit from mentoring. My youngest Mentee at present is twenty; my oldest in his nineties. In between there are representatives of every age group, of both sexes, of all intellectual and educational levels. From finding a career when leaving university, through mid-life discovery of how to make the second half even more exciting, to retirement with purpose and usefulness, mentoring opens up opportunities modified by wisdom learnt from past mistakes.

Critical times for having a Mentor are when there is uncertainty over job future or when relationships seem to be less successful. Everyone goes through disturbing phases in life. Friends will help but a wise, experienced Mentor is the ideal – not just for troubled times but for longer.

Why do both companies and individuals stay with their Mentors, often for a long time? The non-prescriptive, flexible approach to problem solving is one reason. But it is more than that. Mentoring is not just problem solving, it is life-enhancing and that leads to major improvement in job performance, stability and confidence.  As Franklin D Roosevelt said at his inauguration in 1933: Confidence thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, on unselfish performance.

We seem to be a bit short of some of those today.