Knowing is not enough; We must apply . Willing is not enough ; we must do.

Wolfgang von Goethe (German Philosopher)

The above quote resonates with the relationship between a mentor and his/her mentee. The
transition from Knowledge to its application and the willingness to perform to its execution forms
the crux of the Mentor- Mentee bonding.

A Mentor is a highly skilled resource of an organization who is bestowed with the responsibility of
mobilizing the careers of their protégé and fine tuning them into an invaluable asset to the
organization. A Mentor shares the organizational values and the decorum of the institution .
Mentors critique their protégé by identifying opportunities for development both from an
interpersonal level as well as in Career advancement . A realistic career plan is established which if
adhered to will auger well for the development of the protégé.

A Mentor should share a Pseudo-formal relationship which is a mixture of both formal and informal
relationship with the Mentee to strengthen the bonding . A purely formal relationship might create a
trust deficit between the mentee and his/her mentor as the Mentee could view the relationship as a
forced commitment rather than a personal one. There should be a clear hint of formal behaviour
that commands respect and communicates to the Mentee the Propriety that is in place in the
organization. An Informal behaviour is invaluable in the long run for the betterment of the Mentee
as the relationship will not be time bound and there would be professional guidance to the Mentee
at every step of growth within the organization.

A Mentee needs to be groomed to conform to the organizational ethics and values. A mentee must
show his/her competence to the fullest to ensure that the perception of their knowledge/skill by the
Mentor is a positive one .A Mentee needs to show the willingness to perform under the given
circumstances and should exhibit the right attitude to learn and self appraise . A mentee should
work on the career development plan suggested by the Mentor to develop within the organization.
Goals and career expectations of the Mentee should be put forth to the Mentor which would
establish a longetivity and also result in optimal performance.