CPD Thing #11

Thing #11 is Mentoring.
Last year I was asked to be a mentor for the first time and worried for hours over helping or hindering, putting too much me in or not being there enough! I had a charteship candidate who had submitted and failed the first time, so in many ways I had the hard work done for me :-). The candidate had all the work needed with a few gaps, so we just had to re organise the current stuff and fill the gaps in. They worked well with me, I made comments and suggestions and always added that they only did what felt right! some things they did were above and beyond what they needed but they enjoyed it, others were so different from how I had envisaged it but was right for them. The finished portfolio was all their own work and showed them to be an effective and progressive librarian. I learnt so much! and so did they.
Now I have bitten off a bit more to chew! I have 3 chartership candidates and 1 Acilip candidate, one should be chartered well within the year, they have so much already in place, just need gaps filling and a bit of confidence. One has some in place but needs to get up to speed, they need less hands on and more pointing to get more done. The third candidate has the biggest amount of work to do, I am not sure they have yet understood all that's needed, but we shall get there. And  the Acilip candidate has both me as formal and a recently passed acilip person as an informal help so should be fine :-) (but is the one I am most worried about how to support).
I also have an informal mentor, who is a star. I have rung up about the oddest things and if she has time she will always chat and help. I know she is often busy so I also do the 'what would she do here' thing, and I have a wide group of support network, both face to face and virtual, you can never have enough network support, I have and am learning so much both of myself and of my work.
I agree that mentoring is a two way thing and also I would suggest it is also an individual thing, I can only help my way, if I don't suit a candidate I would rather they found another mentor and did well than struggled on with me. I will be keeping that in mind as I help the current group to grow and spread their own wings. I also live in hope than one will fly far enough to completely eclipse me and I can sit back in the future and go 'I helped them charter you know' :-) what every mentor hopes.