Mentoring occurs on a daily basis through informal interactions, exchange of knowledge, or collaboration towards an end. Mentoring can occur in as simple a situation as a meeting with a colleague or it can be a more long term teacher-student type relationship; in any case, a mentoring experience has the potential to change the course of one’s entire career.
By formalising such a relationship and harnessing its potential, a mentoring programme becomes a powerful tool for professional development. Mentoring is quickly becoming the choice tool to promote professional development for many of the world’s largest corporations because of its productive and cost-effective nature.
IWA’s mentoring programme, based on the PACE Framework, seeks to provide young water professionals, who have recently entered the water sector, the opportunity to connect with more experienced individuals. This connection is intended to provide a means to develop a mutually beneficial relationship that is focused around helping the young water professional to develop the four core competency domains of the mentoring programme: leadership, teamwork, communication and knowledge development and application.
Perhaps of greater importance than the proscribed nine month mentorship period is the goal of catalyzing a longer term connection between the two individuals (protégé and mentor). By connecting younger water professionals to those individuals with more experience in the field, IWA seeks to facilitate the exchange and development of knowledge and ideas while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the water sector. The sustainability of the sector is currently challenged by the impending loss of knowledge with the retirement of some of its greatest minds and the small numbers of young individuals entering. Mentoring seeks to reach out to young individuals and aid in their integration into the sector.
Leadership Taking personal responsibility and empowering others
team leadership; individual initiative; goal oriented thinking and actions; vision that extends beyond immediate task or surroundings; being able to give and receive criticisms
Communication sharing information and opinions to achieve understanding
Teamwork supporting each other to produce better results
Knowledge Development and Application Acquiring new knowledge and applying it effectively
PACE Framework
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