When Ulysses set off for the Trojan War, he entrusted the education of his son Telemachus to Mentor. With his wisdom, Mentor advised and guided Telemachus so that he could develop all his abilities. He activated his potential. Thus, at the heart of a Greek epic poem almost three thousand years old, the idea of mentoring was born, its name owing to Mentor himself.

Today, mentoring programmes are hugely popular in professional and educational contexts. Although most professionals acknowledge that having a mentor is beneficial, only a third actually have one. To close this gap, organisations create formal mentoring programmes, though their impact has different nuances from which we can learn.

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What studies say about mentoring programmes

Recent research, such as that of Professor Belle Rose Ragins and her team (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee), reveals that mentors adjust their dedication according to the potential they perceive in the mentee.

This pattern is analysed through two theoretical frameworks:

* Mentoring schema theory: mentors and mentees have mental maps that guide expectations and behaviours. The mentee’s success may be seen as a reflection of the mentor’s competence, leading mentors to prioritise those perceived as more talented.

* Diversified mentoring theory: gender bias influences the perception of potential. Relationships between people of the same gender tend to show greater respect and perception of competence.

 

Two real studies to understand the role of potential and gender in mentoring

To test their hypotheses, the researchers carried out two studies in Taiwan on how mentors’ beliefs about their mentees’ potential—and the gender of both parties—influence the relationship.

First study: 173 mentor–mentee pairs took part, all MBA alumni with formal relationships of at least two months, working in the same unit with the mentor in a higher rank. Mentors assessed their mentees’ potential for progress, while mentees evaluated the support received. The result was clear: the stronger the belief in potential, the greater the support perceived. However, women reported receiving less support than men with the same potential.

Second study: 182 pairs of full-time employees enrolled in continuing training programmes, with mentoring relationships of at least six months.

programas de mentoría

In addition to support, satisfaction and mutual respect were measured. The same trend emerged: the perception of potential directly influenced support, which in turn influenced the quality of the relationship. The mentee’s gender did not moderate the results, but gender composition did: same-gender pairs showed greater perception of potential and respect.

Taken together, the studies also revealed that formal relationships were perceived as less effective than informal ones. Although no gender bias was found in the perception of potential, mentors valued more highly the potential of people of their own gender. Moreover, women with male mentors in formal relationships reported less respect than those with female mentors.

 

Lessons for designing effective mentoring programmes

All this evidence helps us understand that these learning relationships can be more complex than they may seem, and are influenced by the perceptions we have of each other. For this reason, organisations wishing to develop mentoring programmes might consider the following:

  • Be aware that mentors, in both formal and informal relationships, may adjust their level of involvement according to the potential they perceive in the person they are supporting.
  • Select mentors with a genuine vocation to help and guide.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of internal mentoring programmes.
  • Create programmes that go beyond the most promising profiles, since in general, people value having a mentor.

In short, just as Odysseus entrusted Mentor with awakening Telemachus’s potential, programmes should rely on mentors who support their mentees beyond perceived talent, and “activate” their potential. Long live mentoring—and the Odyssey.

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