Defining Selection & Matching of Mentors

by Barry Sweeny, 2003

The previous "selection" definition shows exactly how it is different, though related to the process of matching.

• SELECTION - is the process of deciding who is qualified to serve as a mentor to anyone.

  The most obvoius implication of this definition is that it is a "threshold" process in the sense that one must first be selected to be a mentor, probably then should be trained to be an effective mentor and ready to be one, and THEN eventually matched to a specific protege whose needs "fit" the strengths of the mentor.

  Given that understanding...

• MATCHING - is the assignment of a qualified (and therefore preselected) mentor to work with a specific protege.

  The implication of this definition is that a person could be selected and trained to be a mentor, but remain unassigned for a while until the next phase of the process is needed, the matching to a speciific person

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