Mentoring

EQmentor is literally redefining the term “mentoring.” Traditional mentoring is typically a relationship between someone older and more experienced with someone younger and less experienced. Mentoring itself is not an outcome – it is a process. It is a relatively ancient process to get knowledge from where it is (historically in the minds of wiser people) to those who need it (protégés). So the outcome of mentoring is to get knowledge from those who have it to those who need it so that they can make better decisions. Taking this a step further, we are defining contemporary mentoring as the transfer of knowledge from wherever it exists to whoever needs it at the time that they need it. With this definition, we should be open to multiple sources of knowledge…be it a person (mentor), a community, or from a database. This new definition is a powerful enabler of high performance. At EQmentor, we believe that there are 5 Learning Principles that collectively optimize workplace learning. They are:

	Extended Learning Model Learn at the point-of-need Learn when it is relevant
	Emotional Safety Confidential interactions Authentic conversations
	Outcome-Based Learning Experience-based learning Relevance to business Immediate applications
	Mentoring Learning from someone who has walked your path in your industry, in your role
	Multi-Mode Learning Global, cross-industry collaboration Repositories of knowledge

The EQmentor Model 21st Century Mentoring: Learning from multiple souces at the point of need.

EQmentor is proud to present a 21st Century Mentoring Model where knowledge is transferred to those who need it when they need it from three sources, in a safe learning environment.

Source 1:  The traditional mentor relationship. Mentors continue to be a great source of experiential knowledge.

Source 2: Peer Community.  Web 2.0 technologies allow for collaborative learning from a global community breaking down traditional barriers of geography, industry, and cultures.

Source 3: Knowledge Sources. These are professional databases as well as user-generated content that harness and house repositories of knowledge.

EQmentor provides all three: Custom-matched mentors, a cross-industry peer collaboration area (EQ Village) and knowledge sources of Gale and our own user-generated content. EQmentor provides all this 24/7 asynchronously, accessible from anywhere at anytime (point-of-need learning) and anonymously, creating a safe environment to learn.

Experience
Human beings thrive best when growing in the presence of others who have gone before us.  We learn from these seasoned professionals, who impart lessons in the “art of living.”

• EQmentor has certified mentors from across the country, and from most industries and vocations. These mentors are typically of the Baby Boomer generation or retirees, have had successful professional careers, and are genuinely and intrinsically, interested in mentoring others. Mentors work asynchronously and online, allowing EQmentor to recruit the best mentors from across the nation.

• Our industry-leading comprehensive screening, education, certification and matching process, ensures mentor-mentee relationships of the highest quality.

Knowledge
Our mentors bring a unique combination of their experiential and professional knowledge to help create . . . the perfect learning experience.

• Our custom-built online EQlearning room allows our mentors and mentees to communicate asynchronously. Asynchronous communication allows mentors to ask thought-provoking questions, rather than just providing quick and simple answers. Our anonymous online environment allows for emotionally safe, honest, non-threatening, unbiased and non-judgmental communication.  Mentors can also communicate with mentees via instant messenger (myEQim) or participate in scheduled online chats (EQchat).

• Our mentors bring to mentees their personal experiences complemented by access to professional knowledge and EQ tools (myEQtoolkit). With over 300 custom EQ learning and developmental tools as well as Gale (a database with over 9,000 periodicals, housing peer-reviewed articles on most industries), working professionals have an effective and simple way to obtain relevant and current knowledge.

Wisdom
True wisdom is the use of one's experiences and knowledge for the betterment of the community at large. Wisdom is a higher state of actualization where satisfaction is achieved in making others' lives better through one's own skills and talents. Mentoring and enhancing Emotional Intelligence are key pieces to achieving wisdom.