Most organizations use an orientation program to help with the process of integrating personally and professionally into the organization. Increasingly, organizations are using the benefits of mentoring as a part of the orientation process. Many state Extension Services have incorporated mentoring relationships into traditional training and development programs because mentoring objectives can be effectively accomplished in a relatively short period of time. Need for Mentoring New employees have the potential to become the new life and energy of any organization. Nurturing this energy is important if organizations want to keep new agents from being overwhelmed.
New agents enter Extension with novel ideas and a vision of improved programs.
Mentoring isn't a quick fix for personnel orientation. However, it does offer an open door for mentors to become an influential sounding board of professional expertise. Since Ohio mentors aren't assigned proteges they directly supervise within the Extension Service, proteges view mentors as trustful and open. Mentoring research1 has linked successful relationships to employees who were relatively new to their jobs. Therefore, the success and impact of a mentor relationship weighs heavily on the mentor to be readily accessible to the protege when questions arise and help is needed.