The Mentor’s Guide Third Edition by Lois J. Zachary and Lisa Z. Fain is an updated version of a very good book. I used the First Edition as a guide to establish a mentoring program. At the time, I thought it was a very good resource. If you are creating a new program or if you already have an existing program that could use better guidelines, you’ll find this helpful.

What I Liked About The Mentor’s Guide

First, The Mentor’s Guide is easy to understand. The writing is clean and concise. It has great references that make the points even clearer.

Second, the book is full of examples and scenarios of various mentoring situations. For me stories are the best way to learn, and the examples helped me see the skills the authors were trying to explain. The book also has a multitude of tables that summarizes the material for a quick reference.

Third, The Mentor’s Guide is filled with exercises you can use to prepare yourself and your mentee to get the most out of the relationship. The authors outline a four-phase mentoring process that covers preparing, negotiating, enabling growth, and closing.

What You’ll Like About The Mentor’s Guide

If you want a clear, straightforward how-to guide then you’ll learn much from the book. It’s been solidly researched and is laid-out in an easy-to-follow format.

The guide covers many of the hot topics in business today such as diversity and inclusion and shows how you as a mentor can make the most of working with people who may be different from you.

Final Thoughts

While I no longer work in the leadership development field, I do stay up to date on the subject. I recommend all mentors and mentees read this book. I received an ARC for review, but since I’ve used an earlier version of the guide, I can say it is a useful tool.

For more reviews, visit my blog.