Let me start by introducing myself. After a rich business career in various managerial and executive positions, I found my mission in mentoring. It started with an invitation to the mentoring program of the Association of Managers of Slovenia and continued with cooperation in many other mentoring programs, some of which I also co-created. With my mentee, I have co-authored 5 books on mentoring, including the first Slovenian guide for mentors and mentees. I regularly publish professional articles on mentoring and lifelong learning.

Today, I am the co-founder of the Heart Mentoring Platform and the Heart Mentoring Community, a passionate researcher and developer of mentoring culture and mentoring programs, developer of approaches and methods of acquiring and transferring knowledge and an ambassador of mentoring and lifelong learning. As a dedicated mentor to many individuals and groups, I see mentoring as an opportunity to share my knowledge and experience while also continuing to learn myself. I am active on introducing mentoring programs in various organizations and associations and on running training workshops for mentors and mentees in order to make  mentoring processes as successful as possible, to learn as much as possible and to grow personally and professionally.

My life motto: »Knowledge is one of the few things that we always carry with us  and that no one can take away from us.«

Group mentoring - the best support for lifelong learning

There is no personal and professional development without continuous learning where mentors play an important role. With their own example and by sharing various resources, tools and strategies, they guide, support and motivate individuals on the path of lifelong learning, so that they become more and more independent and responsible learners. We can find this kind of support in all mentoring forms, but in group mentoring it is even multiplied. Why? In group mentoring, mentees learn not only from their mentors, but also from each other and alongside each other.

The group provides a safe and encouraging environment in which individuals can talk openly about their challenges, ask questions and show their vulnerability and insecurity. It teaches them where to find help when needed and ask for it without hesitation. In the group, they all equally, regardless of gender, age, origin, formal education and position on the social and career ladder, exchange their views, knowledge and experience. Without knowing, they all have multiple mentors at once and even play this role by themselves from time to time, although they joined the group as mentees.

After years of acquiring mentoring experience in one-on-one mentoring relationships, I had the opportunity to try out the role of a mentee and a mentor in group mentoring. Since then, I see it not only as one of the most complex mentoring forms, which combines one-on-one mentoring as well as reverse, mutual, peer and all other forms of mentoring, but also as an excellent support for lifelong learners. To those who already are and to those who want to become and remain so.

What are the benefits of group mentoring?

Let's explore the benefits of group mentoring.

Co-creation and access to collective wisdom. The group consists of individuals with different formal and informal knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, skills, virtues and experiences. This extraordinary collective wisdom of the mentoring group is available to all its members. Rich mutual dialogue broadens their view and understanding of different situations and strengthens critical thinking.

Experiential instead of content-based learning. Group learning is highly collaborative and experiential. We learn from the mutual sharing of implicit and tacit knowledge, from experiences and good practices, successes and mistakes of others, which is much more effective than learning formats based on one-sided delivery of content. Knowledge acquired in this way is absorbed much faster and retained longer, as it can be immediately transferred to our work or to other areas of life.

Performing in the community. In the group, we strengthen awareness of the importance of community and relational competences. We learn group dynamics, mutual respect, attentive listening, accepting the opinions of others and arguing our own points of view, respectful and clear communication, as well as discipline and respect for the agreed structure.

Building and expanding social network. Through mutual exchange of contacts, we expand our social network, which opens up new opportunities and possibilities for cooperation. Connecting with experts from different fields leads to valuable new insights, career opportunities and partnerships that contribute to continuous learning. This is also an opportunity to build our own network of mentors.

Learning by teaching others. Lifelong learning is not just about learning new things and upgrading existing knowledge but also about sharing. We learn the most when we teach others or when we transfer our knowledge on to others. In group mentoring, we become more open to sharing our own knowledge and learning from others. Group mentoring meetings often take place in the form of workshops, exercises or focused conversations from which participants gain practical knowledge that can be immediately used in their personal or professional lives.

Motivation and focus. In group mentoring, we strengthen the sense of responsibility and become more motivated. We come to the mentoring meetings prepared, not only due to respect for the mentors, but also for other mentees who want to learn from us and share their knowledge with us. Constant interaction and dialogue within the group help keeping participants focused, committed to personal and shared goals, and determined to continue the learning journey. This is extremely important in lifelong learning, which is largely based on self-discipline and self-motivation.

Boosting self-confidence and improving self-esteem. In group mentoring, we strengthen our sense of self-worth and become more self-confident. When we share our knowledge in interaction with others, contribute to fruitful conversation and solving individual and group challenges, we start to trust ourselves, our knowledge and abilities. We are ready to express our opinions and share ideas clearly and publicly.

Pushing the boundaries together. By expanding the range of knowledge sources and different learning methods, we easily choose the ones that suit us best in terms of our goals, learning style and available time. We are constantly exposed to new ideas, upcoming trends and innovative concepts that we might not otherwise encounter. This broadens our horizons, strengthens curiosity and our desire to explore.

Constant measurement and progression.  Constant access to feedback, both from the mentor and from the other mentees, together with self-reflection, brings us valuable insight into our progress and areas where we could improve and therefor adapt our future learning and development strategy.

Power of the community. In group mentoring, we strengthen the sense of belonging. We celebrate progress together, we stand together through ups and downs, together we fulfill personal and joint goals. The emotional and other support of the group gives us the courage to face existing challenges, tackle new ones and be more resilient and flexible.

Group mentoring – a sure way forward

Group mentoring represents a supportive and collaborative environment, an exceptional space for dialogue among diverse individuals and intergenerational bonding, exchange of different knowledge, experiences and views, research of new ideas. It offers a comprehensive learning experience and represents a unique platform for everyone who is committed to continuous learning, who wants to constantly progress personally and professionally and be an active member of society. Group mentoring brings us together in joint learning, networking and collaboration.

Tatjana Kolenc, co-founder of the Heart Mentoring Platform and the Heart Mentoring Community, a passionate researcher and developer of mentoring culture and mentoring programs.