Trust and connection in formal, virtual mentoring

C Evans International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 2018

Trust between mentees and mentors is important. This article considers how trust can be generated in a formal scheme in a third-sector organisation, the NCT. Interviews and documents were used in a single case study. The challenges imposed by being an insider-researcher are noted. Trust was developed through several layers, forming a complex picture. Important factors included multi-faceted connections between mentees and mentors, plus organisational features promoting support and expectations of behaviour. It is suggested that formal mentoring schemes match mentees and mentors with connections in mind. Mentors might endeavour to enhance these connections, but mentees need to be engaged for this to be effective.