Books

We have found the following books helpful to learn more about formal mentoring and strategic mentoring programs. If you have suggestions for other books that need to be added to this list, do let us know by leaving a comment below.

How to set up effective mentoring programs?

• Mentoring Programs That Work (2017) – This book walks you through the process of designing and implementing a mentoring process that actually helps people learn, grow, and thrive at work. This book is a true road map for setting up a mentoring program in an organisation.
• Creating a Mentoring Culture (2008) – It is a pragmatic book that provides insight and tools for setting up a sustainable mentoring program that is rooted in organisational culture and values. Easy to read, practical, relevant.
• SIL’s Robust Mentoring Initiative (2020) – This short ebook explains what robust mentoring looks like and provides tools for implementing long-term strategies in order to strengthen mentoring relationships and organisational learning. La version française est aussi disponible.

How to mentor well?

• Building Local Capacity Through Mentoring (2008) – A concise and practical booklet for those who want to learn about how to mentor for sustainable development in cross-cultural settings. Thanks to the author, the booklet is available here for download as a pdf. La version française est désormais également disponible.
• The Elements of Mentoring (2018) – An easy-to-read and concise guide for mentors (and mentees) containing 75 practices and traits of effective mentors. It is a good first read, if you would like to start mentoring but need guidance as to how to do it. Even though most of the examples in this book stem from American university life, the book provides stories that can be good conversation starters in settings where cross-cultural mentoring is the norm. Some practices and principles will need to be adapted according to the cultural context.
• Dancing Between Cultures (2017) – A must-read for mentors and coaches working cross-culturally. Neglecting to adapt to the increasing cultural diversity of those we serve is like refusing to switch from driving on the right side in North America, to driving on the left in India: unsatisfying outcomes will result! Written by a master coach with a decade of cross-cultural coaching and training experience the book is filled with tips and real life situations designed to help you implement practical faith-based strategies for culturally intelligent coaching and mentoring.
• Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners (2012) – It is an engaging and practical read about how to be an effective mentor to students. Topics covered include adult learning and development; the search for meaning as a motive for learning; education as a transformational journey; how adults change and develop; how learning changes the learner; barriers and incentives to learning and growth; and guiding adults through difficult transitions.
• Mentoring For Spiritual Growth (2008) – Using the metaphor of journeying together, the book explores what it means to be a spiritual mentor, the qualities and skills needed, key issues in the mentor-mentee relationship, the goals of mentoring, and mentoring those with questions of faith. The author shares his insights and stories from a wealth of cross-cultural experience.
• The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships (2011) – This is an excellent resource that provides the reader with concrete, hands-on tools to facilitate the mentoring relationship from beginning to end.

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