3 ms·

There has been a significant devaluation of the term "mentor" over the past 15 years or so. The word used to imply a mutual respect and commitment that it no lo

There has been a significant devaluation of the term "mentor" over the past 15 years or so. The word used to imply a mutual respect and commitment that it no longer does. A mentor's counterpart used to their "protege". However, since that word has not been devalued, we've invented "mentee". I'm not claiming this is a good or bad development, but it's interesting how quickly the meanings of even quite important words can change.

taeric 7y ago
The double speak in your last paragraph undercut your post. :( Be bold and make a claim. Nothing wrong with that. Even if you are wrong, you will be so with skin in the game, so come out knowing. With couched claims, you can always duck behind being right, but not understood. And never know.
- soneca 7y ago
  Or they are not certain if it is good or bad
  - taeric 7y ago
    In unsolicited opinions, that is rather unlikely.
- timoth3y 7y ago
  > The double speak in your last paragraph undercut your post. :( It's honestly not double-speak. I'm a descriptivist rather than a prescriptivist. Words are defined by how people use them. I consider it a waste of time to complain that "everyone is using a word wrong" as long as the meaning is clear, which it is in this case.
  - taeric 7y ago
    The double speak is the claiming of not claiming it is good or bad. Words can change. True. Calling the change of some words as important is an opinion. Clearly label in some words imparts a value judgement. To claim otherwise is to try and shift the claim to the receiver. "I'm not claiming it is good or bad, but look at the evidence."
topkai22 7y ago
The mentor-protégé relationship has been deconstructed. The coaching and development part is called the mentor - mentee relationship, and the career promotion aspect is called sponsorship (sponsor-sponsee.) From experience, this is probably a good thing organizationally- I've successfully coached and mentored people I wouldn't sponsor, leading to a net benefit.
- timoth3y 7y ago
  I don't think it's been deconstructed so much as it has been re-branded. Coaching has always been and remains a perfectly accurate term to describe, well... coaching. It seems to me that the current meaning of "mentor" is the result of the term's (mis)use by VCs and accelerator programs to make coaching sessions seem like something more than they really are. I've never heard the term "sponsee" used in this context, but like I said, meanings change pretty fast, don't they?

taeric 7y ago

The double speak in your last paragraph undercut your post. :( Be bold and make a claim. Nothing wrong with that. Even if you are wrong, you will be so with skin in the game, so come out knowing. With couched claims, you can always duck behind being right, but not understood. And never know.

soneca 7y ago
Or they are not certain if it is good or bad
- taeric 7y ago
  In unsolicited opinions, that is rather unlikely.
timoth3y 7y ago
> The double speak in your last paragraph undercut your post. :( It's honestly not double-speak. I'm a descriptivist rather than a prescriptivist. Words are defined by how people use them. I consider it a waste of time to complain that "everyone is using a word wrong" as long as the meaning is clear, which it is in this case.
- taeric 7y ago
  The double speak is the claiming of not claiming it is good or bad. Words can change. True. Calling the change of some words as important is an opinion. Clearly label in some words imparts a value judgement. To claim otherwise is to try and shift the claim to the receiver. "I'm not claiming it is good or bad, but look at the evidence."

topkai22 7y ago

The mentor-protégé relationship has been deconstructed. The coaching and development part is called the mentor - mentee relationship, and the career promotion aspect is called sponsorship (sponsor-sponsee.) From experience, this is probably a good thing organizationally- I've successfully coached and mentored people I wouldn't sponsor, leading to a net benefit.

timoth3y 7y ago
I don't think it's been deconstructed so much as it has been re-branded. Coaching has always been and remains a perfectly accurate term to describe, well... coaching. It seems to me that the current meaning of "mentor" is the result of the term's (mis)use by VCs and accelerator programs to make coaching sessions seem like something more than they really are. I've never heard the term "sponsee" used in this context, but like I said, meanings change pretty fast, don't they?