Abstract:
This research investigated the process of protégé development, focusing on the
development of adaptability skills via experiential learning. Mentors facilitated skill
development by challenging protégés during the conceptualization stage of learning. This
finding highlights the importance of framebreaking and re-framing activities, and the role
that mentors can play in promoting the development of new mental models. Mentors also
facilitated development by frequently instructing protégés to intuitively grasp new
concepts and to experiment with new skills. All mentoring functions except friendship
were positively related to mentors’ instruction to use experiential learning activities,
suggesting that mentoring functions serve as platforms for learning activities. Career
development facilitation and friendship were the only two functions directly related to
skill development. Skill development was related to performance improvement and
protégé satisfaction. Implications for mentor training and future research are discussed.
