ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to draw together the thinking around the nature and concept of mentee competences and suggests a framework for developing practical competences, which mentees can be helped to develop before or during their mentoring relationships. The chapter focuses on developmental mentoring. Although it is logical that the competences required of a mentee would evolve with the progress of the relationship, there has been no systematic examination of the process. Kalbfleisch and Daviess analysis is more useful, however, where it examines factors such as communication competence and self-esteem in the mentee, both of which they found to be related to participation in mentoring relationships. A proposed intervening variable between communication competence and self-esteem is perceived risk in intimacy. Equally, in community mentoring schemes, mentors often report that the greatest satisfaction comes from watching mentees grow in self-esteem and self-confidence.
