Explain how continuous improvement models, knowledge management systems, quality systems and sustainability principles can be incorporated into business systems.

Mentoring involves a manager passing on his/her knowledge and expertise to an employee. Typically, the employee has a mentor who is at management level but not directly involved in his or her work area, so that issue s can be discussed in an impartial and confidential manner.

Clutterbuck & Megginson (1999, p.17) describe mentoring as being like ‘standing in front of a mirror with a trusted other, who can help you see things that you do not know how to see, or that have become too familiar for you to notice’. It is a helping relationship between an individual with potential and an individual with expertise. This multi-dimensional relationship is a partnership between those in similar roles, who can support each other. A number of roles of the mentor have been listed by Bolton (2010, p.193): role model, enabler, teacher, encourager, counsellor, befriender, facilitator, coach, confidante, supporter and ‘un-learner’. To be successful roles and responsibilities of those involved need to be clear and they need to be matched to each other and understand expectations of them.

"Mentoring is a special quality, skill set and attitude," she says. "The benefits are not only between the mentor and mentee, but the future generations."

Mentoring is a process where a more experience person creates a supportive relationship with an inexperienced, mostly younger person with the aim of providing information and advice. The process of mentoring must benefit both parties.

Mentoring is relationship orientated – it provides a safe environment where the mentore shares any issues which can affect their mentors professional and personal success. Mentoring also focuses on work/life balance, self confidence and self perception.

Mentoring employs similar methods as coaching; however a more personal relationship is formed between the mentor and mentee. A mentor, as Zey (1984) writes, is ‘a person who oversees the career and development of another person, usually a junior, through teaching, counselling, providing psychological support, protecting and at times promoting or sponsoring’.

Mentoring is about nurturing the potential of the whole person; both however are about improving performance. There is a strong argument that coaching can be undertaken by line management or an individual within the organisation who has knowledge of processes and procedures. It is however more beneficial when mentoring to engage with someone from outside the organisation however it is essential to match personalities, research interests, experience and personal style.

Mentoring takes many forms and has many purposes, however, no uniform definition of mentoring exists (Bochke, 2001). Caffarella (1993) defined mentoring as “intense caring relationships in which person(s) with more experience work with less experienced person(s) to promote both professional

Point Definition: Mentors are people who provide new employees or interns with knowledge and skills in their area of expertise. Levinson states, “Mentoring is an active creative process that demands energy and commitment invested in another person’s career” (165). Mentoring is often a two-way street between the mentor and the mentee. There has to be equal involvement and interest in order for the mentee to become successful.

In conclusion, I do see how community of practice can be helpful to teachers. Would I use community of practice? Yes I would. Coming together as a group of people who have a passion and share a concern for students is a starting point to improve students’ education when it comes to high-stakes testing. Teachers interacting regularly is also a great way to learn how to do a better job when it comes to teaching. In the long run community of practice will not only benefit students, but will also benefit teachers (Reich & Bally,

Mentoring for the mentor is about challenging himself to perform to greater capabilities while nurturing a mentee and stretching them to realise their full potential. Mentors counsel, tutor and guide their mentees in developing themselves.

Community of practice is a group of individuals that share a common interest, and work together to make their interest better (Community of Practice). The use of community practice can be a significant "social learning system" for those that participate within it (Etienne, 2009). So by working with others, within the community of practice, you are able to further expand on your idea and form a community with others. By using a community of practice within my advocacy plan can help expand my knowledge of my topic. I will be able to learn from others experiences and will be able to expand on their ideas. Community of practice also helps to create a larger and stronger community. By creating a strong community I will hopefully be able to

A Learning Mentor is a relatively new concept in the field of education and is used within schools to support them in raising standards.

Accompanied with the current shift towards more organic organisation structures and more emphasis on the learning organisation, mentoring provides a more all round experience to the mentees by getting them confident with their role with the organisation. It also improves communication throughout the organisation by allowing mentees to give feedback and learn in a not so formal fashion which helps people feel more relaxed and develops the formal and informal culture of the organisation.

Community of practice is a theory defined as a process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in a subject or area work together over an extended period of time, sharing ideas and strategies, determine solutions, and construct innovations (Lave and Wenger, 1998). In addition, communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or an interest for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact frequently. There are three required components of Community of Practice: