Trustee Mentoring: For Orientation, Leadership Development and More
Reprinted with permission from the July/August 2013 issue of Trustee magazine, Vol. 66, No. 7. © 2013 by Health Forum Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted for digital use only.
By Mary K. Totten
Mentoring, a process that pairs board members who are new to their roles with more seasoned board and executive resources for growth and development, traditionally has been used by health care boards to orient new trustees for board service. Often an informal process, mentors and mentees typically meet together as needed during the first year after a trustee joins the board to discuss meeting agenda items, clarify governance issues and practices, build relationships with other board members and organizational leaders, and complete the initial governance orientation process.