The secrets of successful mentoring.

Jennyfer MONTANTIN
4 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Mentoring is a powerful lever for developing skills and supporting employees throughout their careers.

In an episode of the podcast Café sans filtre avec ton RH , two experts from the Cap Mentorat collective, Dominique Cancellieri-Decroze and Catherine LazBounatirou from the Cap Mentorat collective share their advice for successful mentoring, based on concrete and effective practices.

I – Mentoring: essential support at every stage of your career.

From the very first minutes of the episode, the speakers emphasize that mentoring isn't just for young professionals. It's just as relevant at key moments in professional life: taking on new responsibilities, going through a transition period, or needing to strengthen commitment to the company.

Dominique Cancellieri-Decroze, co-author of Mentoring , emphasizes the importance of structured mentoring . An effective program relies on clear goals , shared expectations , and regular follow-up to ensure alignment between mentor and mentee.

II – The importance of active listening and trust.

For Catherine LazBounatirou, the success of a mentoring relationship is based on active and caring listening . The mentor does not provide ready-made solutions: he helps his mentee to structure his thinking, to identify his own resources, and to make decisions independently.

This dynamic is based on mutual trust , built over the course of discussions thanks to the neutrality of the mentor and the quality of the dialogue.

III – Transparency and commitment: two pillars of the relationship.

Transparency is a key success factor. Both parties must clarify their expectations, availability, and level of commitment from the outset. Dominique Cancellieri-Decroze recommends establishing a moral agreement , which formalizes these elements and ensures smooth collaboration.

Catherine LazBounatirou reminds us that the mentee has an active role to play: he must prepare for the meetings , share his progress , ask questions , and be receptive to his mentor's feedback.

IV – To go further: two references to read.

📘 Mentoring, instructions for use – Dominique Cancellieri-Decroze & Danielle DesffontaineA practical guide to structuring a corporate mentoring program, aimed at HR, managers and mentors.
📘 Power Mentoring – Ellen Ensher & Susan MurphyAn international reference book on how mentors and mentees can advance their careers through strong, strategic relationships.

In conclusion, this episode highlights the key principles of successful mentoring: active listening, trust, mutual commitment, and a clear framework . By adopting these best practices, companies strengthen knowledge transfer, team engagement, and talent development.

To listen to this episode in full, go to The Secrets of Successful Mentoring .