Mentoring New Parents at Work

'This is an excellent resource for an organisation wishing to support maternity returners; it should be on the shelves of any HR director-and acted on. It is directed at medium to larger organisations but has much to offer to any workplace which wants to encourage working parents (of either gender) to thrive rather than strive in their jobs. The book is helpfully organised to give an overview of the subject, practical exercises, case studies and information on evaluation. Interwoven into the more structured sections are personal reflections from various perspectives, which make the book a compelling read for anyone who has been touched by the issues parents face either directly or as colleague, friend or line manager, which is pretty much all of us. I was personally moved by many of the stories showing the difference mentoring can make, wishing I'd had some for myself many years ago and being glad that the adult children in my family have a better prospect of support.' - Esther Cavett, Executive Coach and Director of the Cityparents Mentoring Scheme, UK 'The power of mentoring in internal organisational mentoring programmes never ceases to amaze me. I see people transformed, meaning in life restored and hopes fulfilled. To me a robust parental mentoring programme epitomises what is best about formalised mentoring activity. It creates the opportunity for parents who would not otherwise receive the support they need, to take control and make this incredibly unique and special time in their lives unfold in the way they want it to. From personal experience, managing work and having children is the hardest thing I have faced in my own working life, and having an effective mentor during my maternity transitions would have certainly impacted the career choices I made at that time more positively. I believe this book is invaluable to any employer considering the implications of maternity on the careers of their professional women employees and who genuinely want to know more about how to support them through this fundamental and key transition in their life and career. It is a superb resource on how to implement maternity / parental mentoring and for those who want to learn more about best practice in this specialised field of mentoring. A most comprehensive and robust book, which I wholeheartedly endorse as a resource for both organisations and individuals wanting to develop their knowledge in this area.' - Lis Merrick, Managing Director, Coach Mentoring Ltd, UK