Way Beyond

Mentoring

True mentoring isn't about reaching a predefined destination, but about discovering new horizons together.

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Why

Throughout history, the relationship between master and apprentice has been a fundamental catalyst for wisdom and progress.

In the current scenario of organizational development, the ancestral art of mentoring gains new relevance, intertwining with the emerging needs of modern organizations.

What we enhance

Evolution

Converts tacit knowledge into concrete practices

  • Cultivating an environment that fosters growth
  • Sustainability of relationships
  • Organic integration of new practices

Reciprocity

Create genuine connections beyond hierarchies

  • Mentor and mentee as co-creators
  • Learning as an upward spiral
  • Vulnerability as a gateway to authenticity

Vitality

Transforms individual experience into collective wisdom

  • Organized and intentional meetings
  • Spaces for silence, reflection, and learning
  • Dynamic balance between action and contemplation

True mentoring is a dynamic process, a unique developmental relationship that happens outside the traditional hierarchical line, creating a unique space for learning and growth that strengthens organizations by enhancing:

What for?

In business practice, mentoring is based on a philosophy of dynamic exchange where accumulated wisdom serves as a catalyst for new possibilities.

Two modalities, different needs

We give organizations the flexibility to choose the most appropriate depth and support, ensuring quality, rigor, and a positive and lasting impact.

Core

4-6 weeks

Turnkey, structured, and tested solution that enables agile and effective implementation in 4-6 weeks. Main objectives: establish effective mentoring relationships, develop fundamental skills, and create a solid foundation for personal and organizational development.

Characteristics

  • Agile and effective implementation
  • Tested and proven structure
  • Fundamental mentor training
  • Structured support
  • Evaluation of results
  • Complete program documentation

Preparation

Week 1

  • Initial diagnosis
  • Definition of criteria
  • Alignment of expectations

Empowerment

Weeks 2-3

  • Mentor Sessions (16h)
  • Mentored Session (4h)
  • Practical tools

Implementation

Weeks 4-5

  • Start of mentor-mentee relationships
  • Structured support
  • Continuous support

Results

Week 6

  • Impact assessment
  • Final report
  • Future recommendations

Pro

6-8 months

Personalized transformational program that provides an end-to-end experience over 6-8 months, developing a mentoring culture aligned with organizational values. It includes in-depth research, co-construction of the program, and continuous specialized support.

Characteristics

  • In-depth investigation
  • Co-construction of the program
  • Advanced mentoring training
  • Dedicated digital platform
  • Community of practice
  • Continuous specialized support

Investigation

Month 1

  • Focus Groups for diagnosis and needs analysis

Co-Construction

Month 2

  • Collaborative design
  • Program prototyping
  • Methodological manual

Empowerment

Months 3-4

  • Mentor Sessions (6)
  • Mentored Sessions (2)
  • Transformational practices

Development

Months 5-7

  • Community of Practice
  • Regular assessments
  • Adjustments to the program

Transformation

Month 8

  • Impact Assessment
  • Sustainability plan
  • Program evolution

Advantages

Mentoring brings measurable benefits to both the organization and the people

  • Development of an environment where knowledge sharing and growth are fundamental values

  • Strengthening interdepartmental connections and creating natural communication channels

  • Greater commitment and involvement of employees through structured development opportunities

  • Development of leadership skills through authentic and meaningful relationships

At the organizational level

  • Faster acquisition of skills through structured and experiential learning

  • Increased engagement and satisfaction through meaningful development relationships

  • Ability to lead one's own professional growth path with structured support

At the individual level

84%
of the most successful companies consider mentoring essential

This number reflects a growing awareness of the strategic value of mentoring as an organizational development tool.

Source: Mentoring Impact Report 2025 by Mentor Cliq

97%
of participants report an enriching experience

Satisfaction demonstrates the transformative impact of mentoring relationships on professional and personal development.

Source: Mentoring Statistics by Guider

89%
of those mentored become mentors later

This virtuous cycle creates a sustainable culture of development and knowledge sharing within the organization.

Source: Mentoring Statistics by Guider

30%
more mentoring programs in organizations since the pandemic

The need for meaningful connections and continuous development drives the growing adoption of mentoring.

Source: Study "State of Mentoring 2023-2025"

Our mentoring programs make organizations more capable of…

... recognize and retain internal talent, with lower turnover of valuable elements.

... contribute to positive and lasting adjustments in organizational culture, creating favorable contexts for development.

... establish rich and genuine conversation spaces, where ideas and insights can flow beyond formal hierarchical structures.

... facilitate the transfer of knowledge and wisdom between different generations, preserving valuable learning.

... substantially increase the speed and effectiveness of newcomer acculturation, making their integration faster and more successful.

Critical Success Factors

Strategic Alignment and Commitment

Clarity of purpose and objectives, integration with the organization's strategy, and a genuine commitment from leadership are central to the success of any mentoring program.

We consider a thoughtful and intentional mentor-mentee matching system, a flexible structure with well-defined processes, the existence of a platform or tools to support the program, where mentoring relationships are established outside the direct hierarchical line, with a guarantee of confidentiality for building and maintaining trust, to be essential.

Structure and Process

Through adequate training of mentors and mentees, with clarity in the roles and responsibilities of each party and a focus on the autonomy and protagonism of the mentee, the bilaterality of learning is recognized, and better results are achieved. In this way, one of the factors that so often results in the failure of mentoring programs is avoided: the assumption that being a mentor does not require any preparation.

Training and Development

A system of regular feedback, with evaluation of the impact on the organization and continuous monitoring of the program ensures that benefits are extracted for all dimensions involved in it.

Feedback and evaluation

Challenges in Implementing
Mentoring Programs

How Way Beyond helps overcome the main obstacles

Our experience of over 7 years developing more than a dozen mentoring programs in partnership with companies from different sectors and sizes confirms that we grow more when we grow together: through meaningful connections, we expand our capacity for self-knowledge and enhance development and transformation, both individually and organizationally.

  • We work in close collaboration with leadership to ensure strategic alignment and continuous support for the program.

  • We implement a robust feedback and evaluation system to measure the impact and demonstrate the positive effects.

  • We promote a culture of continuous learning, emphasizing the unique benefits of mentoring for personal and professional development.

Mentor Training

Adequate preparation of mentors is a critical factor for the success of a mentoring program.

01

Role Clarity

Clear definition of the responsibilities and limits of the mentor's role, distinguishing it from other development practices.

Understanding of when and how to intervene, differences between mentoring, coaching and other approaches, and establishment of expectations and ethical boundaries.

02

Capacity Development

Development of specific skills, techniques, and mindset for mentoring, including active listening, feedback, and facilitating reflection.

Active listening and questioning techniques, methods for offering constructive feedback, and strategies to promote reflection and learning.

03

Supervised Practice

Structured opportunities to practice acquired skills, with continuous feedback and support.

Experience in real-life mentoring situations, immediate feedback on the application of techniques, case analysis, and group discussion.

04

Continuous Monitoring

Supervision and support throughout the program, ensuring the quality and effectiveness of mentoring relationships.

Regular supervision meetings, resources and ongoing support materials, and a community of practice for exchanging experiences.

Testimonials

Successful partnerships that transform organizations through mentoring.

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Santander Portugal 1 of 4

Maria Tavares Leal

Head of People & Culture

Santander Portugal

MentorS was a mentoring program designed for Santander, which aimed to promote professional development relationships based on the sharing of experiences, open dialogue and the building of trust.

The program included a robust component of mentor training, through six sessions that covered everything from the fundamentals of mentoring to practical follow-up strategies, and was supported by a personalized digital manual that served as a practical guide for mentors and mentees.

A distinctive aspect of the program was its focus on creating meaningful and mutually enriching relationships, where both mentors and mentees were encouraged to actively contribute to the development process. This approach not only facilitated the integration and development of employees but also strengthened knowledge networks within the organization.

The MentorS program implemented at Santander, in partnership with Way Beyond, was fundamental in empowering and preparing our mentors to support the development and retention of talent within the organization.

This program has proven to be an excellent initiative, highly valued by participants, to standardize and elevate the performance of our mentors. Way Beyond provided us with the necessary tools and support to distinguish mentoring from other practices and approaches, enabling our mentors to perform their role as ambassadors of our culture more effectively.

We are very pleased with the results and the positive impact it had on improving our Mentoring Program.

Inês Zenha

Human Resources Director

PLMJ

PLMJ's mentoring program was designed to support evaluation and career progression processes, and was implemented through face-to-face and online sessions with partners and mentees in Lisbon and Porto.

The program included moments of structured training and personalized follow-up, having been adapted to the specific reality of this law firm.

A distinctive feature of this program was its integration with the evaluation cycle, reinforcing a culture of continuous feedback and making the mentor/mentee relationship a fundamental element for professional development. The program evolved to incorporate a special focus on developing constructive feedback skills, responding to specific needs identified with the lawyers.

The partnership between PLMJ and Way Beyond for the implementation of our mentoring program has been a transformative experience for our lawyers.

The strategic approach and continuous support of the Way Beyond team, from the diagnostic moments and work sessions to the implementation and training of our mentors and mentees, have been fundamental to the success of the program.

With the implementation of the mentoring program at PLMJ, we have observed a significant increase in satisfaction and involvement in the mentoring relationship: the mentors feel more prepared and confident to guide their mentees, and the mentees appreciate the value of the guidance received for their professional development.

In addition, the continuous practice of constructive feedback has improved internal communication and strengthened daily working relationships, promoting a culture of development and continuous feedback.

Teresa Manso

Communications Director

DHL Portugal

DHL's mentoring program was developed in close collaboration with the company's management team, who took on the role of mentors. The program was designed after an initial phase of diagnosis and alignment with the directors of the various areas, and was implemented through specific capacity-building workshops for this group.

The topics covered were carefully selected to meet the identified needs, including leadership, communication, team management and interdepartmental networking.

A distinctive feature of the program was its focus on managing conflicts and adverse situations, as well as optimizing the management of participants' schedules, responding to specific challenges of the organization.

My experience with the training and support in creating the internal mentoring process, offered by Way Beyond, was extremely positive. The initial training covered relevant and practical content, essential for our development.

We had the privilege of having João Sevilhano as a facilitator, a highly qualified and inspiring person who demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the evolution of our team of mentors, providing valuable guidance and constructive feedback both during the training and in the supervision sessions.

This experience, in addition to strengthening my skills, also significantly increased my confidence in supporting the development of others. I recommend Way Beyond to any organization that intends to implement an effective mentoring process.

Catarina João Morgado

PwC Academy Director

PwC Portugal

See full case study

Following the work developed with PwC's Partners in 2016-2017, we were challenged in 2018 to develop a mentoring program that began with a launch session for 30 mentors, followed by a two-day training.

The project included the design of a best practices manual adapted to PwC's reality, intervention with the mentees, and development of the program's processes, including defining the internal communication flow.

The program also included supervision sessions with the mentor team to discuss good practices, difficulties, and practical cases.

In 2018/19, PwC launched a mentoring program, in pilot format, aimed at the firm's seniors. Created on a voluntary basis, the process had started the previous year, asking the target audience who they would like to have as a mentor from the management team.

As major objectives of the program, we intend, on the one hand, to reinforce the support to seniors, in a phase of their career in which they begin to acquire team management responsibilities and to consider (or not) an evolution to a manager level and, on the other hand, to strengthen the feedback, active listening and knowledge of the firm skills, on the part of our managers.

To help us with the implementation, we had the tireless support of Way Beyond, who collaborated with us in the design of the program, preparation of support material, training and monitoring of our mentors. For those who don't know him, João Sevilhano is, without a doubt, a reference, for his ability to make us reflect and find the right analogy at the exact moment.

At this moment, we are still measuring the impacts, however, we know informally that bonds have been created between mentors and mentees, which meet the values we believe in at PwC. We can only thank Way Beyond for their support throughout this journey.

Mentoring is much more

to share experiences

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