How can protgs keep their peers from becoming jealous?
Peer jealousy is most intense in the early stages of mentoring programs. This is usually the case because the protg is picked from a group of potential candidates and selected to be a part of a small test group. Frequently peers believe that the protg test group is earmarked for the fast track, and that mentoring is a form of special and favored treatment. The makeup of a pilot group usually needs to be carefully controlled. This feature of pilot groups might be communicated to the organization as a program is being implemented. As a program completes its pilot phase and is opened to more employees, the initial suspicions tend to evaporate. Some protgs report that one way to diminish the envy of peers is to engage in peer mentoring by regularly sharing new knowledge with them. Other protgs have been instrumental in helping their peers to meet potential mentors through more informal channels that are always available.
