The roles of both the Buddies and Mentors are voluntary on both sides of the relationship. Contact your Manager for more information on these relationships.

Buddy

The purpose of a Buddy is to give you the opportunity to ask questions you might not want to discuss with their manager, as well as go over the more mundane day-to-day running of things in the workplace. A buddy is a member of staff who has volunteered to offer informal, friendly support. Often the buddy will be your first point of contact to ask questions or raise informal queries about your work, how things are done at Lancaster, where to find information, etc. They can also help you widen your circle of contacts.

For more information, please contact your Manager.

Mentor

A Mentor is a more formal and professional role compared to a Buddy that can help encourage you to challenge your assumptions, broaden your horizons, raise your aspirations and increase your achievements through individualised support. The mentor would provide a sounding board offering guidance through periods of instability and career growth, helping you to manage change and ultimately empowering you to improve your self-confidence and self-awareness. It is a relationship that provides someone to talk to about the challenges that you are facing; ideas that you want to implement and how to develop your career. These relationships are often aimed at Academic and senior staff members.

For more information, please contact your Manager.