**2.4 Stages of mentoring**

Mentoring is a process that happens over time. Several researchers have identified multiple stages through which mentoring relationships evolve [2, 10–13]. The traditional four-stage model includes initiation, cultivation, separation, and redefinition [2]. Mentoring begins when a mentor offers a protégé career support during the initiation stage. Next, the level of support increases during the cultivation stage and includes career and psychosocial support. The third phase, separation, is marked by a decrease in career and psychosocial support by the mentor, which is driven by the career development of both mentor and protégé. This leads to a process of redefinition, the fourth stage, in which the mentoring relationship either ends or is redefined by less direct support from the mentor to the protégé [2].

During these stages, mentors are approachable, caring role models for their protégés. They model appropriate behavior, share information about organizational culture, provide guidance on career development and advancement, encourage mentors during times of crisis, and foster confidence within the protégé [4].
