CPM Ethics & Professional Standards in Mentoring 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A mentor discovers that their mentee has been falsifying time sheets at work. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Ignore it to protect the mentoring relationship
- Immediately report the mentee to management without discussion
- Address the behavior directly with the mentee and encourage them to self-report (Correct answer)
- End the mentoring relationship without explanation
Correct answer: Address the behavior directly with the mentee and encourage them to self-report
Ethical mentoring requires addressing misconduct directly with the mentee, encouraging accountability while maintaining the supportive relationship.
Question 2: Which principle best describes a mentor's obligation to maintain professional boundaries?
- Mentors should become close personal friends with mentees
- Mentors must avoid dual relationships that could impair objectivity (Correct answer)
- Mentors can share their own personal problems to build rapport
- Boundaries are flexible based on mentee preference
Correct answer: Mentors must avoid dual relationships that could impair objectivity
Dual relationships compromise objectivity and can harm the mentee, so professional boundaries must be maintained.
Question 3: A mentee shares that they are struggling with substance abuse. As a CPM, you should:
- Keep the information confidential and continue mentoring as normal
- Refer them to appropriate professional resources while maintaining support (Correct answer)
- Report it to HR immediately without the mentee's knowledge
- Discontinue mentoring until the issue is resolved
Correct answer: Refer them to appropriate professional resources while maintaining support
Mentors should refer mentees to professional resources for issues outside mentoring scope while continuing to provide appropriate support.
Question 4: What does 'informed consent' mean in a mentoring context?
- The mentee agrees to follow all mentor advice
- The mentee understands and agrees to the purpose, process, and limits of mentoring (Correct answer)
- The organization approves of the mentoring topics discussed
- The mentor consents to being evaluated by the mentee
Correct answer: The mentee understands and agrees to the purpose, process, and limits of mentoring
Informed consent means the mentee has been clearly briefed on what mentoring entails and has agreed to participate with that understanding.
Question 5: A CPM mentor realizes they lack expertise in an area critical to their mentee's development. The ethical response is to:
- Provide guidance anyway to avoid appearing incompetent
- Refer the mentee to a more qualified mentor or expert for that area (Correct answer)
- End the mentoring relationship entirely
- Ask the mentee to research the topic independently
Correct answer: Refer the mentee to a more qualified mentor or expert for that area
Practicing within one's scope of competence requires referring mentees to appropriate experts when needed.
Question 6: Which action would constitute a violation of mentee confidentiality?
- Discussing general mentoring trends with colleagues without identifying the mentee
- Sharing specific mentee career struggles with the mentee's supervisor without consent (Correct answer)
- Seeking supervision from a qualified mentor supervisor about a challenging case
- Recording session notes for personal reflection
Correct answer: Sharing specific mentee career struggles with the mentee's supervisor without consent
Sharing identifiable mentee information with others without explicit consent is a direct breach of confidentiality.
Question 7: When a mentee from a different cultural background has values that conflict with the mentor's own, the ethical mentor should:
- Encourage the mentee to adopt the mentor's cultural perspective
- Acknowledge the difference and adapt the mentoring approach to respect cultural diversity (Correct answer)
- Refer the mentee to a mentor of the same cultural background
- Avoid discussing values altogether
Correct answer: Acknowledge the difference and adapt the mentoring approach to respect cultural diversity
Cultural competence requires mentors to respect and adapt to diverse value systems rather than imposing their own.
CPM Ethics & Professional Standards in Mentoring 2
A mentor discovers that their mentee has been falsifying time sheets at work.
What is the most ethical course of action?