My Boss Asked Me to Mentor My Coworker, but It’s Really My Boss Who Needs Mentoring

Key Takeaways

• Manager lacks project management and HR competence
• Employee asked to mentor peer without authority
• Decline role; suggest formal manager or structured process
• Unpaid coaching creates frustration and low ROI
• Implement consistent procedures to address department issues

Summary

A new manager, Fergus, struggles with project management, communication, and HR tasks, leading him to delegate mentorship of a peer, Chip, to an experienced employee. The employee discovers that many of Chip’s issues stem from unclear department procedures rather than personal performance. Advice from the article urges the employee to decline the informal mentorship, request a formal role or proper manager, and focus on establishing consistent processes. The piece warns that taking on unpaid coaching duties can lead to frustration and limited impact.

Pulse Analysis

In many mid‑size firms, managers who lack core leadership skills often offload mentorship duties onto senior peers. While this can appear collaborative, it creates a hidden hierarchy where employees are asked to perform managerial functions without authority, compensation, or clear expectations. The result is a diffusion of responsibility that can erode morale and lead to inconsistent handling of performance issues, as illustrated by the case of Fergus and Chip. Understanding the risks of such informal arrangements is essential for both employees and executives seeking to maintain a healthy talent pipeline.

Clear role definition is a cornerstone of effective organizational design. When a peer is asked to act as a de‑facto manager, they are thrust into HR‑type activities—investigating complaints, coaching, and enforcing policies—without the formal backing that legitimizes those actions. This not only exposes the employee to potential liability but also generates unpaid labor that detracts from their primary responsibilities. Companies that recognize this pitfall invest in dedicated management layers or formal mentorship programs, ensuring that coaching is compensated, tracked, and aligned with strategic goals.

To mitigate these challenges, firms should prioritize establishing consistent department procedures and communication tools before assigning mentorship duties. Investing in leadership development for managers like Fergus—through structured training, coaching from senior leadership, or external courses—addresses the root cause of the problem. Simultaneously, creating a formal manager role focused on performance oversight can relieve peers from ad‑hoc responsibilities, preserving their productivity and fostering a culture where mentorship is a recognized, rewarded function rather than an unpaid side‑task.