Mentoring for Career Development What, Why, and How

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1 Mentoring for Career Development What, Why, and How Stepping Up: Library Leaders for the 21st Century May 2, :30 12:30 Dr. Janine Golden, TWU

2 Introduction 1. Who are you? 2. Why are you here? 3. Have you ever had a mentor? 4. Were you ever a mentor? 5. If yes to 4 or 5 a. Was it a formal or informal relationship? b. How did it begin? c. Did you consider it a success? d. Are you still in contact?

4 Rank Use of strategies Most important strategies 1 training & development recognizing/ Beneficial strategies qualifications taking opportunities 2 qualifications experience recognizing/ taking opportunities 3 professional involvement qualifications experience 4 continuing education networking training & development 5 recognizing/taking opportunities continuing education networking 5 mentorship 6 networking professional involvement 7 mentorship career planning continuing education 8 experience professional involvement career planning 9 career planning training & development mentorship

5 Key issues in diversified mentoring Structuring the mentoring scheme The importance of clear purpose Understanding the perspective of the intended audience Being realistic about numbers The need for choice The need for training

6 Today s Discussion 1. What is formal and informal mentoring? 2. Role/expectations and potential challenges of each

7 Mentorship: No simple task Involves a variety of: definitions (by subject field) players processes administrative involvement (or not) goals

8 Mentorship Model (Golden, 2003) Mentor Protégé Players DEFINITION...a nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model, teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels & befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter's professional development (Anderson & Shannon) MENTORSHIP Functions Psychosocial Career Types - personal support - friendship - acceptance - counseling - confirmation - coaching - sponsoring advancement - providing challenging assignments - protecting from adverse forces - fostering positive visibility FORMAL - intentional - targeted - planned - deliberate - systematic INFORMAL - natural - traditional - unintentional - real - unplanned Outcomes - linked to organizational initiatives - supported by skilled project coordinator - contractual plan - focused on individual development - comprehensive orientation - ongoing support by coordinators - baselines established - results are measurable - not specifically tied to organizational goals - little organizational support/coordination - no specific outcomes /expectations - generic training - evolves over time - may have no ending point - little follow-up - results measured are anecdotal To the protégé: - organizational - developmental - educational - economic Helps achieve: - developing a career - gaining competence - building character - making choices

9 The 100 big ones (sampling) Boundaries Confidentiality Compatibility Benefits Measurement of success Concrete results Peer Resources - Navigation Tools for the Heart, Mind and Soul Copyright 2000 by Peer Systems Consulting Group Inc.

10 Mentoring is A nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model... teaches sponsors encourages counsels befriends within the context of an ongoing, caring relationship between the mentor and protégé for the purpose of promoting the mentee s professional and/or personal development. Eugene M. Anderson and Anne Lucasse Shannon, Toward a Conceptualization of Mentoring. In Issues in Mentoring, Trevor Kerry and Ann Shelton Mayes, eds., New York: Routledge, 1995: 29.

11 Stages of the Relationship Stage 1: Developing rapport Stage 2: Building trust Stage 3: Building/establishing the relationship Stage 4: Reaching goals Stage 5: Closing the relationship *Designing an Effective Training for Mentors, EMT, 2001.

12 Myths of mentoring Resources used Peer Resources - Navigation Tools for the Heart, Mind and Soul Copyright 2000 by Peer Systems Consulting Group Inc. Bernice R. Sandler, Senior Scholar, Women's Research and Education Institute. This article originally appeared in the Mar. 10, 1993 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

13 Mentoring myth 1 You need a toga to be a mentor (Gone are the days of protégés sitting at the feet of the wise one; you never know who might be a powerful learning influence)

14 Famous mentoring pairs Madonna/Gwyneth Paltrow Warren Beatty/Diane Keaton Stanley Crouch/Wynton Marsalis Bobby Darin/Wayne Newton Rick Warren (author of The Purpose Driven Life) was mentored by his father, Billy Graham, and Peter Drucker Ruth Graham (spouse of Billy Graham)/ Patricia Cornwell Toni Morrison/Toni Cade Bambara Andy Warhol/Tama Janowitz (author of Slaves of New York) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (painter) Jane Austen (novelist)/martha Stewart Marius/ Lestat in Anne Rice's 2001 book, Blood and Gold (Vampire Chronicles) Professor Dumbledore/ Harry Potter (both characters in J.K. Rowling's national best seller, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

15 Mentoring myth 2 The best way to succeed is to have a mentor (This myth is partly based on flawed research. Typically, the researcher asks people defined as successful if they had mentors. Other factors that also might have played a role in their success are not examined)

16 Career strategies Qualifications Experience Professional Involvement Career Planning Networking Recognizing and Taking Opportunities Training & Development Continuing Education Mentorship

17 Mentoring myth 3 Mentoring only happens on a one-to-one, long-term, face-to-face basis (With modern technology mentoring can take place by , telephone, or fax and may only need a few hours)

18 Distance mentoring Via Regularly scheduled contacts Confidentiality Response time expectations Short, newsy s Contact information below your name Enhance your ?

19 Advantages of e-mentoring Flexible communication environment Asynchronous exchanges Participation by those who would find the time investment prohibitive Conceals social cues Allows for the construction of thoughtfully written messages

20 Distance mentoring Via telephone Use for information, encouragement, and appreciation Regularly scheduled meetings No distractions Punctuality Have the agenda, points, and questions in front of you when you begin the meeting Take notes Send a summary of agreements. Mentees take the lead on this Ok to give/receive spontaneous calls (good news, compliments, etc.) Above tips from Linda Phillips-Jones, The Mentee s Guide

21 Mentoring myth 4 Taking time to mentor decreases productivity (Mentoring improves productivity through better communication, goal clarity, increased commitment and succession planning)

22 Goals Achieved by Mentoring Career management Helping the learner through life crises Improved learning techniques Assistance with improving staff performance

23 Mentoring myth 5 A mentor needs to be 5-10 years older than the person he/she mentors (Innovations happen so rapidly or personal experience is such a great teacher that younger people often have opportunities to mentor older workers; peers are often effective mentors)

24 Mentoring myth 6 Mentoring requires a greater time commitment than most workers can afford (Being mentored or being a mentor does not guarantee career advancement, but it does significantly increase on-the-job learning, accelerating career opportunities)

25 The five-minute mentor STEP 6 Debrief STEP 1 Find a partner STEP 5 Close the session STEP 2 Develop the relationship STEP 4 Engage in learning conversation STEP 3 Set the agenda 2002 Peer Resources

26 Mentoring myth 7 Mentoring is a rare experience and only occurs for a few great people (Informal mentoring is probably the most frequent method of transmitting knowledge and wisdom in society; virtually everyone has experienced it)

27 Formal or Informal? FORMAL MENTORING - a systematic approach taken by an organization to help experienced people develop learning partnerships with less experienced people. INFORMAL MENTORING - an unstructured approach whereby potential experienced employees and less experienced employees interact and initially observe each other. Result: subsequent phases of assistance to the less experienced focusing on career development, visibility in the organization and additional social support from the more experienced.

28 Formal mentoring Involves policy development, scheme design, mentor competence and mentor training. Generally assigned mentors to protégés, thus resulting in formal mentors and formal protégés. Matching can be based on - random assignments from information obtained in personnel files or it can be - more structured in which assignments are made from preference lists submitted by either or both parties. (Gibb, Viator)

29 Formal mentoring Systematic Planned Structured Lasts 6 36 months Assigned mentoring roles Intentional impact Defined goals & objectives Monitored & evaluated & refined Designated ending

30 Structured (formal) mentoring 4 Critical Steps: 1. Planning for mentoring 2. Building relationship/negotiating agreement 3. Developing mentee/maintaining momentum 4. Ending formal relationship

31 Informal (natural) Tends to develop in work settings where potential protégés and mentors have the opportunity to interact/observe each other In a library situation, initial phases may focus on job tasks with the mentor explaining why certain functions are performed and how to get the job done As the mentor and protégé observe each other over time, the concerns may then begin to focus on the protégé s career development, position in the system and additional support for the learner Ralph E. Viator, An Analysis of Formal Mentoring Programs and Perceived Barriers to Obtaining a Mentor at large Public Accounting Firms. Accounting Horizon 13 (1999)

32 Informal (natural) mentoring... Relationships not tracked No designated Not planned ending Loosely monitored Informal Mentoring Less specific focus Unstructured goals Little or no & objectives follow up Non-intentional impact

33 Mentoring myth 8 Effective mentoring can take place just by matching an experienced adult with a novice (Matching without monitoring jeopardizes the value of mentoring for all parties)

34 Enhanced Informal Mentoring... Can choose one another (or not) Recognize the process as mentoring Not formally monitored Acquainted with mentoring concepts & strategies

35 Factors contributing to... a successful mentorship program the partners must get on well together mutual respect between the partners each partner should be committed to the relationship structure of the relationship should be agreed upon and include: length, frequency and place of meetings, and regular review of progress and development each partner s motives and objectives should be understood by the other permission to let people try things they never thought they could do in the organization perpetual optimism

36 Mentoring myth 9 The best mentors are those who set out to be mentors (The majority of mentoring occurs without conscious knowledge of either party, but it does help to cultivate key mentor attitudes and behaviors)

37 Mentoring myth 10 Organizations do not have time for mentorship because they are too busy reorganizing, restructuring, downsizing, rightsizing and surviving (The changing economy and globalization place great strains on time. But a focus on learning... increases stability, change management and financial growth)

38 Benefits for the organization Retention Recruitment Succession planning Merger and acquisition Diversity management Clutterbuck Associates 2003

39 Mentoring myth 11 If you are seeking a mentor, you have to wait to be asked (Unlike an old-fashioned dance, you do not have to wait passively for a person to notice your achievements and choose to help you)

40 Mentoring myth 12 The mentor always knows best (Mentors are human like the rest of us and may make mistakes or deliberately exploit the protégé. A mentor may misperceive the student's potential and set goals that are too high or too low)

41 Unpleasant aspects of mentoring 1) Negative mentoring styles (examples?) 2) Dysfunctional mentoring i.e., I detest the concept of mentors and mentoring. The whole idea of sucking up to someone in power or conversely, having some clingy, clutchy protégé hanging on my every word makes my skin crawl. Terri A. Scandura, Dysfunctional Mentoring Relationships and Outcomes. Journal of Management 24 (1998).

42 Mentoring myth 13 The person being mentored is the only one who benefits from the relationship (For mentoring to be effective, all parties must perceive benefits; this is the principle of mutuality).

43 Benefits to the Mentee Clarity Unthreatening environment Improved networking Practical advice The opportunity to be challenged Transfer of knowledge Having a role model Clutterbuck Associates 2003

44 Benefits to the Mentor Own learning (often mentors report as much and more learning than mentees) Opportunity to practice good developmental behaviors outside direct line responsibilities Development of own self-awareness Greater understanding of other areas of the business and/or of other cultures Clutterbuck Associates 2003

45 Mentoring myth 14 A person can have only one mentor at a time (Having multiple mentors and a variety of social networks expands a person s ability to develop allies and alliances. Relying on several people also means that the mentoring function can be split up.)

46 What mentors do Expect excellence Affirm, affirm, affirm, and then affirm some more Provide sponsorship Be a teacher and a coach Encourage and support Offer counsel in difficult times Protect when necessary Stimulate growth with challenging assignments Give mentee exposure and promote their visibility Nurture creativity Provide correction even when painful Narrate growth and development Self-disclosure when appropriate Accept increasing friendship and mutuality Teach faceting Be an intentional model Display dependability *Johnson, W. Brad and Charles R. Ridley. (2004) The Elements of Mentoring

47 What mentees do Drive your mentoring experience Manage how and what you learn Build on your strengths Surpass your comfort limits Make your partnership the cornerstone Actively solicit feedback from your mentor Work to become as introspective as possible; ask your mentor about your impact on others Work up the courage to give your mentor feedback about he/she can help you best Revisit your growth goals periodically and set new directions as your achieve initial targets Let your mentor know your aims and how you feel you are progressing Perrone, Jim and Larry Ambrose. The Mentee s Navigator: Making Mentoring Happen. Chicago: Perrone-Ambrose Associates, Inc., 2005 (est.).

48 Core mentoring skills (mentor) Instructing/developing capabilities Inspiring Providing corrective feedback Managing risks Opening doors

50 Core mentoring skills (mentee) Learning quickly Showing initiative Following through Managing the relationship

52 Core mentoring skills (mentor/mentee) Listening actively Building trust Encouraging Identifying goals and current reality

54 Twelve Habits of the Toxic Mentor by David Clutterbuck Start from the point of view that you - from your vast experience and broader perspective - know better than the mentee what's in his or her interest Be determined to share your wisdom with them - whether they want it or not; remind them frequently how much they still have to learn Decide what you and the mentee will talk about and when; change dates and themes frequently to prevent complacency sneaking in Do most of the talking; check frequently that they are paying attention Make sure they understand how trivial their concerns are compared to the weighty issues you have to deal with

55 Remind the mentee how fortunate s/he is to have your undivided attention Neither show nor admit any personal weaknesses; expect to be their role model in all aspects of career development and personal values Never ask them what they should expect of you - how would they know anyway? Demonstrate how important and well connected you are by sharing confidential information they don't need (or want) to know Discourage any signs of levity or humor - this is a serious business and should be treated as such Take them to task when they don't follow your advice Never, never admit that this could be a learning experience for you, too

56 Twelve Habits of the Toxic Mentee by David Clutterbuck Bring to the first formal meeting a long shopping list of things you want the mentor to do for you Expect the mentor to be available for you, whenever you want them (heroes never need sleep!) Regard the mentor as your prime source of gossip to pass on Expect the mentor always to have the answer - that's why they are more senior Expect the mentor to decide when to meet and what to talk about Boast about the relationship to your colleagues at every opportunity Never challenge what the mentor says - s/he knows best

57 Blame the mentor whenever advice doesn't work out - s/he should have known better Treat mentoring sessions as mobile - the easiest item in the diary to move at the last minute Enjoy the opportunity to have a good moan or whine, whenever you meet - especially if no-one else will listen to you Make it clear to the mentor that you want to be just like them - adopt their style of speaking, dress and posture Never commit to doing anything as a result of the mentoring session. If, by accident, you do, simply forget to follow the commitment up. (Why spoil the fun of discussion with outcomes?)

58 WHY mentoring? "The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind in others the conviction and will to carry on." - Walter Lippman

Yorkshire Ambulance Service East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Mentoring Workshop. Background Information

Yorkshire Ambulance Service East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust Mentoring Workshop Background Information June 2007 1 Yorkshire Ambulance Service East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust Mentoring