Slides from Training Quality Mentors workshop held April 23, 2012.

1. Training Quality Mentors

2. Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota
• The Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM) connects
adults & youth with the power of mentoring
• Our primary focus is to expand the capacity and increase the
quality of mentoring across MN
• Throughout Minnesota, we work with more than 400 youth
mentoring programs

3. Overview
• Agenda
• Handouts
• Workshop Goals (p. 2)
• Housekeeping
• Questions?

4. Introductions
1. Name/Organization
2. How does your program prepare mentors to
build a relationship with a young person?
3. What is the biggest challenge your program
faces in preparing mentors for their match?
4. Favorite type of cookie?

5. Research
• MENTOR, Elements of Effective
Practice Edition #3
What is your favorite cookie?

6. Standard 3: Training
• Mentor training is vital. Implications on mentors’ perceptions,
which then are thought to influence positive outcomes.
• Poorer results from mentors receiving less than two hours
training.
• Important to train on unique challenges of youth, and training
should stress the negative outcomes associated with early
termination.
• Training should focus on developing and sustaining
relationship-enhancing behaviors (authenticity, empathy,
collaboration, and companionship, etc). Recommendation to
train on how to foster a developmental rather than
prescriptive relationship.
EEP3 6

7. Standard 3: Training
Standard: Train prospective mentors in the basic
knowledge and skills needed to build an
effective mentoring relationship.
Benchmarks:
– Mentor Training
• Program provides a minimum of two hours of pre-
match, in-person training.
EEP3 7

8. Standard 3: Training
Mentor training includes the following topics, at a
minimum:
a. Program rules
b. Mentors’ goals and expectations for the mentor/mentee
relationship
c. Mentors’ obligations and appropriate roles
d. Relationship development and maintenance
e. Ethical issues that may arise related to the mentoring
relationship
f. Effective closure of the mentoring relationship
g. Sources of assistance available to support mentors.
EEP3 8

9. Standard 3: Training
• Enhancements (Mentor Training):
– Program uses evidence-based training materials.
– Program provides additional pre-match training
opportunities beyond the two-hour, in-person minimum.
– Program addresses the following developmental topics in
the training: a. Youth development process; b. Cultural,
gender and economic issues; and c. Opportunities and
challenges associated with mentoring specific populations
of children
– Program uses training to continue to screen mentors
EEP3 9

10. Quality Mentors
• Support organizational & program values
• Keep young people safe
• Understand youth development
• Model healthy life skills
• Are youth-centered

11. Quality Mentor Training:
• Enforces organizational & program values
• Minimizes risk
• Raises awareness; teaches skills & knowledge
necessary for successful mentoring
relationship

12. This I Believe
• Tell a story
• Be brief
• Name your belief
• Be positive
• Be personal

13. Values
• Basic Mentor Training • Maximize Your Impact:
How to Build Positive
Mentoring Relationships
with Youth

14. BREAK

15. Quality Mentor Training:
• Enforces organizational & program values
• Minimizes risk
• Raises awareness; teaches skills & knowledge
necessary for successful mentoring
relationship

16. Minimize Risk
Mentor training is often the last chance for
you to say no to a volunteer.
It is also often the last chance for your
volunteer to say no to being matched.

17. Quality Mentor Training:
– Enforces organizational & program values
– Minimizes risk
– Raises awareness; teaches skills & knowledge
necessary for successful mentoring
relationships

18. Awareness, Skills & Knowledge
A quality mentor training experience will:
• Challenge and shape attitudes – raise
awareness
• Demonstrate & practice skills
• Pass along knowledge

19. MENTOR – EEP Third Edition
1. Program rules
2. Mentors’ goals and expectations for the
mentor/mentee relationship
3. Mentors’ obligations and appropriate roles
4. Relationship development and maintenance
5. Ethical issues that may arise related to the mentoring
relationship
6. Effective closure of the mentoring relationship
7. Sources of assistance available to support mentors

20. National Mentoring Center’s Core
Competencies for Mentors
1. Understanding of program’s goals
2. Honoring commitments
3. The mentor’s role
4. Knowledge of program policies
5. The match life cycle
6. Mandatory reporting
7. Understanding program staff roles

21. Other topics from Nat’l Research
1. Strategies for dealing with conflict and
disappointment
2. Effective/appropriate ways of giving
constructive feedback
3. Relationship development skills to promote
bonding
4. Appropriate termination
5. Cultural competence

22. When designing mentor training, consider the following:
What do volunteers Is this need-to-know
already know? or nice-to-know
information?
Learner-centered?

23. Training Design
• Principles of Adult Learners
• Structure
• Strategies
• Room Set-Up
• Delivery Tips

24. LUNCH

25. Principles of Adult Learners
• As we read through these principles, please
feel free to share any stories/examples from
your experience as a trainee, or as a trainer
that will help to illustrate these ideas. Good
or bad examples are ok – and feel free to use
examples (good or bad) from this training as
well!

26. Principle #1
• Adults determine for themselves what is
important to learn and therefore are looking
for relevant, useful information.

27. Principle #2
• Adults bring a broad base of experience and a
need to validate information based on their
past beliefs and experiences.

28. Principle #3
• Adults have many preoccupations outside of a
particular learning situation and will be easily
distracted if the information is not practical
and well presented.

29. Principle #4
• Adults respond to positive, appropriate
reinforcement. They are hesitant to show
vulnerability and are particularly offended by
“put downs.” Trainers should avoid phrases
like, “I think we already covered that, John.”

30. Principle #5
• Adults generally have a preferred style of
learning:
– Auditory (they like the lecture)
– Visual (they like the transparencies and handouts)
– Kinesthetic (they like the exercises and self-
learning activities)

31. Principle #6
• A good trainer includes all styles so as to reach
a diverse audience.

32. Principle #7
• Adults have significant ability to serve as
knowledgeable resources to the facilitator and
to other participants.

33. Principle #8
• Adults tend to be problem-centered and will
feel satisfied only if their problem is dealt with
and resolved. Try to uncover these issues
prior to or at the beginning of a training.

34. Principle #9
• Adults have set habits and tastes. For
example, some need caffeine, some want
health food, some are offended by profanity,
and some distressed when handouts are not
printed on both sides. Effective workshop
leaders accommodate as much as possible
these habits and tastes. If not, the evaluations
form will not relay whether they learned
anything but rather what offended or irritated
them.

35. Principle #10
• Adults function best in a collaborative
environment and like to share in the planning
and presentation of the workshop.

36. Room Set Up
• size • food & beverages
• seating • AV & equipment
arrangement/comfort • Restrooms
• lighting • traffic flow
• acoustics • name tags or
• temperature identification

37. Structure of Training
• Just like mentoring relationships, mentors
training has a beginning, middle and end.
• In fact, as you present each of your key
concepts, those sub-sections of training
should also have a clear beginning, middle
and end.

38. TOAST Model
Tantilize
Overview
Amplify
Summary
Transfer/take away

39. Strategies for Delivering Training
• Lecture • Panel discussions
• Role play • Brainstorming
• Slides/visuals • Stories
• Worksheets/ • Breaks
exercises
• Group activities

41. Practice
• Pick a key concept
• Select a strategy
• Be creative!

42. Training Delivery Tips
• Participant interaction
• Flexibility
• Transitions & pacing
• Natural humor
• “Been there” feeling
• Effective use of equipment & visuals
• Organized training space
• Practice

43. Thank you!