4. The Challenge
4
Please write a One Sentence Definition
of
M E N T O R I N G.
5. 5
Identify a favorite or most
influential Mentor in your
life:
6. One possible definition of mentoring
“Mentoring is a relationship in which a person with greater experience
and wisdom guides another person to develop both personally and
professionally.”
Why bother?…. Mentoring has consistently proven to be a top factor
affecting an employee’s…
• Success
• Career satisfaction,
• Retention
6
8. How mentoring benefits the protégé
Experienced guidance and support
Insight into the pros and cons of various career options and paths
Increased self-awareness and self-discipline
An expanded personal network
Support in the transition to a new role or location
A sounding board for testing ideas and plans
Constructive feedback on personal and professional development areas
8
9. How mentoring benefits the mentor
Share their expertise with another
Prove themselves as valuable leaders
Expand their professional network
Obtain a fresh perspective on the development process
Enhance experience in their areas of expertise
Extend their role as subject matter experts
Invest in the careers of others
9
10. How mentoring benefits the company
Helps attract and keep the most talented people.
Contributes to the pool of talented individuals for senior positions
Berico.
Reduces recruiting and training costs.
Reduces expensive turnover.
Increase education & standardization
Improve employee satisfaction and retention
Facilitate knowledge transfer (best practices/lessons learned across
a business unit/Berico institutional knowledge/Culture)
10
13. Different types of mentoring
Natural mentoring
Situational mentoring
Supervisory mentoring
Formal facilitated mentoring
13
14. Natural mentoring
Natural mentoring occur all the time and always has
It happens when one person (usually senior) reaches out to another,
and a career-helping relationship develops
Research shows this type of mentoring most often occurs between
people who have a lot in common
We are usually more comfortable with those who are most like
ourselves
14
15. Situational mentoring
Situational mentoring is usually short-lived and happens for a
specific purpose
An example would be when one worker helps another with a new
office computer system, or when someone goes on an “informational
interview” with someone who is in a career they are considering
15
16. Supervisory mentoring
Very important
All good supervisors mentor their subordinates
Drawbacks
May not be a “subject matter expert”
Heavily tasked
Comfort levels
16
17. Formal facilitated mentoring
Designed to build an entire culture of internal mentoring, support
and development
Formal facilitated mentoring programs are structured programs in
which an organization facilitates a mentors – protégé relationship
They may target one special segment of the organization where
career development may be lagging behind that of others (for
example, women) to help that group advance further
They may assign mentors to protégés and monitor the progress of
the mentoring connection
17
19. Mentors
19
SHOULD SHOULD NOT
Have reasonable expectations of
the protégé
Be a resource and provide honest
and respectful feedback
Allocate time and energy
Help the mentee develop an
appropriate development plan
Follow through on commitments or
renegotiate appropriately
Dominate the relationship
Seek out a protégé
Do the work for the protégé
Manage the protégé as a
supervisor would
Be a Know-It-All
20. Proteges
20
SHOULD SHOULD NOT
Initiate and drive the relationship
Identify initial learning goals
Seek feedback
Take an active role in their own
learning
Initiate monitoring and closure
sessions
Allocate time and energy
Follow through on commitments
or renegotiate appropriately
Be an expert
Know all the questions they
should ask
Fit all learning into one
mentoring relationship
Look to the mentor for all
answers about their work
Be submissive in their
relationship
Develop a friendship with the
mentor
21. What does it take to be a mentor
Possess a sincere desire
Commitment and time
Ability to provide open and honest feedback
Help build an Individual Career Development Plan
21
22. Who is a mentor
Advisor
Helps Protégé clarify career interests, competencies, & values.
Coach
Helps protégé meet job performance norms
Explainer
Provides information on policies & procedures
Protector
Helps Protégé avoid costly career mistakes
Sponsor
Helps Protégé secure positions assignments
Validator
Provides psychological support during transition
22
24. Fundamentals of a Successful Mentor-Protégé
Relationship
Collaboration - Both mentor and protégé must work together to ensure the protégé’s
development
Respect - Mutual appreciation of your knowledge and of the mentee’s investment of time and
energy
Responsiveness - Both need to be sensitive and responsive to the goals, needs and
perspectives of the other
Confidentiality - This supports the ability to be vulnerable, yet safe, in difficult conversations
Joint Accountability - Strengthens trust and helps keep the learning relationship focused and
productive.
Free and Honest Expression - Both can present and receive feedback on competencies and
strengthening areas of weakness.
Focus - The mentoring relationship needs to be clear in its purpose and goals. The mentoring
agreement goals are the focus of learning and development
24
25. Lifecycle of a mentoring relationship
25
Initiation
Cultivation
Redefinition
Separation
w
v
x
u
27. Mentor/Protégé agreement
Commit to at least six months (ideal is a one-year partnership)
Discuss “no-fault” termination
Meet at least monthly
Prepare for each meeting – have an agenda
Start with a “goal setting” meeting
This could also be a discussion of learning objectives
27
28. Things to discuss with the protégé during goal setting
How do you feel about the goals you’ve set?
Are these your goals because you want them to be or because
someone else wants them to be?
How might you accomplish your goals?
What is the most important/least important and why?
How can I (as the mentor) help them achieve their goals?
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30. How to have an effective mentoring session
Establish rapport and trust.
Make expectations explicit.
Set modest goals.
Plan strategies for achieving goals
Write down what has been mutually agreed.
Keep relationship strictly professional.
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31. Format of the meeting
Structured meeting time.
Specific process.
Discussion-based.
One-on-one meetings.
Combination of electronic, voice and personal time.
31
32. SMART goals
One way to create and track goals is by using the SMART system
Goals should be
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timebound
32
33. Characteristics of effective feedback
Clear purpose
Specific and descriptive
Relevant
Actionable
Timely
Balanced (equal parts of listening and talking)
33
34. Steps for giving effective feedback
Set the proper climate
Provide ample time without interruption
Consider carefully what you want to communicate
What message do you want to give?
Set the context for the feedback
Why is this important to the mentee?
Give the feedback to the mentee
Check the tone of your feedback
Give the mentee opportunity to respond and listen
Be open to new information
Work together to determine the next steps
What should the mentee do with the feedback?
34
35. Managing Mentor-Protégé Conflict
Develop a supportive rather than defensive environment
Explicitly express why you feel there is conflict
Listen openly and accurately to feedback
Understand the meaning behind the messages you are giving and
receiving
Seek to identify a common goal through compromise
Discuss the issues (use facts rather than opinions)
Stay solution-focused
35
36. Conflict resolution best practices
Withhold Judgments
Keep an open mind during and do not project an attitude of
condescension
Be specific and avoid speaking in generalities
Be careful not to speak down to or insult the intelligence of your
mentee
Be patient with learning; move at the mentee’s pace in the
conversation
36
37. How to make a mentor/protégé relationship successful
Mentoring is a relationship
Equal participation in the mentoring relationship is a must
There needs to be an understanding from both parties about
what is to be learned, how the transfer of learning will take
place, and how the learning will be monitored and evaluated
Through the sharing of resources and time, both mentor and
protégé should benefit
The mentor and protégé should meet at regular intervals
37
38. Tips for mentors & proteges: BECOMING MORE
STRATEGIC
Have you ever been told that you should become less tactical and more
strategic?
strategic refers to the "what and why"
tactical refers to the "how."
Strategic thinking, planning, and actions reflect the big picture
Interview your mentor about the topic of strategy vs tactics.
Ask your mentor to help you develop in this area.
Propose some objectives and learning activities.
Ask your mentor to be frank about your efforts to be strategic.
Where does your mentor see strengths and weaknesses in you?
Do a self analysis of how you approached your last two big projects or
decisions.
Where did you get bogged down in tactics?
Were you as strategic as you could have been?
How could you have improved?
What might you do next time in a similar project?
38
39. Mentorship program administration/process
Mentor and Protégé Application
Matching
Training
First Meeting
Use Success Factors!
If you decide the match doesn’t work, contact the program coordinator
Subsequent Meetings (at least once a month for one year)
Complete Mentorship Program evaluation at 6 month marks
Update application
Re-match
Cycle!
39
40. Summary
What mentoring is: A partnership with one guiding another
Benefits of Mentoring: Mentors and Proteges can benefit
Types of Mentoring: We are using formal facilitated mentoring
The Key players: Who Mentors are and who Proteges are
The Relationship: Remember the fundamentals – and the four
parts
Mentor Meetings: Topics and goals are important to all meetings
40
Mentoring is all about people, the people who do the mentoring, the people who are being mentored and the people who are impacted by the mentoring relationship. Again, a mentor is a person who helps another learn and grow.
As participants in these relationships help each other, the individual and the organization are strengthened, as the individual’s potential to excel increases. Mentors provide guidance and direction on setting and achieving goals. Sharing knowledge and experiences about multiple situations including those dealing with leadership and organizations help develop employee’s competence and confidence.
Mentoring could also include interviewing and resume writing techniques. The result is a strong sense of commitment to the organization and to personal growth and development.
Every one of us is ultimately responsible for our own career. However, it can help tremendously to have someone to talk with who can provide a listening ear and share what they’ve learned about the organization and the things that helped them succeed.
Mentors can provide valuable direction and clarification at times when the protégé “can’t see the forest for the trees.”
Mentors can help the protégé figure out what they need to do to fill in the gaps between where they are now and where they want to be in the future.
Mentors can sometimes serve as “door openers,” informing the protégé of opportunities they may not have been aware of (for example, referral to a program or training, introducing them to people in their field of interest, or recommending them to assist in a project that expands their skills).
The most valuable and important assets mentors contribute are a listening ear and a different perspective.
Mentors often insist that they gain more from the mentoring partnership than their Protégé does.
Mentors often become recognized as positive role models and are sometimes sought out by others.
Many mentors find that being in a mentoring partnership helps them expand their own horizons and keep them in touch with what’s going on at other levels of the organization.
Supervisory mentoring is very important.
All good supervisors mentor their subordinates to a degree.
There are some drawbacks to supervisory mentoring, however.
The supervisor may not be a “subject matter expert” in the subordinate’s desired career path. While the supervisor can guide the subordinate in their present position, they may not be able to help them with future goals.
Today’s supervisors are often heavily tasked, and there is the possibility that they may not be able to devote equal time to each subordinate, which could create feelings of exclusion and favoritism.
Another important consideration is that many people would not feel comfortable being mentored by a person who prepares their performance evaluation or appraisal. The protégé may not wish to discuss such things as areas of weakness and plans to leave the organization or change career paths.
Characteristics of Effective Feedback
Effective feedback doesn’t just happen. It is carefully given so the
message is clear and the purpose is understood. Six characteristics
generally represent effective feedback.
Questions to consider asking your mentee to help generate discussion:
• Who in your life do you most admire?
• When are you most naturally yourself?
• How are you perceived by your coworkers? Boss? Peers?
• How do you envision this relationship working?
The mentor does not need to know all the answers but should be experienced enough to point the probationer in the right direction for help.
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Helps the Protégé feel closely identified with their professional environment.
Help the Protégé through difficult situations.
Build up the self confidence of the protégé.
Establish clear, open, two way communication with the Protégé.
Be a source of information and encouragement.
Provide career guidance.
Help develop creative and independent thinking.
MENTORS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK & LISTEN
Giving feedback is key to being a mentor
Must be willing to learn.
Must be able to accept constructive feedback.
Must be willing to “stretch” to try new things and take risks.
Must be able to identify short term and long range career goals and accept that those goals may change. Assume full responsibility for their own development.
Assume full responsibility for their own development.
Ask for the appropriate help.
Speak opening and concretely.
Keep the big picture in view.
Respect the Mentor’s suggestions.
Express appreciation for assistance.
PROTÉGÉS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK & LISTEN
Key attributes of a mentor include…
A leader
Someone who supports another individual, and is concerned with their growth
Concerned for their employee’s development as a whole, and not just in the job they do
One who has an independent relationship with their employee, not one based on authority or power
They will listen, question, and only then advise
Proponent of career management initiatives and programs
Knowledge of career development programs and initiatives
Knowledge of the functional community’s Career Path
Commitment to carrying out mentoring activities for the duration of the individual’s assignment
1. Mentor gains satisfaction from the fact that a younger employee is actively seeing her/his advice, while Protégé gains a sense of importance from her/his mentor’s attention.
The focus is on building rapport & establishing realistic expectations
2. Often the period of greatest satisfaction and mutual satisfaction.
Mentor & Protégé have settled into a comfortable working relationship.
The focus is on making progress toward the obtainment of practical goals.
3. Point at which formal mentoring ends. Protégé has outgrown the need for the mentor’s guidance.
The relationship no longer fills the needs of either party.
The focus is on ending the relation-ship in an amicable manner.
4. Relationship grows beyond the Mentor/ Protégé stage. The two individuals relate to one another as friends and peers.
The focus is on redefining and adjusting to the newly defined relationship.
Plan to commit to a one-year partnership.
It takes a while to develop the trust and rapport necessary to begin working on identifying goals and an action plan to achieve them.
Plan to discuss a “no-fault” termination clause, in which either party can back out if it’s not working for them.
Plan to have a six-month checkup point to evaluate how it’s working out for each of you.
Frequency:
weekly in an office setting.
monthly over lunch.
maintain regular email combined with a coffee meeting once a month.
speak often over the phone.
Relationship should be
Only professionally focused.
Includes social aspect.
Problem - Solution Emphasis.
Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:
*Who: Who is involved?
*What: What do I want to accomplish?
*Where: Identify a location.
*When: Establish a time frame.
*Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
*Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”
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Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as…… How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
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Attainable – When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.
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Realistic- To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.
A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.
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Timebound – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, “by May 1st”, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
Questions to consider asking your mentee to help generate discussion:
• Are you feeling the same way I am about this conflict?
• Do you even think this is an area of conflict?
• What are your ideas for resolving this conflict?
• How should we handle future conflict?
The mentoring relationship is based on mutuality—you and your
mentee collaborate in the mentee’s development. Mentoring does not
require a high degree of personal connectedness in order to pass on the
desired skill, knowledge, attitudes or behavior. However, there does
need to be collaborative negotiation and joint accountability about
what is to be learned, how the transfer of learning will take place, and
how the learning will be monitored and evaluated. In addition, if you
and your mentee are able to express respect to respond freely and
honestly about strengths, weaknesses, goals and concerns, the learning
will be greatly enhanced.
Use the first meeting document and the subsequent meeting document to help guide you as to what should be involved in a meeting (these are optional and do not have to be turned in).