Build an effective mentoring program
| Pages | 5-5 |
| Published date | 01 January 2005 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390580000583 |
| Date | 01 January 2005 |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
5
Volume 4 Issue 2 January/February 2005
HOW TO…
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Practical advice for HR professionals
DEPARTMENTS AT A GLANCE
STRATEGIC COMMENTARY
,
e-HR
,
HOW TO…
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PRACTITIONER PROFILE
METRICS
HR AT WORK
REWARDS
,
RESEARCH AND RESULTS
,
,
,
,
Build an effective
mentoring program
1
CREATE A
MENTORING
CHARTER
5
PROVIDE ONGOING
EDUCATION FOR
MENTORS
4
ENCOURAGE THE
MENTEE TO DRIVE
THE PROCESS
3
ENSURE MENTEES
GET THE BEST FROM
THEIR MENTOR
2
If you decide to go ahead
with mentoring, a good first
step is to create a mentoring
charter.This should begin
with the business case for
mentoring. It should then
outline: a) What the mentor’s
role is, and;b) What the
mentor's role is not.
For example:The mentor’s
role is to provide a
confidential space where
people can find creative
solutions to challenges. It’s
not to be a political advocate
inside the organization.
Good mentoring programs
often have three components
in place. First,the mentee
chooses the mentor.Second,
the mentee drives the
process.And third, the
mentee knows how to get
the best from their mentor.
You may,for example,
encourage the mentees to
attend a workshop where
they cover these aspects and
also practice the mentoring
model.
One proviso: Underline that
it’s OK for either the mentee
or mentor to end the
relationship whenever they
wish.
Looking at the list of
potential mentors, the
mentee may consider
choosing somebody who
embodies the values they
believe in, but who expresses
them successfully at a higher
level. The mentee then sets
up an initial informal
meeting. If both people get
along, they make a clear
contract about:
a) The goals of the mentoring
relationship.
b) The kind of challenges the
mentee would like to
explore.
c) The specific things the
mentor can and can’t offer.
d) The frequency and length
of meetings.
You may provide the mentors
with support in the shape of
meetings with external
mentors. Other opportunities
can include workshops in
advanced mentoring,
mentoring clinics and
exploring the many different
kinds of mentoring such as
change curve or teamwork
mentoring.
Throughout, clear contracting
is crucial. For example,the
mentor should make it clear
when they’re giving direct
advice. Inexperienced mentors
can sometimes cause
confusion, for instance,by
slipping into a different role
without first making this clear
to the mentee.The mentor’s
overall aim should remain to
help the person take more
control of their life and work.
G
ood mentors do more than pass
on their wisdom. They help
people see the roads they can
follow to reach their goals. They do this
in a way that enables people to take
more control of their personal and
professional lives.
As opposed to coaches, mentors focus
on strategy not skills; they help people
achieve a “helicopter view” while the
coach is more hands-on. While a mentor
may help a person decide on the path
they want to travel, the coach can help
them master the skills required to reach
their destination.
But within an organization, how can
you set up a mentoring process that
works successfully? Here are some steps
you may wish to consider. These are,
however, just an overview. It’s important
to craft a mentoring approach that
enables people to develop the specific
qualities needed to contribute to
building a successful future for your
organization.
Source: Mike Pegg,mike@thestrengthscompany.com
EDUCATE AND BUILD
A MENTORING
FACULTY
One way to create a
mentoring faculty is to invite
people to attend a mentoring
workshop.This gives them
the chance to practice the
“classic mentoring”model
that focuses on the five Cs:
challenges; choices;
consequences; creative
solutions; and conclusions.
Bearing in mind the time
commitment that will be
involved, people can then be
asked to reflect on whether
or not they want to join the
mentoring faculty.If so, they
can provide a biography,
describing what they believe
they can and can’t offer to
potential mentees.
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005. For more information, go to www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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