MENTORING PARTNERSHIP

1. Welcome to . . . MENTORING PARTNERSHIP

2. The Mentoring Partnership “A developmental, caring, sharing, and helping relationship where one person invests time, know-how, and effort in enhancing another person’s growth, knowledge, and skills, and responds to critical needs in the life of that person in ways that prepare the individual for greater productivity or achievement in the future.” -- Gordon F. Shea, Mentoring: Helping Employees Reach Their Potential, 1994. “Mentors don’t solve problems. They step forward and provide resources and help, monitor results, and serve as a resource to be drawn upon when needed.” - R.K. Coope & A. Sawaf, Executive EO.

3. Benefits of the Mentor Partnership Both the mentor and mentee gain by partnering: Opportunity to learn and test ideas in a supportive relationship Giving and receiving of insights about the organization’s structure and culture The internal reward of personal relationships and idea-sharing Refined interpersonal skills Enhanced self esteem Revitalized interest in work Fulfillment of one’s own developmental needs

4. Goals of Mentoring To encourage mentee involvement, responsibility, and commitment To help individuals reach their full potential To transfer specific expertise, ideas and perspectives To develop balanced judgment and broad perspectives To share successes

5. What Mentors Do Sets high expectations of performance Supports & encourages learning and development Triggers self awareness and build self confidence Develops technical competence Develops personal character Enhances organizational awareness Expands understanding of others and their viewpoints Provides knowledge and insights for getting things done in the organization Models appropriate attitudes, behavior and responses to the work environment Inspires the mentee to meet or exceed goals Shares contacts and resources that help the mentee develop Promotes autonomy, so mentee is independent of the mentor

6. Benefits of Mentoring Giving back Close relationship with mentee Encourages creativity and critical analysis Enhanced self esteem Fulfillment of your own developmental needs Renewed interest in work Increased self awareness Reciprocal learning Carries on your legacy

7. What Can You Expect From A Mentee? Interest in taking charge of one’s own development Initiation of reasonably frequent contact Regard & appreciation for the mentor’s help & time Recognition that trust, openness and respect are the foundations of mutual commitment and goals Setting realistic expectations of self and mentor Searching for ways to achieve one’s goals Willingness to learn and practice new behaviors Receptivity to coaching and feedback for growth Communication of problems as they occur

8. Stages of Mentoring Establishing mutual rapport and respect Getting to know each other Recounting from initial conversations to find opening for relating Exchanging personal information Sharing ideas and strategies Worrying about infringement upon self or time Developing plans for growth Being an effective resource to the Mentee’s learning Reciprocating for mutual benefit with give and take Determining goal attainment and critiquing the mentor partnership - Adapted from Odysey: The Newsletter for Mentorship, March, 1998

9. Establishing a Partnership Agreement Discuss and define verbally or in writing: The mutual goals of the partnership The Mentee's development goals What support is expected from the mentor Each person’s needs (ground rules) for making the mentoring process work smoothly The frequency, length and location of meetings.

10. Basic Ground Rules for Mentoring Each person will protect the other’s integrity by maintaining confidentiality when appropriate. Both will adhere to the agreed-upon frequency of meetings. There are no guarantees - mentor advice is only a suggestion and may not work. Mentoring is voluntary - either can end it for any reason without explanation or retribution.

11. Boundaries & Limitations in Mentoring Mentoring is NOT: Mandated Easy if you’re the boss One-sided Rescue Safe from risk or failure Forever

12. Encouraging Mentee Growth Research shows 7 types of mentor assistance are particularly helpful in encouraging Mentee growth: Helping a person shift his or her mental context Listening when the Mentee has a problem Identifying Mentee feelings and verifying them (feedback) Effectively confronting negative intentions or behaviors Providing appropriate information when needed Delegating authority or giving permission Encouraging exploration of options Source: Gordon Shea, Mentoring: A Practical Guide, 1992.

13. Behaviors to Practice In Mentoring LISTENING - Active listening and acting as a non-evaluative sounding board helps the Mentee own and solve the problem. GIVING FEEDBACK - Giving feedback on both facts and feelings about a situation lets Mentee know you heard them, but also understood them. PROVIDING INFORMATION AND IDEAS - Knowing when to offer information, personal insights, options and other ideas contributes to the helpfulness of the information to the Mentee. CONTEXT SHIFTING - Helping the Mentee to see himself/herself in a broader, more self-actualizing and rewarding light develops self-image and contributes to maximizing potential. NON-JUDGMENTAL CONFRONTATION - By giving a clear, non-judgmental description of the Mentee’s behavior enables the Mentee to consider the issues without damaging his/her self-image. PERMISSION AND ENCOURAGEMENT - Encouragement and support can be critical to success, especially during change. EXPLORING OPTIONS - Helping the Mentee articulate a variety of options leads to a broader perspective & more creative decisions. - Adapted from Gordon Shea, Mentoring: Helping Employees Reach Their Full Potential

14. Managing Expectations Advice, not answers Create independence, not dependence Responsible to them, not for them Agreement, not contract Encouragement, not authority

15. Contingency Planning: Possible Pitfalls for Mentors Personality clashes Changing needs or expectations Lack of requisite skills Lack of time to work with Mentee Not letting Mentee take the risks needed to learn

16. Ending the Mentoring Relationship Reasons to end: Mentee’s goals have been achieved Diminishing interest or effort by one or both Productivity and accomplishments at new level Interpersonal relationship has soured Circumstances have changed When it’s time to move on, celebrate! Affirm with fanfare and stories to achieve closure. Consider a card, letter, or symbolic gift to mark the point of moving on

17. Resources for Further Study Bell, Chip R. Managers as Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1996. Huang, Chungliang Al and Jerry Lynch. Mentoring: The TAO of Giving and Receiving Wisdom. San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1995. Johnson, Harold E. Mentoring for Exceptional Performance. Glendale, CA: Griffin Publishing, 1997. Murray, Margo and Marna Owen. Beyond the Myths and Magic of Mentroing: How to Facilitate An Effective Mentoring Program. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1991. Shea, Gordon F. Mentoring: Helping Employees Reach Their Full Potential. New York, NY: American Management Association, 1994. Tice, Lou and Joyce Quick. Personal Coaching for Results. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997. Wickman, Floyd and Terri Sjodin. Mentoring: A Success Guide for Mentors and Mentees. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.