Character Mentoring

1. Character Mentoring Suppose we took character formation seriously? Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

2. Mentoring • Developmental relationship between a senior and junior organizational member • Coaching • Career counseling • Protection and sponsorship • Friendship • Role modeling • Can character be developed in mentoring? Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

3. Character • Personal disposition to be moral • Motivational component • Knowledge component • Thinking component • Emotional component • Resistant to temptations/situational influences Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

4. Character Formation • Malleability of adult character? • Which character elements? • Cardinal virtues • Courage, justice, temperance, wisdom, humanity, transcendence • Professional virtues • Conscientiousness, trustworthiness, compassion Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

5. Character is a function of… • Experience • We learn to be good by finding meaning in the practices of being good • Reflection • We learn to be good by incorporating goodness into: • Our self-concept • Our worldview • Inspiration • We learn to be good when events or people startle us: • Mystical transformations, life-style changes, therapeutic/ educational changes, post-traumatic adjustment all stimulate character development • Some role models inspire character change Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

6. Experience We learn to be good by finding meaning in the practices of being good. Mentors can: • Tutor protégés about how to be virtuous (how to integrate motivation, knowledge, thinking, emotion) • Help them interpret past experiences • Expose them to new experiences • That provide more reach to their character • That enable them to test their character • Tell them stories • Especially about circumstances relevant to their struggle Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

7. “Malcolm X” (1992) • Scene opens in a prison exercise yard in 1947 where a baseball game is going on. • Malcolm Little (Denzel Washington) is being mentored by a fellow inmate, “Baines” (Albert Hall) who, by interpret-ing his past experience, is challenging him to change his character. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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9. Reflection We learn to be good by incorporating good-ness into our self-concepts/worldviews. Mentors can: • Help protégés identify, build, and use their character strengths (http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/) • Give them homework – have them practice a strength or find meaning in an experience • Ask them BIG questions (e.g., meaning of goodness; life and death; vocation, etc.) Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

10. “Tuesdays with Morrie” (1999) • Scene opens in Morrie’s Boston home. Mitch is meeting with his old college professor who is dying of ALS. • Mitch Albom (Hank Azaria) is being mentored by Morrie Schwartz (Jack Lemmon), who is inviting Mitch to reflect on “carpe diem.” This helps Mitch find the courage to commit to his girlfriend Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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12. Inspiration We learn to be good when events or people startle us. Mentors can: • Expose them to inspirational role models • Especially those who are similar • Especially those whose acts are attainable • If/when protégés have peak experiences, • Listen, reflect, and be patient • Help them integrate them into their life story Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

13. “Name of the Rose” (1986) • Scene opens in the sleeping quarters of Br. William and Novice Adso in an Abbey in 1327. • Adso (Christian Slater) has just had his first sexual experience and is asking his mentor (Sean Connery) about the meaning of love. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

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15. An example Sam graduated from an elite MBA program with top grades. He dazzled those who interviewed him with his intellectual brilliance and business acumen. He is very self-confident to the point of arrogance, and he is rather dismissive of some of his more experienced colleagues. After mentoring him for three months, you conclude that he needs more compassion. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

16. Experience • Tutoring—Sam can be tutored to… • spot occasions for being kind • express kindness with proper emotion • Interpretation of past experience—Mentor can… • ask Sam to imagine how others describe him • Exposure and feedback—Mentor can… • assign Sam to minister to people in need • give Sam feedback about his attempts to be kind • Story telling—Mentor can tell Sam… • stories of kind and successful leaders Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

17. Reflection • Identify/build/use strengths—Mentor can ask Sam to • try to express his kindness in three ways next week and report back results • Homework—Mentor can ask Sam to • practice identifying people in need of kindness in the workplace • Big questions—Mentor can discuss with Sam • the role of kindness in the good life • Sam’s vocation of kindness Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

18. Inspiration • Inspirational role models • Ask Sam to read a biography or watch a film about someone like Jesus or Mother Theresa, or study the life of someone more accessible who is compassionate. • Peak experiences • If Sam evinces an epiphany about compassion, help him process it and incorporate it into his life narrative Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

19. Conclusions • Mentors can help adults change their character • Takes time and patience • Requires protégé motivation • Does not alter protégé’s temperament or fundamental values (like a 12-step program) • As developmental partners, mentors are in a position to facilitate character change Markkula Center for Applied Ethics