Mentoring The rising mentee and the modern mentor Everything you wanted to know about mentoring

So, what is mentoring? “Mentoring is a relationship which gives people the opportunity to share their professional skills and experiences and to grow and develop in the process. Typically, mentoring takes place between a more experiences and a less experienced employee.” (Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (1997) Mentoring)

Types of Mentoring Facilitated mentoring: When mentoring is formally established to meet specific organisational objectives (i.e. induction training) Key person replacement: When mentoring is used to prepare someone to take over from another person (i.e. succession planning) Informal, short term: Spontaneous and off-the-cuff mentoring (i.e. giving advice) Informal, long term: When mentoring is a continuous relationship Reverse mentoring: Partnerships between an older experience executive and younger, less experienced newcomer. As the name suggests, the younger employee serves as the mentor.

What can I use a mentor for? Job orientation: Someone who helps you settle in to your new job/company Career transition: Someone with whom you review your career goals and plans Skills: Someone who will help you develop specific skills Professional or personal development: Someone who will help you grow Confidant: Someone who is there for you Technical advisor: Someone with whom you can discuss technical questions Correspondent: Someone to whom you explain your ideas

Before you choose a mentor… BE CLEAR ON: What you hope to gain from a mentoring relationship The type of mentor best for helping you meet your objectives Your short-term career goals (where do you see your self in the next year or two and what knowledge, skills and abilities do you need to get there?) What key experiences could a mentor provide that would benefit you most?

How do I choose one right for me? The best mentors: Are excited about learning and who are continuing their own development Have a desire to be active participants in others’ learning and growth Set high standards for their work and can set an example for you Are known for their skill set to which you are wanting to attain

Work Mentoring: Engage your Manager Gain Manager’s buy in by: Involving them in the selection of your mentor Gaining input into your development needs Explaining the outcomes you are hoping to achieve Providing them with regular updates on your progress

Approaching your mentor The onus for initiating a mentoring relations is on YOU You need to have the self-confidence to approach a potential mentor and effectively present the merits of a mentoring relationship so that both parties gain something from this Share your short-term goals, your accomplishments and your major developmental needs and objectives Be completely honest in your explanation of why you want a mentor and why you are asking this particular person to be the mentor

How to be mentored High self-awareness Ability to listen You need: High self-awareness Ability to listen Taking ownership Accountability for actions Willingness to learn

How to be a good mentee Be prepared for your sessions (on time, organised, able to update on progress) Establish a mutually agreeable plan for mentoring sessions including how much time and when you will meet If you need to postpone a session, agree on how much notice you need to give each other Let your mentor know who you are – share you hopes, dreams, fears, ideas and goals Focus on the relationship rather than the outcomes. Listen with an open mind Ask curious questions – in fact don’t be afraid to ask any questions! Provide context and updates to your mentor Respect your mentors boundaries Follow up on all your agreements and commitments Say thank you – remember to thank your mentor for their time and effort and the value they are making to your progress.

Characteristics of a great mentor Respected within or external to the organisation High level of relevant experience Ability to get on with people Excellent communication skills Humility/desire to continue to learn

Reverse Mentoring: What is this? What is reverse mentoring: Popularized by Jack Welch, CEO of GE, reverse mentoring is an approach that acknowledges that everyone in the organisation brings something to the table. Reverse mentoring partnerships generally include an older, more experienced executive with a younger, less-experienced newcomer. As the name suggests, the younger employee servers as the mentor. Yet, reverse mentoring is indeed a two-way street. What are the benefits of reverse mentoring? Reverse mentoring gives senior executives an opportunity to stay up-to-date with the latest business technologies and workplace trends but it also helps junior employees see the larger picture and gives them a glimpse of macro-level management issues. Reverse mentoring also increases retention of Gen Y employees and gives senior executives the satisfaction of sharing their knowledge with the next generation. It increases multi-generational engagement and helps reduce conflicts between generations in the work place.

Reverse Mentoring Tips Any tips on starting a reverse mentoring program? Make the perfect match Reverse mentoring involves two people with extremely different, experiences, backgrounds and cultures; therefore creating the ideal mentoring partnership is vital.  Choose mentors who possess good social skills and have the confidence to interact with and teach senior management. Set a level playing field Start the reverse mentoring program with a fun and informal orientation. The orientation should give the mentors and mentees an opportunity to interact with each other as individuals – not as the boss of the whole place or as the newbie who is fresh out of grad school. This will set the stage for the whole program and in time help erase traditional hierarchies. Set specific formal goals but allow space for individual innovation It is important to list out what the reverse mentoring program aims to achieve in general, for all participants. However each mentoring partnership is unique. So mentors and mentees may also enjoy and benefit from helping each other in ways not defined by the program. A young mentor might help a C-suite Exec choose a new cell phone. Or a CEO might share tips on how a new entrant can advance his / her career. So factor in the need for informal goals to be met as well.

You found your mentor and your about to meet… YOU must be the driver of your meetings so be prepared What should your mentor know about you in order to work most successfully with you? What are your desired outcomes for the mentoring relationship? What do you expect from your mentor? How will you know if the relationship is working? How will you gauge this? Before commencing your first meeting it is best to send them your thoughts on the above so that they can prepare themselves for meeting with you. They will have an outline from your initial discussions, but this will help to make the meetings more productive.

I’ve been asked to be a mentor…. Want to become a great mentor? Be committed Know that your mentee can be anyone, anywhere… Really listen, provide advice and encouragement Play both roles – you should be learning from your mentee! Have your own mentor & networks Be open minded and compassionate Have patience Be a role model – your actions are being evaluated Care about the relationship – invest in your mentee and you will get so much more out of the experience “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” - William Arthur Ward

Mentor’s checklist Prioritise the mentoring session, making sure it isn’t “bumped” by other demands Set aside time and space for the mentoring session so that you are uninterrupted (maybe meet up at a café for coffee) Give yourself time to get to the meeting Review any email correspondence and notes that you may have before your sessions Clear your mind and prepare to give the session your full attention. Get in the mood by letting go of your stresses and focus on the idea of assisting your mentee Consider and collect any resources that might be useful to the mentee

What problems could occur? Over dependence on the mentor One-up manager may be suspicious Politics become involved Reduced or no support from your manager No time to meet up Poor scheduling (on either or both sides) No clear goals Not using the mentor properly

Mentoring checklist I know what I want from a mentor I have identified potential mentors I know why I want this person as a mentor I have written expectations that I can discuss with my mentor I have some ideas, subject to agreement with my mentor about how the relationship might operate I am open to accepting ideas, comments and thoughts from another person

Don’t just take my word for it... Everyone needs a mentor Don’t just take my word for it... As Richard Branson says when he talks about the importance of mentoring on his blog…  “If you ask any successful business person, they will always have had a great mentor at some point along the road.“

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