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What is mentoring and how does it work?

Written by: Michael Miles

Article Overview: This article will provide you with useful information on: * setting up a mentoring scheme * the uses of mentoring * understanding the differences between a mentor and a coach * the benefits to the organisation, the mentee and mentor * the role of the mentor * the role of the mentee * the mentoring process

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What is mentoring and how does it work?

What is mentoring and how does it work?

Well organised mentoring schemes have great benefit to the organisation, mentees and mentors. However, some mentoring schemes are not set without a good knowledge and understanding of the requirements and practicalities. Such schemes soon lose the initial momentum and benefit. It is essential that those setting up a mentoring scheme have a 'champion' to set up the scheme and monitor its progress.

We have helped top companies and organisations set up a mentoring scheme and train their mentors and mentees. Our training courses include a workbook on mentoring with more details on this and other areas, including useful forms that can be used as part of the mentoring process.

The Business Case for Mentoring

In order to help justify and establish your business case for mentoring; the following statistics may help:

Organizations that provide career development opportunities are projected to save four percent of revenues that are typically lost in turnover costs

(Study by Hay Group)

Mentored employees perform better, advance more rapidly, report greater job and career satisfaction, and express lower turnover intentions

(2002, University of Georgia study)

60% of college and grad students said that the availability of a mentoring program weighted heavily on their decisions regarding selection of an employer

(MMHA Manager's Mentor study)

35% of employees who do not receive regular mentoring are likely to look for another job within 12 months

(Study by Louis Harris & Associates)

70% of women say that lack of mentor is the #1 obstacle to advancement

(Catalyst)

What is mentoring?

In the business world mentoring is regarded as a relationship in which one person (the mentor) - usually someone more experienced, often more senior in an organisation - helps another (the learner or mentee) to discover more about themselves, their potential and their capability.

Mentoring is also concerned with creating an informal environment in which one person can feel encouraged to discuss their needs and circumstances openly and in confidence with another person who is in a position to be of positive help to them.

Mentoring can be the best intervention in areas where the development task relates to an employee requiring much specialist, knowledge and information. However there are other contexts where it is the best intervention.

Specific areas where mentoring can be used:

Context Purpose

Induction Become familiar with the organisation and get up to speed

Support for development Ensures effective learning

On the job learning Enhance job related knowledge and skills

Diversity programmes Ensure proper integration and fairness of treatment

Career progression Assist in identifying and supporting potential talent

Succession planning Develop potential managers of the future

Talent programmes Develop talent, potential and capability

Redundancy and outplacement Assist individual in managing the difficult transition

New projects Ensure rapid assimilation and delivery

New job transition Helps employee adjust

Within change programmes Help people adjust to change

The mentor's role is not one of outlining instructions; rather the mentor's input helps the learner form their own views, develop different perspectives and develop as a person and as a potential manager.

Mentoring should be part of every manager's role but conflict may occur with some on-line functions, hence a mentor should not be their line manager.

Mentor versus Coach

People often get confused between mentoring and coaching. So let's explore some of the differences:

Coaching is primarily about performance and the development of specific skills. Mentoring is much more broadly based and intuitive, focusing on developing capability and often includes longer term help in career self-management.

However mentoring and coaching have much in common. Both should use effective coaching skills by asking probing questions, challenging the person's thinking and exploring alternative perspectives.

The mentor may offer coaching and training from time to time as appropriate, but may also encourage the mentee to seek help from specialists in these roles.

Some of the major differences between a mentor and coach are outlined below.

Mentor

A confidential colleague and guide to discover more about the organisation, their potential and capability
The focus is on capability and potential
Performance criteria set by the learner
A senior person in the organisation who knows the organisation, structure and policies of the organisation.

Coach

A person who supports people to achieve their goals by goal setting, encouragement and questions
Focus generally on skill and performance
Performance criteria may be set by a third party, by the coach or jointly with the coach
Often a specialist in the skills area who could be a consultant from outside the organisation.

The Role of a Mentor

A mentor's role can be divided into three main interlinking areas:

Role Model

Supporter Guide

Role Model and Sounding Board

Provides a good example, from which someone else can learn
Guide to the organisation's culture
Listens and empathises to mentee's concerns and problems
Seeks options for the mentee to consider
Critical friend - tells them uncomfortable truths that only a true friend can.

Supporter

Assists with the organisation's knowledge and business information
Encourages the use of resources and contacts
Encourages mentee to find challenging tasks and supports with risk-taking
Give support as s/he learns by sometimes making mistakes
Recognises achievements and celebrates accomplishments.

Guide

Guides toward solutions
Helps to see issues from a different perspective
Help to develop the connections they need to gain experience
Shares views on succeeding at the organisation
Identifies their leadership style and attitudes and behaviours that are not helpful
Increases mentee's awareness on the affect s/he has on others.

The Mentee

Mentees are usually employees who wish to expand their current knowledge of the organisation and to develop skills and abilities that will assist them in their career development. It is the mentee who drives the relationship - schedules the meeting, establishes goals and sets the agenda of each meeting.

Mentee Qualifications

These will vary according to the organisation's policy but generally they include:

member of staff identified by the organisation's mentoring policy
volunteered (or nominated by line management)
willing to assume responsibility for their own growth and development
actively seeks challenging assignments and greater responsibilities
open, honest and receptive to feedback.

The Role of the Mentee

To take responsibility for their learning
Identify developmental needs
To set goals
Formulate action plans for accomplishing goals
Maintain development plan and documents results
Schedules meetings with their mentor
Works on their development plan and meet regularly with their mentor
Maintain regular work responsibilities
Demonstrate a willingness to ask for help
Respect mentor's experiences
Emulate positive behaviours.

Duration of Mentoring

There are contradictory views on the duration of mentor relationships/benefit. Two to five years being postulated as the period of maximum benefit. It may well be that the period is less than this or the relationship continues longer on an informal basis. The organisation's policy should state the duration.

It is usually considered best practice to set an expected end date for the relationship, to provide some sense of pace.

Remember that the aim of the mentor is to help the learner develop themself - not to get them to adopt the mentor's ideas. Dependency is at all stages to be avoided - watch out for signs that it is happening.

Identify short and long-term issues which need thought and consideration and discuss ways and means of tackling them.

Mentoring is not a place to:

Complain or spread gossip
Dread going to
Be told exactly what to do
Waste time
Be given specific answers to problems
Find easy options
Forget that learning is an active and continual process
Be managed directlyIgnore those things that need to be changed and done differently
Expect answers to everything
Have only a cosy chat that achieves nothing
Receive counselling or therapy.

Phases of Mentoring Relationships

There are generally five phases of mentoring relationships. These are:

1. Rapport Building

2. Direction Setting

3. Progress Making

4. Winding Up

5. Close Down

The learning intensity peaks as the relationship evolves and tails off as it starts to wind down.

Meeting Suggestions

The mentoring should take place where mentor and mentee both feel able to relax, yet be business-like in their discussions. The mentor's office is usually not a good idea, especially if the mentor is significantly more senior. It can be even more threatening to meet in the mentee's working area. In general, a neutral, private space is usually best

The mentoring session should last between one and two hour

The sessions should be at least once a quarter, with telephone or e-mail contact in between. If you meet very frequently, the mentor is likely to become too hands on, or to feel imposed upon. Use common sense to agree at the start a balance that suits the two of you, but be prepared to review that agreement if there is a radical change of circumstances.

Mentoring Agreement

In general, everything said in the mentoring discussions is private to the mentor and mentee. However, the mentor will have certain legal obligations to report criminal conduct, for example, and many organisations insist that the mentor has a duty to report any possible incidents of sexual harassment or bullying, which they hear about through the mentoring discussions.

There is no prescribed format to establish mentoring agreements, but consider drafting a mentoring agreement. It is important that both of parties are clear about what is required of each of you.

This could specify:

the respective roles, responsibilities and commitment

the likely number and frequency of meetings, as a plan that can be reviewed and amended if required

the important issue of confidentiality within the relationship.

Theses are two examples of the forms that we issue as part of the copurse workbook.

Mentee Development Plan

At the start of the mentoring process the mentor will need to discuss with the mentee an action plan for their development. The following is an example of a development plan the mentee could use:

Mentee Development Plan

Career Goal - What position/responsibilities would you like to have within the next three to five years?

SMART Goals - Describe to your mentor what you want to accomplish during this programme.

Obstacles - What stands in your way of achieving these goals?

Skills to Develop - Choose two or three skills that you want to focus on during this mentoring scheme.

Learning Logs

It is important for the mentee to learn from their experiences. We use the following learning log for the mentee to complete after they have had an event or experience.

The completed log is sent to the mentee prior to the next mentoring session for discussion at the session.

Learning Log

Date:

Event or significant experience:

What

happened?

did I contribute to it?

actions did I take?

did I say and do?

did I feel?

So what does this mean?

Why did this happen?

How could you have dealt with it differently?

What are the options for the future?

Now what?

What I am going to do now?

How can I best use this information?

What I would do if it happened again?

How else might I use what I have learnt?

Further issues:

Related Articles

Mentoring - It’s All Greek to Me!

Difference Between Mentoring and Coaching

Who SHOULD be mentored?

“Business Mentoring – Add It To Business Coaching For A Powerful Combination”

Mentoring in the Workplace

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About the Author: Michael Miles
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Mick has over 30 years experience as a manager, trainer and consultant. Numerous training courses and studies have enabled him to qualify as a tutor and facilitator in personal development and management issues. He is a Home Office appointed Trainer of Trainers and a City and Guilds NVQ Assessor. He also holds a Management Diploma and a Postgraduate Certificate of Education by the University of East Anglia. Training with Dr. Richard Bandler and Dr. John Grinder the creators of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Michael Breen a leading expert and master trainer in NLP and Paul McKenna the world’s best known hypnotist, has qualified Mick as a practitioner of NLP. Delegates on all the courses that he delivers appreciate the benefits of this. His experience and creative thinking skills have also enabled him to design and deliver numerous core skills and management courses for large organisations. Since 1996 Mick has been the Managing Director of Elite Training European Ltd. You may have heard Mick on the radio or read about him in the press. He is often asked to give his opinion on the topics he teaches.

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