Mentoring Training for PMI Metrolina Mentoring Program

Mentoring Training
PMI Metrolina
April 2013

AGENDA-MENTORING TRAINING

1

Introduction.

2

Mentoring. Definitions, why it works and shattered myths

3

Relationship. Getting the most out of it

4

Process. Overview of the Mentoring Process

5

Effective Mentorship. How to be an effective mentor

6

Mentor Skills. Rapport building, direction setting and sustaining progress

7

Making it happen. First meeting and putting it all together

8

Mentee. Being successful, rapport, direction setting and sustaining progress.

9

Making it happen. First meeting and putting it all together

10

Evaluation. Was it a success?

Introduction
•

In this training, you will learn about the field of mentoring, including its definition
and purpose, the potential benefits of mentoring at all levels and settings, the
skills approach to training with its focus on developing specific, appropriate
mentoring skills and behaviors within a mentoring conversation, techniques for
evaluating the mentoring process as a whole as well as the individual abilities of
the mentor and mentor with an intent to identify areas for improvement.

•

The purpose of mentoring is to establish a formal relationship between two
people, a mentor and a mentee, with learning and development at its core and the
fulfillment of clear and mutually defined goals as its intention.

•

The benefit of learning this information is to help you decide if you have the
qualities, skills and commitment to assume a part in a mentoring partnership. It is
important to understand the roles and responsibilities involved in mentoring to be
able to make an educated decision concerning your level of participation.

Introduction
•

There are four actual instructional sections in this training:

•

Section I: Mentoring Orientation, is devoted to an overview of the process of
mentoring and its critical components.

•

Section II: Mentor Training, identifies the responsibilities, qualities and skills
required of a mentor and provides guidance on how to acquire them.

•

Section III: Mentee Training, covers the same requisites as for the mentor but
from the needs of the mentee. It also covers the critical elements of creating a
vision statement, goal setting and an establishing an action plan that ensures a
maximization of the mentoring benefits.

•

Section IV: Mentoring Relationship Evaluation, focuses on learning and using
process and outcome evaluation techniques.

Mentoring-What is It?
• A Contemporary Definition of Mentoring
“Mentoring is a collaborative learning relationship between individuals who share
mutual responsibility and accountability for helping the mentee work toward the
fulfillment of clear and mutually defined learning goals. Mentoring is used to assist
individuals at specific stages of development or transition and lasts for a sustained but
defined period of time. The mentoring relationship provides a developmental
opportunity for both parties and can thus be of mutual benefit.” Source: (Zachary,
2002:28 )

Mentoring-What is It?
•

Mentoring is a developmental partnership through which one person shares
knowledge, skills, information, and perspective to foster the personal and
professional growth of someone else. We all have a need for insight that is outside
of our normal life and educational experience. The power of mentoring is that it
creates a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration, goal achievement, and
problem solving. The personalized nature of mentoring means you can decide to
learn about the topics and issues of most relevance to you.

•

Video!

How Mentoring Supports
Individual Development
•

The intent of mentoring is to support individual development through both career
and personal functions in the following ways:

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Differences between Coaching and
Mentoring
“One of the most important differences between mentoring and coaching is that the coach
helps the “employee” do his or her job better and the mentor helps the “employee” make
the transition to self-development and the ability to do other jobs, to achieve goals beyond
the present job situation.” (Zachary, A Manager's Guide to Mentoring , 2000)

Definitions you need to know
•
•

Definition of a mentor
A mentor facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual by sharing the
knowledge and insights that they learned through the years. A mentor's purpose is to be a
role model, a coach, a broker, and an advocate.

Defining Effective and Ineffective
Characteristics of a Mentor

Defining Effective and Ineffective
Characteristics of a Mentee

Readiness Assessment (pg 4-5)

Why does it work?
•

Effective mentoring relationships are reciprocal: Both parties gain access to
information, ideas, and new ways of doing things.

•

Experience is the best teacher

•

Synergy: Result is greater than the sum of individual capabilities

•

Perpetuation of positive influences

•

Natural transition of life

The focus of mentoring has
changed

Different Career Stages:
Different Reasons to Have a Mentor
•

The decision to acquire a mentor can be supported by different reasons, depending on the stage in the
one's career.

•

For someone just entering a field , whether directly out of school or changing their career focus,
mentoring is effective in accelerating their integration into the field and their organization. A mentee is
concerned about developing competence, skill level and a professional identity in their field. The mentor is
challenged to treat the mentee as a novice colleague and not as a “student.”

•

Mid-career , a mentor may inspire the mentee to re-energize the enthusiasm and accelerate the
development needed to improve their long-term career opportunities. At this stage the mentee needs to
be nurtured and guided. The mentor is able to provide this support as their experience often leads them
to focus on generativity, a concern for establishing and guiding the next generation.

•

Those nearing the end of their career may seek a mentor to help them define a strategy for pursuing new
career options outside their current work environment. A mentor will aid the mentee in examining their
career accomplishments thus far and how various career options fit into desired life-style. The mentor may
even suggest that the mentee serve as a mentor to a new person in their field, thus creating a true cycle of
generativity.

•

Click here to read "Levels of Mentoring," an article that discusses the three levels of mentoring;
Information, skill and advocacy and how mentees and mentors can begin to decide which of the levels will
best suit their needs.

Your Past Mentors
•

•

Before going further, it is a good idea to think back on the relationships that you have had in the past .
Who in your past acted as a mentor to you? Take the time to think about a boss, a teacher or a family
member who significantly influenced you when you were beginning your career. You will gain more from
your future mentoring relationship if you take time, before you begin, to learn from your past. Chances are
you've had mentors in the past and possibly didn't realize it at the time. It doesn't matter whether the
person was referred to as a mentor, what is important is how the person influenced you and gave you
special attention.
Take the time to think about the following questions: Have you had a mentor in your past? What did this
individual do that you found particularly helpful?

Past Mentors (pg 6)

Eight Mentoring Myths Shattered
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Myth 1: Mentoring is a one-way street
Myth 2: A mentoring relationship can only be face-to-face
Myth 3: Mentoring is a time-consuming process
Myth 4: Expectations are the same for everyone
Myth 5: Mentors must be older
Myth 6: Developing a mentoring relationship is complicated
Myth 7: You need only one mentor at a time.
Myth 8: Mentoring relationships happen on their own.

Who Benefits from Mentoring?

• Pass It On!

Getting the Most from Your Relationship
• Evolution of the Mentoring Relationship
• Phase 1: Building rapport
–

The mentor and the mentee are exploring if they can work together. They are determining the alignment of values,
establishing a mutual respect, agreeing on the purpose of their relationship, and establishing the roles, behaviors and
expectations. This can only occur through open and honest dialogue

–

Rapport building competencies needed include the skills of active listening, empathizing, and giving respect; of
offering openness and trust to elicit reciprocal behavior; and of identifying and valuing both common ground and
differences.

• Phase 2: Setting direction
–

This phase is all about goal setting. In the building rapport phase, the partners were establishing a sense of purpose;
here they are determining what each of them should achieve through this relationship. They begin linking long-term
goals with what is happening day-to-day.

–

Direction setting competencies needed include goal identification, clarification, and management; personal project
planning; and testing the mentee's level of commitment to specific goals as well as the reality of achieving them.

– Another awesome video!

• Phase 3: Progression
– This phase is core of the relationship and the longest of the four. Here the both the
mentor and mentee become more comfortable about challenging each other's
perceptions. They explore issues more deeply and experience mutual learning. In
addition, the mentee takes an increasing lead in managing the relationship and the
mentoring process itself.
– Progress sustaining competencies needed include the ability to sustain commitment,
ensure sufficient challenge in the mentoring dialogue, help the mentee take increasing
responsibility for managing the mentoring relationship by providing constructive
feedback, and being available and understanding in helping the mentee cope with
setbacks.

• Phase 4: Winding up and transition to a professional relationship
– This phase occurs when the mentee has achieved a large amount of his or her goals or
feels that they have the confidence to begin to plan how to continue the journey on
their own. It is not always obvious to the mentee that they have reached this point; the
mentor needs to be sensitive to this and can lead the mentee to this conclusion by
comparing their goals to their achievements. This process helps avoid unhealthy
dependency on either individual's part. Winding up by celebrating your
accomplishments and begin to redefine the relationship, often into a friendship where
both parties can utilize each other as an ad hoc sounding board and a source of
networking contacts
– Transitional competencies needed include sensitivity to the position of others and the
ability to foster a positive end to the partnership. Relationships, which had been allowed
simply to drift away, were viewed by participants as unsatisfactory; while those that had
effectively managed the dissolution process were almost all regarded positively.
– Adapted from Kram, KE (1985)

Reciprocal Behaviors that Bolster Mentoring
Success

The Metrolina PMI Mentoring Process
1. Apply

2. Sign up for
Training

3. Download
Workbook

4. Mentoring
Action Plan

5. Mentoring
Partnership

6. Execute

7. Check In

8. Mid Point

9. Closing

• Mentor
• Mentee
• In Person
• Webinar
• Print out for use during class

• Knowledge, skills, projected outcomes, action steps, resources and target dates

• Agreement between partners
• Begin mentoring partnership
• Have Fun
• Contact reports
• Group check in
• Evaluate progress (Aug 2013?)
• Close 2013 program
• Evaluation

Beginning the Relationship
• First Meeting: Building Rapport
– The first mentoring meeting is critical. It is important at the very beginning of the
mentoring process for the partners to get to know each other and clarify the overall
mentoring goals. The end result of this conversation will be a Mentoring Partnership
Agreement, a formal document signed by all members of a mentoring team that spells
out the expectations and responsibilities of everyone involved. Additional vital
information concerning the acquisition of the competencies needed to successfully
navigate these phases will be provided within the personalized mentor and mentee
training.
– Step 1 - Get Acquainted: Start with what you might have in common. Break the ice by
talking about family, hobbies, interests, and personal histories.
– Step 2 - Discuss Your Overall Mentoring Goals: Make sure the mentor (and the mentee)
is clear about what the mentee hopes to gain from the process. Use these question to
guide the discussion

Beginning the Relationship
• Second Meeting: Setting Direction
•

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Step 1 - Review the Top 3 Mentoring Goals: Mentees should prepare by reviewing their notes
from the previous meeting and think about what they would like to focus on at subsequent
meetings and in what order.
Step 2 - Create a List of Learning Activities, Resources Required, and a Timeline
Step 3 – Put Your Mentoring Action Plan in writing
Step 4 – Create a Mentoring Partnership Agreement
RECAP
In your Mentoring Workbook, locate the exercise titled "Adult Learning Principles with
Implications." You are provided with the adult learning principle and which element of
mentoring it impacts. Demonstrate your understanding of mentoring thus far by indicating
how you would apply each principle to the element indicated.

Qualities of a Successful Mentor
•
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Quality: Personal commitment to be involved with another person for an extended time.
Motivation: I like the feeling of having others seek me out for guidance or advice.

•
•

Quality: Respect for individuals and for their abilities and their right to make their own choices in life.
Motivation: I find that helping others grow and learn is personally rewarding.

•
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Quality: Ability to listen and to accept different points of view.
Motivation: I find that working with others who are different from me to be energizing.

•
•

Quality: Ability to empathize with another person's challenges.
Motivation: I enjoy collaborative learning, constructing something that did not exist before in our
individual lives.

•
•

Quality: Ability to see solutions and opportunities as well as barriers.
Motivation: I have specific skills and knowledge that I want to pass on to others.

•
•

Quality: Flexibility and openness.
Motivation: I look for opportunities to further my own growth.

Why does mentoring appeal to you?

Critical Mentor Skills
• Building Rapport
– Empathizing
•

What would you do?

– Active Listening

• Setting Direction
– Goal Identification
– Asking Effective Questions

• Sustaining Progress
– Constructive Feedback
– Discussing delicate issues

Counterproductive Mentor Behaviors
•
•
•

Criticizing
Giving advice
Rescuing your mentee.

First Mentoring Meeting

The chart, Mentor's Strategies for an Effective Mentoring
Conversation, is also included in your Mentoring Workbook to
serve as a meeting guide.
Tips for Starting Off Right

How to be a Successful Mentee
•
•

Are You Ready to be Mentored?
If you can answer yes to the following questions, you are ready to begin learning more about
being a successful mentee.

•

I except full responsibility for my career goals and would benefit from guidance in creating a
plan for my development.
I am prepared to listen, but I understand that I am also expected to contribute to the
relationship by sharing my ideas.
I will accept constructive feedback and take the risk of exploring new ideas and approaches
suggested by my mentor.
My expectations for my mentoring relationships are well-thought out and realistic.
I am busy, but I am ready to make a commitment to my future by communicating effectively
with my mentor.
I will remember that in order to succeed I must fail so that I will know what not to do next
time
"Life = Risk"

•
•

•
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•

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How to be a Successful Mentee
• Qualities of a Successful Mentee
• Quality: Personal commitment to be involved with another
person for an extended time.
• Quality: Flexibility.
• Quality: Ability to recognize that mentoring is only ONE
development tool.
• Quality: Openness.
• Quality: Ability to listen and to accept different points of view.

Twelve Habits of Toxic Mentee
1.
Bring to the first formal meeting a long shopping list of things you want the mentor to do
for you
2.
Expect the mentor to be available for you, whenever you want them (heroes never need
sleep!)
3.
Regard the mentor as your prime source of gossip to pass on
4.
Expect the mentor always to have the answer - that's why they are more senior
5.
Expect the mentor to decide when to meet and what to talk about
6.
Boast about the relationship to your colleagues at every opportunity
7.
Never challenge what the mentor says - s/he knows best
8.
Blame the mentor whenever advice doesn't work out - s/he should have known better
9. Treat mentoring sessions as mobile - the easiest item in the diary to move at the last minute
10. Enjoy the opportunity to have a good moan or whine, whenever you meet - especially if noone else will listen to you
11. Make it clear to the mentor that you want to be just like them - adopt their style of
speaking, dress and posture
12. Never commit to doing anything as a result of the mentoring session. If, by accident, you do,
simply forget to follow the commitment up. (Why spoil the fun of discussion with outcomes?)

Sustaining Progress

•

After an exhausting day you check your answering machine and are shocked to receive an irritated
message from your formal mentor: “I'm pretty tired of this. I've put more than enough work into trying to
mentor you and, quite frankly, I've had it! As far as I'm concerned, we're finished.” Your mind races as you
try to determine what you did (or didn't do.) In fact, you thought the relationship was going well, and
you've certainly received a lot from your sessions. It's Friday night and you've never asked if you could call
your mentor on the weekend. What do you do?

Mentee's Strategies for an Effective Mentoring Conversation

Putting it All Together
• The Framework for a Mentoring Process
– Developing the Mentoring Action Plan
– Understanding Goal Setting
• Step 1: Creating Your Personal Vision Statement
– Go to your Mentoring Workbook and complete the worksheet titled
"Personal Vision Statement." This information will be invaluable in
assisting you in the next step, goal setting.

• Step 2: Establish Specific and Realistic Goals
– In your Mentoring Workbook, locate the exercise titled
"Brainstorming Exercise: Professional Development Goals."

• Step 3: Set Deadlines
• Step 4: Develop Your Action Plan
– In your Mentoring Workbook, locate the exercise titled "Mentoring
Action Plan Worksheet."

Mentee Top Ten List
10. Know your goals.
9. Choose the best mentor(s) to meet your goals.
8. Begin mentoring relationships by discussing mutual goals and
expectations.
7. Practice the highest standards of professionalism.
6. Learn to accept and give feedback.
5. Recognize that your path is your responsibility.
4. Practice good communication.
3. Consider a periodic mentor checkup.
2. Avoid burning bridges if it is time to move on.
1. Enjoy the ride of mentoring relationship with a trusted
colleague.

Evaluating the Mentoring Relationship
• Mentoring Partnership Review: Process and Outcome
Evaluations
– Process evaluations focus on whether a program is being implemented
as intended, how it is being experienced, and whether changes are
needed to address any problems (e.g., difficulties in recruiting and
retaining mentors, high turnover of mentees, high cost of
administering the program).
– Outcome evaluations focus on what, if any, effects programs are
having. Designs may, for example, compare goals to outcomes or
examine differences between mentoring approaches. Information of
this sort is essential for self-monitoring and can address key questions
about programs and relationships.

• Self-Assessment for Mentor and Mentee Exercise

Assessment
•Pre and Post Self-Assessment of Confidence
•Training Evaluation
•Exam (uh-oh)

Follow On Materials
•Presentation will be sent after make-up webinar.
•Download mentoring workbook from site.
•Website will be updated this week with full process.

Mentoring Training for PMI Metrolina Mentoring Program

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