Mentoring as a Workforce Development Strategy

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Mentoring as a Workforce Development Strategy

• The Institute for Leadership and Ethics, Inc.

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What Is Mentoring?

• Variety of support systems for employee growth
  and development
• Means of passing along institutional memory
• Coaching for employee improvement
• Prote?ge?s observe, question and explore.
  Mentors demonstrate, explain and model.

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What is a Mentor?

• a trusted counselor or guide (Merriam-Webster
  Dictionary)
• Mentor ? Odysseus ? Telemachus ?!

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Some Mentoring-Related Research

• 77 of all organizations state mentoring is an
  effective tool to increase retention of valued
  employees
• 62 of employees surveyed said they will stay
  with their current employer
• 75 of executives state that mentoring played a
  key role in their career success
• Persons who had a mentor had greater job
  satisfaction than those who did not
• Hewitt Associates Research Project for Fortune
  Magazine
• 100 Best Companies to Work for in America

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Other Research Results

• 1999 survey of 378 organizations
• 73 provide mentoring for retention of valued
  employees
• 71 provide mentoring to improve managers
  leadership skills
• 66 provide mentoring to develop the new leaders
  they need for the future
• 62 provide mentoring to enhance the career
  development of employees
• 48 provide mentoring to promote increased
  diversity and support the success of all
  employees
• Retention Staffing Report
• Manchester, Inc. 1999

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Why Mentoring?

• of learners who will transfer a new skill into
  practice as a result of
• theory5
• theory seeing a demonstration10
• theory demonstration practice during
  training.....20
• theory demonstration corrective feedback
• during training.25
• theory demonstration practice
• feedback during training in-situation
  coaching90
• Research by Bruce Joyce Beverly Showers (1987)

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Coaching vs. Mentoring

• Coaching support for technical,
  skills- related training and growth
  provided by another individual
• Mentoring all-inclusive description of
  everything done (including coaching) to
  support an individuals orientation and
  professional development

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Context

• Mentoring is the context and coaching should be
  regarded as within that context.
• Coaching not enough to insure implementation in
  practice of what protégés have learned
• Relationship based upon mutual trust fundamental
  growth-related risk-taking
• Mentoring relationship within which coaching
  can lead to risk-taking and growth

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Mentoring for Whom?

• Decision based upon
• Extent of prior experience of individual
• Recency and nature of individuals prior
  experience i.e. how recent? experience in same
  job?, etc.
• Whether individual is new to organization or an
  existing employee
• Goals or mentoring program and expectations of
  results
• All of these factors should be taken into
  consideration when determining (1)
• level of support to provide and (2) who should
  provide it

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Some Major Functions of a Mentor

• ? Building and maintaining relationships
• ? Acquiring and providing relevant information
• ? Facilitating progress (e.g. championing)
• ? Performing as a real life model
• ? Encouraging individual choices and
  responsibilities

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Characteristics of a Good Mentor

• ? Committed to helping others to grow and
  develop
• ? Recognized for maintaining up-to-date
  knowledge and skills
• ? Demonstrated desire to learn i.e. keen on
  lifelong learning
• ? Recognized effectiveness in coaching,
  facilitating and networking
• ? Enthusiasm, time, and energy to bring to the
  mentor-protégé relationship

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Keys of a Good Mentoring Process

• ? Regarded as three-party vs. one-on-one
  arrangement
• ? Mentors good learning leaders vs. gurus
• ? Growth acquisition of attitudes and
  capabilities acquisition of skills and
  behaviors
• ? Development enhanced by open dialogue and
  free-form thinking vs. limited by discussion
  guided by a set agenda
• ? Career self-reliance and self-confidence
  cultivated in employees

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Mentoring Relationship

• In the beginning
• - Set learning objectives
• - Address start-up issues, expectations, and
  initial goals
• During the process or program
• - Regularly communicate to build and maintain
  mentor- protégé relationship
• - Define more detailed objectives as
  relationship progresses
• At conclusion
• - Acknowledge, publicize, and celebrate
  achievements

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Potential Problems With Mentoring

• Mismatches between Mentor Protégé
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Breaches of Confidentiality

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The Mentoring Bridge

• TRAINING ? IMPLEMENTATION
• Knowledge MENTORING Knowledge
• Skills Strategies Skills
  Strategies
• Attitudes COACHING Attitudes
• THE PREREQUISITE ? THE RESULT
• Source International Mentoring Association

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Primary Reference Sources

• www.businessmentorcenter.com
• www.sonic.net
• www.mentoring-association.org
• Gary Roberts The Changing Labor Force Carl
  Vinson Institute of Government The University of
  Georgia 2003
• Kristine Ellis Making Waves Training June
  2003

The Institute for Leadership and Ethics,
Inc. tgaines_at_uga.edu