Title: Overview of the Programme Mentoring as a Building Block of
1Mentoring at the United Nations
- Overview of the Programme
2Mentoring as a Building Block of Reform and
Career Development
- The Human Resource management reform, a process
initiated by the Secretary General, is aimed at
creating a results-oriented, high-performing
organization that is flexible, responsive, and
ready to meet the ever-evolving needs of member
states. - Career development, one of the building blocks of
HRM reform, is designed to build and maintain a
highly competent, multi-skilled, and versatile
international civil service capable of meeting
the Organizations present and future needs. The
mentoring programme is an important element of
career development.
3Mentoring Programme Objectives
- The objectives of the mentoring programme are
- To provide career support for new young
professional staff in the Organization - To facilitate the entry of young professionals
into the Organization - To complement the initiation, training, and
coaching offered by young professionals direct
supervisors and managers.
4Programme Organization
- All new Junior Professionals participating in the
mandatory special Orientation and Development
Programme are invited to the Mentoring Programme - Mentors are senior Professionals at P4 level and
above - Mentors volunteer to the programme
- Mentees and mentors are trained separately in
special half-day workshops to be successful in
their relationship - Mentor and Mentee Forms are filled and exchanged,
OHRM conducts matching - Programme includes e-Mentoring as well as
face-to-face - Suggested relationship duration is one year,
suggested minimum frequency of meetings is two
hours a month - On-going programme evaluation and feedback
5Mentor/Mentee/ Workshop Objectives
- Understand how mentoring fits within the
framework of career development in the
Organization - Be aware of the goals of the mentoring programme
- Understand their roles and responsibilities as a
mentor and a mentee - Understand how elements of culture and diversity
may impact a mentor-mentee relationship - Understand the phases of mentoring and their
respective functions - Strengthen ability to be an effective mentor or
mentee - Be aware of potential pitfalls.
6Roles of the Mentor and Mentee
- Mentor
- In meeting the objectives of the programme, the
mentor serves several functions - Provides relevant guidance, helps interpret
events, and gives specific feedback - Offers constructive critiques in light of
personal experience and professional knowledge,
and presents organizational attitudes and views. - Mentee
- The mentee should have the following
characteristics - Willingness to assume responsibility for his or
her own growth and development - Receptivity to feedback and coaching.
7Benefits for Mentors and Mentees
- Mentors and mentees all benefit from mentoring,
sometimes in ways that are not immediately
apparent.
Mentors
Mentees
- Tap into the energy and creativity of the mentee
- Empower a younger associate
- Pass on lessons learned throughout a career
- Make a difference in the lives of others
- Gain insight into the perspectives of new and
junior-level staff members - Obtain a broader perspective on the challenges
facing the organization - Enhance self-esteem
- Revitalize interest in work
- Increase/build larger peer network
- Increase range of influence in the organization
- Learn from their mentees prior work experience
- Develop a better understanding of the UN
- Develop the confidence to function better and
advance within the organization - Gain access to an added source of information and
encouragement - Obtain advice on career problems that might be
difficult to discuss - Gain insight into the perspectives of more
experienced managers - Obtain a broader perspective on the challenges
facing the UN - Gain clearer understanding of potential career
paths available to them (but do not receive
sponsorship or promotion) - Gain insight into the unwritten rules of the
organization
Can you think of any other way that you might
benefit from being a mentor?
8Benefits for Global Organizations
- Mentoring supports a range of goals, particularly
for global organizations - Helps induct staff more quickly
- Disseminates the organizational culture
throughout the world - Assists in developing managers with international
responsibilities - Assists in identifying high-potential talent more
effectively - Helps in developing key organizational
competencies - Encourages diversity and cultural awareness in
the workplace - Enhances recruitment and retention efforts
- Improves organizational communication
- Enhances the transfer of skills and knowledge
- Improves leadership and management abilities
- Is a stabilizing factor in a time of
organizational change - Contributes to institutional memory
- Helps to strengthen organizational culture
- Fosters job satisfaction due to increased
understanding of organization.
9What Mentoring Can and Cannot Provide
- Mentoring cannot provide
- A surefire path to success
- All the answers
- On-the-job training
- A go-between so the mentee does not have to deal
with managers - An opportunity to bad mouth the organization
gripe session - A substitute for individual effort and
contribution
- Mentoring can provide
- An introduction to the culture
- A way of providing colleagues with guidance in
the organizations unwritten rules - A vehicle which a person can use to explore
options and test perceptions - Encouragement to grow
- An opportunity to tap quickly into the historical
learning of the organization - A chance to learn what success means at the UN
- An opportunity to learn how better to handle
challenges
10Differences Between Mentors and Managers
Managers job is to provide
Mentors job is to provide
Employees increasing responsibilities
- Training
- Experience onthe job
- Knowledge of the function
- Increased expertise
- Increased competency
- Advocacy for employee toward future assignments
- Performance management
- Career development
- Knowledge ofthe Organization and its culture
- Greater comfortin trying things
- Understanding of the unwritten rules
- Positive feedback and serve as a sounding board
- Coaching on how to achieve ones goals
Can you think of some instances in which the
roles of managers and mentors might overlap? How
might these situations be handled?
11Suggested discussion topics
- The mentee's interests
- His/her skills and competencies, interests,
values, goals and aspirations, strategies for
reaching his/her goals, spousal employment - The mentors experiences
- His/her career path, strategies for achieving
work/life balance, outside interests/activities,
the mentor's career path and experiences
triumphs and tribulations, unwritten rules - Achieving success in the UN
- Potential career paths at the UN
- Professional background/experience/competencies
required for particular career paths - Training opportunities inside and outside of the
Organization - Achieving job satisfaction at the UN
- Recognizing accomplishments in face of obstacles
- Mobility within and between functions,
departments/offices and duty stations - Aligning personal strengths with the needs of
the Organization - How to get ahead in the Organization
- How to build positive working relationships at
the UN
12Phases of a Mentoring Relationship
- STAGE 1 Forming a Partnership
- Get to know each other as individuals.
- Develop an understanding of the mentees personal
and developmental goals. - Develop a common set of expectations on what each
will contribute and gain from the mentoring
relationship. - Begin to develop an open and honest way of
communicating. - Listen for understanding, checking for accuracy
of messages. - Set two to three goals for mentee to be
accomplished during the next year. - Confirm logistics of future contact best
communication method, time/days that work best,
etc. - STAGE 2 Establishing Trust
- Probe for information that will be useful in
guiding mentees development. - Develop a style of problem-solving to help the
mentee learn how to handle work-related
situations. - Provide feedback positive and constructive
that helps the mentee grow. - Discuss and jointly develop solutions to
problems. - Keep commitments that you make to each other.
- Share your personal experiences that are relevant
to the discussion.
13Phases of a Mentoring Relationship
- STAGE 3 Challenging for Growth
- Jointly identify ways that the mentee can broaden
his/her experiences. - Continue to share information that helps the
mentee understand the Organization. - Examine personal style discuss whats working
and not working, and ways to improve the way that
you work together. - Challenge the mentee when it appears that his/her
actions are leading to negative consequences
professionally explore how he/she may change
attitudes/behaviour to better achieve
professional goals. - Be open to feedback on your performance as a
mentor. - Coach the mentee on ways to take initiative in an
appropriate fashion. - Suggest other UN employees who may provide useful
information or advice. - STAGE 4 Sustaining and Nurturing the
Relationship - Review lessons learned in relationship reinforce
positive actions taken. - Negotiate ways to stay in touch on an as needed
basis. - Support the mentee in taking the initiative to
gather information from a variety of sources. - Help the mentee establish a longer-term plan for
career movement. - Celebrate progress and growth of the relationship.
14Six-Month and One-Year Evaluation ToolsA
Discussion for Mentors and Mentees
- The tool(s) is designed for mentors and mentees
to evaluate their relationship at the mid-year
and end-year mark. They fill it out individually
and share the information with their
mentor/mentee. - Did you and your mentor/mentee set goals for the
year, i.e. did you determine how you would
evaluate the effectiveness of the relationship? - If so, what were the goals that you set?
- So far, to what extent have you met your goals
Have not met goal Met goal Exceeded goal? - How frequently do you and your mentor/mentee
meet? - Is that sufficient? Would you rather be meeting
more/less frequently? - What have you find effective/enjoyable about the
relationship? - What, if anything, could make the relationship
more enjoyable/productive? - What have you and your mentee discussed with one
another? - Are there other subjects you would like to
discuss with your mentor/mentee?
15Frequently Asked Questions
- How were mentors and mentees selected and then
matched with one another? - Mentees are invited as they participate in a
special Orientation and Development Programme,
mentors volunteer to the programme. Since the
launch of the programme in October 2000, more
then 250 mentees have been in one-year mentoring
relationship with close to 200 mentors in all
duty stations. Many mentors completed two or
three relationships. - What happens if a mentee do not get along well
with a given mentor? Can mentee or mentor switch
mentors/mentees if there is an individual with
whom I would prefer to work? - Unless the mentoring relationship is simply not
working, in which case Programme Manager should
be contacted, mentees are highly encouraged to
maintain their relationship with their mentors. - What do I do if I feel my mentor/mentee and I are
miscommunicating with and/or misunderstanding one
another? - As with any new relationship, communication can
often be challenging. We encourage mentors and
mentees to speak as directly and honestly with
one another as possible (and as is comfortable)
about concerns you may have. For more
information, refer to Tools for Success Giving
Feedback on page 42 of your manual.
16Frequently Asked Questions
- What if both the mentor and mentee wish to extend
their mentoring relationship past the first year? - While the formal mentoring programme lasts one
year it is possible that some mentors and mentees
may wish to continue contact after the duration
of the programme. - What do mentee/mentor do if their mentor/mentee
is not meeting their expectations? - Again, mentors and mentees are highly encouraged
to first speak with one another directly about
their concerns. If expectations that were
discussed initially between a mentor and mentee
are not being met, it is advisable that both
individuals review their original goals and how
they may or may not have yet been realized. - Can a mentor receive credit in the Performance
Appraisal System for his/her participation in the
mentoring programme? - Mentors or mentees who you wish to document their
participation in the mentoring programme in the
PAS, are encouraged you to speak with their
direct supervisor about the matter. While
participation in the programme is not yet
formally recognized by PAS, it is clear that a
number of Organizational competencies (such as
Commitment to Continuous Learning, Leadership,
Empowering Others, etc.) are demonstrated by
ones participation in the programme.