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MENTORING STRATEGIES For the Twenty-First Century. It’s Greek to Me.
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It’s Greek to Me • The story of the Mentor came from Homer's Odyssey. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca, went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor, who served as the teacher and overseer of Odysseus' son, Telemachus. • After the war and many years later, Telemachus, now grown, went in search for his father. Athena, Goddess of War, and patron on the arts and industry, assumed the role of his Mentor, accompanied Telemachus on his search. • Father and son were reunited. Together they cast down those desiring Odysseus' throne and Telemachus' birthright. • Athena's role as Mentor for Telemachus was not only to raise him, but also to develop him for responsibilities he was to assume in his lifetime. • In time, the word ‘Mentor’ became synonymous with trusted friend, confidante, guide, teacher, and wise person.
WHAT IS MENTORING? • A strategic approach to developing an apprentice/student (protege) by pairing him/her with a journeyman/teacher (mentor) who will teach, coach, counsel, sponsor & encourage the protege
MENTORING IS • A flexible concept that should reflect the unique culture & objectives of your organization which is why no two mentoring programs are the same and “off-the-shelf” programs are not as effective.
DIFFERENCES IN FORMAL & INFORMAL MENTORING INFORMAL MENTORING: • Goals unspecified • Outcomes unknown • Access limited & may exclude • Proteges/mentors self-select (chemistry) • Mentoring lasts a long time • No training/support • Organization benefits indirectly
DIFFERENCES IN FORMAL & INFORMAL MENTORING FORMAL MENTORING: • Goals established • Outcomes measured • Access open to all who qualify • Proteges/mentors paired (compatibility) • Training and support provided • Mentoring time limited (9-12 mos.) • Organization benefits directly
WHY FORMAL MENTORING? • Links skills development to strategic needs of the employer • Ensures that skills are developed • Involves professional jounreymen in process • Creates & promotes a learning atmosphere & diverse culture
NEED FOR MENTORING • A new Accenture 2000 survey of 483 employers revealed the following: • The layoffs announced in recent months have persuaded 80% of business leaders that “people issues” are more important now than in 1998. About 1/3 believe that not enough attention is being paid to human resources.
YOUR PEOPLE COUNT! • People have become the key competitive differentiator in today’s economy. But addressing these human performance or “people issues” is still a vexing management problem for many leaders regardless of location, industry or type of company. • Nearly seven out of 10 executives said retaining existing workers is “far more important than acquiring new blood.”
RETAINING GOOD PEOPLE • Employers have a strong economic motivation to retain workers instead of hiring new ones: • The cost of a replacement worker is two to three times the cost of a retained worker. • The cost increases as the salary and position of the worker to be replaced increases.
PASS IT ON, THEN RETIRE • As a plasterer or cement mason, you are training the people who will do what you do when you retire. • Encouraging your fellows who are fearful of teaching others is important for the continued well-being of your trade. • What you give away you keep!
MONEY IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT’S NOT EVERYTHING • Employers and training institutions continue to struggle with retention because they rely on salary increases & bonuses exclusively, often ignoring issues such as mentoring.
INCREASING MENTORING = REDUCING TRAINING TIME • Data from the 1999 Emerging Workforce Study shows that 35% of employees who don’t receive regular mentoring plan to look for another job within 12 months. But just 16% of those with good mentors expect to jump ship. (Business Week, March 1, 1999)
MENTORING PAYS OFF IN REDUCED COSTS • The survey pegs the cost of losing a typical worker at approximately $50,000. (Bs. Week, March 1, 1999) • The average investment per protege in a structured mentoring program of 20 protege participants is approximately $2,500. • The ROI in retaining just one employee through mentoring is substantial when considering the cost of replacing that employee using Bs. Week’s replacement cost above.
ATTRACTING NEW TALENT THROUGH MENTORING • A mentoring initiative can address the issues from the previous slide and not only lead to higher retention but also attract new talent by demonstrating a company’s commitment to professional development through mentoring.
MENTORING = EMPLOYEE SUCCESS • 40% of all new Managers hired do not meet expectations in the first 18 months of employment (Center for Creative Leadership) • LIMRA studied 2,400 newly hired life insurance agents & found 74% remained after first year if paired with a mentor vs. 64%. Sales were 15% higher also.
COACHING: AN EXCELLENT APPROACH FOR THE INDUSTRY • It should be done as a part of the job • Takes place within confines of the formal journeyman-apprentice relationship • Is job-focused • Ensures that the individual can perform the tasks required of them to the best of their ability • Relationship is finite—ends as individuals move on to work in other jobs under other line managers
Mentoring: • The boss is not the mentor • Takes place outside line manager relationship • Is focused on professional development outside of the protege’s area of work • Interest is personal; the focus is on the protege to provide support both professionally and personally • Relationship crosses job boundaries • Informally, managers may choose to do for specific, selected employees
MENTORING & BUSINESS OBJECTIVES • Excellent tool for professional development -high potential for benefit -succession planning • Supports diversity goals for: -retention -visibility & overcoming “glass ceiling”
MENTORING + TRAINING • Mentoring linked to the acquisition of needed skills/knowledge based on “actual experiences” -Partnership of training + mentor = More effective learning for Employee • Changes in employee population: -turnover, retirement, downsizing, mergers
KEY ISSUES IN MENTORING & DIVERSITY • Needed inclusiveness in both journeyman and protege populations • Insure needs of diverse proteges are met • Include diversity component in training
Making It To The Top • 47% of women of color in management say not having a mentor is a barrier to advancement. • 37% of women in corporate management say having an influential mentor is a key to success. • Making it in the trades is tougher for women also.
INFORMAL NETWORKS ARE KEY • 47% of women managers say exclusion from informal networks of communication holds women back from top management positions.
BUDDYING UP WORKS “Men can find mentors anywhere, in boardrooms, on golf courses, over conversations about sports. They were raised to work and to network, learning at early ages to cooperate with teammate and to listen to coaches. And they have a bounty of mentors and role models from which to choose”. Boston Globe, 5/9/01
WHO YOU NEED HOW TO DO IT GETTING OFF THE GROUND
Mentoring Program Manager Diversity, HR, OD, Training Credible Objective Can resolve issues well Maintains confidentiality Has support from his/her own manager Requires 3-4 hours/week, possibly Mentoring Implementation Team Stakeholders represented: Senior management protege population Mentor population Managerial population HR, Diversity, Training, OD Can bring “big picture” Knows organization well Can support program KEY PLAYERS
KEY STEPS IN CREATING A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM • PHASE 1-DESIGN • Determine strategic purpose • Get a “champion” from highest level(s) • Select an appropriate task force (6-8)
TASK FORCE WILL • Determine purpose • Create learning objectives • Choose appropriate mentoring model(s) • Create application, selection and matching process • Determine all other guidelines: length, frequency, support etc. • Review pilot results and make changes
PHASE 2-IMPLEMENTATION • Meet with protégé’s managers for orientation (2-3 hours) • Market program to appropriate population • Recruit, interview and match participants • PHASE 3-TRAINING • Train both protégées and mentors in mentoring dynamics and on your program guidelines
PHASE 4-MAINTENANCE • Program Coordinator keeps in regular contact with managers & mentoring pairs • Quarterly meetings of participants • PHASE 5-COMPLETION • Mentoring pairs transition or end relationship • Evaluation process conducted • Results lead to program changes and expansion
PROGRAM TIMELINES • Task Force: • 16-18 hours to create program • 4-6 additional hours to interview & match • Phases 1 to 3 take about 3 months • Pilots generally run 9 months to a year • Program Coordinator’s time can be up to 1/2 day a week depending on guidelines
NEEDED PAPER SUPPORT • Model document • Program descriptor • Application/selection, interview and matching forms • Mentoring agreement • Training manuals • Completion modules • Mentoring modules, if used
SIX MISTAKES TO AVOID IN YOUR PILOT • No fit • No clear-cut goals • Clear & effective guidelines • Protege & mentor criteria unclear • Failure to manage expectations • No Program Coordinator
MENTORING MODELS • One-on-one (most common) • Resource based • Training based • Mentoring circles • Combinations of above
ONE-ON-ONE MODEL • One mentor works with one protege • Peer or senior mentoring • Provides most personal relationship • Often combined with resource based model • Most common model used in companies
RESOURCE BASED MODEL • General pool of mentors available to proteges on an “as needed” basis • Less structured and more like informal • Rarely used by itself but more often combined with another model
TRAINING BASED MODEL • Linked to a training program • management training • technical training, etc. • Links classroom theoretical to “real life” experiences • Training materials of course form basis of contract and modules used
MENTORS ARE TRAINERS Adrian Spooner in his article in Management Review 1993, Mentoring & Flexible Training defines mentors as: “The catalyst in the training reaction.” In his view, the mentor “provides the human support that trainees need if they are to interact effectively with the training system.”
MENTORING CIRCLES MODEL • One mentor with several proteges • Best suited to a situation where few mentors but many proteges • Requires mentors to understand group dynamics • Does not provide the personal relationship of one-on-one • Scheduling is a difficulty
MENTORING MODULES FOR SUPPORT • Some organizations use mentoring modules to guide the pairs in their work. These modules: • Provide consistency among pairs • Reinforce learning for mentors/proteges • Provide a focus to the pairs • Help integrate mentoring to other strategic initiatives
A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM HAS • Strategic fit • Clear & effective guidelines • Credible Program Coordinator • Appropriate training for proteges/mentors • Materials that integrate and support the pairs
Company’s Business Development Process Customer Service Develop Competencies Cross-Functional Knowledge Strategic Leadership Management Skills Technical Expertise Company Culture Communication Skills Sales Personal Effectiveness Thinking “Outside The Box” Building Bridges MENTORING CONTENT
