Mentoring in the WorkPlace

PKDobbins R.N., M.S.Executive CHN Director

Hendry and Glades County Health Departments

Mentoring assists protégés on a Transitional Journey by:

Support

Challenge

Vision

Support affirms the validity of the protégé’s present experience. Transition requires a trusting relationship for courage to “take a leap”.

Methods of Support Listening, Hearing,

Understanding Providing structure Expressing positive expectation Serving as an advocate Sharing him/herself

Challenge: To “open the gap” between protégé and environment.

Engaging in discussions that perturb the protégé’s assumptions

Heating up dichotomies—present black and white choices

Constructing competing hypotheses

Setting high standards

Setting tasks

Vision: helping protégé apprehend a different reality Keeping tradition

Modeling

Offering a map or developmental schema

Suggesting a new language

Providing a “mirror” to extend self-awareness

The Hierarchy of Mentoring

Level Mentor Activity

Protégé Benefit

Mentor Invest.

I Teaching Organ. Skills, inside info.

Time

II Counseling/Support

Enhanced sense of self/confi-dence

SelfEmotion

Hierarcy continued

Level Mentor Activity

Protégé Benefit

Mentor Invest.

III Organiza. Intervent.

Intercedes on protégé’s behalf

Organ. Relations/Reputation

IV Sponsoring

Recomm.Responsiiblity/promo.

Reputation/Career

Level I-Teaching “the job” Imparts a feel for the job, knowledge

o skills needed and info on trends. Shows best methods for managing

people in the organization Draws organizational map: transfers

info about politics, personalities, presentation of self. Transmit info. About classified data.

Teaching continued Career Guidance: provides

picture of career paths available inside and outside the corp.

Redirecting: realistically looking at skill, skill potential and suitability.

Level II—Personal Support Psychological Support: To

overcome pressures/strains accompanying transition to positions of greater responsibility. Accentuates positive factors/new position. Imparts perspective.

Personal Support…..

Confidence Building: Through various attitude and behavioral methods

Assistance with personal life: Deal with family pressures, personal Dilemmas, and conflicts that interfere with job performance.

Level III—Organizational Intervention

Protection: intervening in conflicts and situations that endanger organizational advancements. Protégé’s careers are often negatively affected by weak or threatened supervisors/ staff requiring mentor intervention. Mitigate negative career effects of reorganization/merger.

Organizational Intervention Market the Candidate: advertises

protégé’s good qualities and skills to senior management. Helps gain visibility at in-house interfaces and outside meetings. Protégé does not seem self-promoting.

Access to resources: Mentor uses his position to access resources, supply and communication lines that would ordinarily be unavailable.

Level IV—Sponsoring Direct: Increase title, expansion of

function, manipulation of political factors.

Indirect: Admission to in-house training, programs; key management programs; obtain appointments, seat on boards, etc.

Comparison of Mentored vs. Unmentored Groups

Category Mentored Unmentored

Managerial Position

More likely to have an authority position/closer to central control

Few v/p’s-, lack of control over personnel, budget or resources

OrganizationalAwareness

High recog. re-quire to climb

Mystified about promotion/advancement

Comparison Continued

Organizationalknowledge

Knows org. structure, dynamics, personalities

Lower Awareness & intricacies of organization

Commitment Feels closer to org. goals—career minded

Lacks connectedness to culture—high turnover

Job Satisfaction

Richer work experience

Low profile, non return on performance

Comparison Continued

Career Planning

Clear objectives & goals

No career map; vague goals

Optimism High Lower career expectations

Factors in Selecting a Mentor ?good at what he does? ?good teacher? ?good motivator? ?responsive to my needs/goals? ?what are mentor’s needs and

goals?

Factors continued

?how does organization judge the mentor?

?Is the mentor getting support? ?How powerful is the mentor? ?Is the mentor secure in his

own position?

Strategies Employed to Attract a Mentor

Competence-possessed/demonstrated

Achieving visibility Getting key assignments Showing a desire to learn Taking advantage of key interfaces

Strategies continued

Willingness to help mentor accomplish his goal

Taking the initiative Making self accessible Ability to express the need

What Mentors Look For……. Intelligence Ambition Loyalty Ability to perform the mentor’s job Similar perception of work and

organization Commitment of organization

Mentors look for continued Organizational Savvy Positive perception of the protégé

by the organization Ability to establish alliances Ability to express need/goals of

mentorship

Mentoring is not limited to novice workers. Mentoring is lifelong growth: as a mentor or mentee.