What Motivates Mentors?

There are two main types of mentors, Leonie Stanfield, of Careertalk, suggested when we discussed this recently, mentoring from competence or mentoring for challenge. The majority mentor from competence, sharing their expertise. Stanfield, who is completing her masters in career development, believes that mentoring from competence reinforces the mentor's self-image as a good listener and someone who gives. It is powerful motivation. "Mentoring reinforces their identity and reaffirms their confidence." She said. Mentoring from competence allows one to remain in the comfort zone.

A different person values the challenge of learning and self-discovery. It's "a brave and rare person who is willing to experience mentoring from a more vulnerable place." Stanfield observed. This kind of mentor steps into the unknown, trusting the process. They understand that in facilitating another's journey to insight they uncover their own. In exploring the needs and goals of another, they reveal their own and in eliciting the values of another they examine their own. For them, mentoring is not so much an affirmation as mutual growth. They do it because they are committed to joint learning. They are learning about themselves at the same time as they assist someone else.

It is not unusual for volunteer to begin with the mentoring from competence model and move to mentoring for challenge. A shift takes place when mentors are equipped with a process for leading a conversation that does not depend on expertise in their field to produce outcomes. Introduce a framework of the mentoring conversation early in your communication to potential mentors. This will provide the security that the mentoring from competence group need and the springboard that will inspire those who will mentor for challenge. That's how mentoring works!

Why You Need To Train People For Mentoring

The purpose of training is to enable mentors and mentorees to establish effective relationships. Some programs simply introduce people and leave them to "get on with it". Occasionally, this works. But people need to know what is expected of them, how to go about it and why it is important and you need to be confident they have the skills for mentoring.

Why Train?

• Building a relationship of rapport and trust can be tricky when there are many individual differences;
• Managing people is different from mentoring people; and 
• Motivation will be critical to success.

Mentoring is different from other workplace relationships. It is professional and personal, it deals with rational and emotional motivation and it non-directive but offers guidance and advice! The paradoxical nature of mentoring needs to be understood and the key skills developed.
In addition, participants usually need ongoing personal support and reassurance. Establishing an interactive network of participants will add value. This is most likely to happen when participants meet and work together in training sessions.

Training Mentors and Mentorees

The role of the mentor, communication styles, strategies and practical techniques for applying the mentoring process can be explored in workshops. It is usually beneficial to provide mentors with an initial session separately from the mentorees so that they are able to discuss any issues candidly.

Mentorees need to be primed to make the most of the mentoring experience. Their responsibilities, communication and goal setting are topics you want to cover in their training.

Bringing mentors and mentorees together for a workshop is highly desirable. This way you can enable them to identify expectations of each other in a non-threatening group process. You can also ensure that they have a common understanding of mentoring etiquette, procedures and reporting. Being part of a group reduces the feeling of isolation and you can set up a mechanism for ongoing group contact. Within this workshop mentoring pairs can have a structured first meeting to break the ice. Debriefing the meeting as a group, you can draw out do's and don'ts for effective future meetings.

The Training Process

The process of the training is as important as the content and several issues are likely to impact on your mentoring program:

• Current management styles;
• Seniority of the mentors; and
• Introducing the mentoring role to busy people may be challenging.

Consider a range of delivery methods for education and training. You want to educate not only prospective mentors and mentorees but managers and staff not directly involved (see our webinar How to Get The Mentoring Message Across). You can do this through personal communication, management briefings, staff information sessions, print, audio-visual or web-based push/pull resources. Push resources are those you email out and pull is material that is on the internet for them to access that you have to draw them to.

Effective mentoring results from a set of attitudes, behaviours, skills and motivation. Training, complemented by ongoing support and follow-up, significantly increases your return on investment. That's how mentoring works.

Extract from; Rolfe, A. (2006) How To Design And Run Your Own Mentoring Program. Mentoring Works.

Vincent asks:

Vincent’s Question:

Recently a well established professional's organization (one that I pay yearly dues for) connected me with a mentor as part of their offering.

As it turned out, the mentor was not commited to what I consider the special relationship of mentor / mentee. After about a month of initial conversation, his interest was clearly as a payed consultant if my company would hire him!

I was dissapointed to say the least. Especially that I've grown so much in my lifetime by mentors. How do I avoid this in the future?

Thanks,

Vincent

Ann’s Answer:

Hello Vincent,

How disappointing! However, this is not the first time I've heard of this kind of situation. You can't avoid the disappointment but you can and clearly did avoid being taken advantage of. I recommend three actions. If you have not already done so, express your disappointment to your professional organisation. If they are offering mentoring, in my view, they have a responsibility for some form of quality control and will value your feedback. They probably have a code of ethics or guidelines for mentors. Likewise, provide feedback to the mentor. He may not realise the conflict of interest of seeking business from a mentoring role. Finally, remember all your positive experiences and don't let this one jade you. The vast majority of mentors are motivated primarily by a desire to give.

Regards,

Ann Rolfe

Mentoring Works

www.mentoring-works.com

Michael Asks: How do I convince mentees that contacting their mentor is not 'bothering them'?

Answer: Provide evidence from mentors that they enjoy, value and welcome contact.

If mentees are told, clearly and unequivocally that contact is welcome, expected and their responsibility, they will do it.

It may come as a surprise to those mentored that mentors do, in fact, get something out of mentoring. Your job is to act as a go-between to get this message across.

Collect testimonials or quotes from mentors in previous programs right from the beginning. Include quotes from current mentors in a regular newsletter or email to participants. Reiterate the message in your personal contact with each participant. Monitor the frequency of mentor-mentoree contact and discuss it with both parties.

Regards,

Ann Rolfe

Mentoring Works

www.mentoring-works.com

Donna asks: How do I ensure mentees remain committed?

Answer: Talk to them often.

Two-way communication keeps people engaged. If they are ignored they easily fade away.

Have personal contact with each participant as well as mass communication with all participants. Find out what's going well and what's not. Be there for them and provide assistance where needed.

Use all available mechanisms to deliver information and obtain feedback, frequently. Get face to face if you can. Pick up the phone, email and send hard copy. Supplement personal contact with newsletters, articles and general circulars. Encourage networking. If you can, have social events. Celebrate successes and publicise them within and outside the organization. Run workshops or group meetings on topics they nominate.

Regards,

Ann Rolfe

Mentoring Works

www.mentoring-works.com