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.