Mentoring Program Implementation: Best Practices
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Presentation Transcript
Mentoring Program Implementation: Best Practices Mentoring Program Success September 12, 2011 v.3
“Outstanding mentoring programs don’t just happen. They are the result of careful planning and consideration to a number of details.” -Kathy Simmons, noted mentoring expert and author
Clarity Around the Program’s Purpose • Be clear about both the purpose for offering mentoring, and the target audience. • Ensure the program’s design - including format, enrollment, matching, and timeframe - supports clarity of purpose. • Involve key stakeholders and sponsors in decisions/approval around purpose and positioning, including: • Overarching goal of program • How program will be positioned (e.g., talent development strategy, knowledge transfer initiative) • Whether or not program will be transparent • Whether internal or external mentors will be used
Tactical Approach to Design & Implementation Set-up Phase – Make decisions, develop content relative to… 5-phase model • Program coordinator or committee • Program structure • For example: 12-months, cross-culture, 1:1, etc. • Program policies (and policy document) • Expectations • Confidentiality • Mismatches • Voluntary or involuntary de-selection • Communication • Roll-out plan • Matching criteria and selection (process) • Lynchpin criteria = Alignment with program goals • Best practice = integration of formal matching and personal preferences • Orientation/training for participants • Evaluation tools and process
Advocacy by Top Leadership/Sponsors • Top leadership should value and promote mentoring by such actions as: • Advocating benefits at meetings and other forums • Receptivity to time allowances for participation by mentors and mentees • Being the sponsor “face” or “voice” of mentoring in communication vehicles • Kicking off or participating in mentoring networking activities
Consideration of Program Maintenance Needs • Program coordinator/committee work doesn’t end once the program is launched. • A point of accountability (individual or committee) is needed during post-launch period as mentors and mentees participate. • A contact person is needed during the program’s time period to handle potential issues, such as: • Administrative-related (e.g., schedule/facilitate quarterly networking events, trigger 6-month participant survey) • Participant-related (e.g., mentoring pair mismatch, breach of confidentiality)
Commitment by Participants • Communicate the importance and value of the program to participants (mentees, mentors). • Provide support for success through orientation materials and events (e.g., tools, resources, troubleshooting contact). • Ensure participants are committed to the process. • Identify/respond to emerging factors that compete for participants’ time (e.g., higher priorities, unexpected projects, less than fully engaged mentoring partners). • Recognize that all situations cannot be rectified; expect some program drop out.
Support from Mentees’ Leaders • Engaging the leaders of mentees is essential. • Reach out; Include mentees’ leaders in the communication loop. • Solicit mentees’ leaders input on program progress and satisfaction. • Help mentees’ leaders understand the value or “return on investment” of mentoring to the individual, department and organization.
Thoughtful Matching Philosophy & Process Three Categories Of Criteria Examples of Activities to Support Matching * Posting online bios and photos to support identifying preferences * Pre-matching get acquainted events, such as a mixer fashioned after “speed dating”
Creativity in Meeting Mentee Development Goals • Encourage and support a variety of ways for mentee development, such as: • Job Shadowing • Training workshop • After session assignment – e.g., read an article and identify key points , interview an expert and capture , • Lessons-learned session • Storytelling • Leader- or learner-as-teacher – i.e., the mentee presents or teaches a topic at a professional association meeting, for example
When Mentoring Doesn’t Work: Top Reasons From “Creating a Mentoring Culture” by Lois Zachary, leading mentoring consultant • Time commitment issues (related to mentor, mentee or program coordinator) • Untested assumptions (varied/divergent assumptions about the program’s purpose, roles and expectations) • Poorly defined or lack of an overarching goal for the initiative • Inadequate preparation and support for mentors and mentees • Failure to continuously evaluate progress, satisfaction levels, etc. • Lack of thoughtful pairing of mentors and mentees • Failure to incorporate lessons-learned