Mentoring And Protégé

Mentoring And Protégé

WHAT IS MENTORING? • A developmental relationship that partners an experienced person (mentor) with a less experienced person (protégé) • Sharing knowledge and insights learned through years of experience, the mentor offers the protégé insight and guidance to do their job more effectively or to progress in their career.

WHAT CAN MENTORING PROVIDE? • Mentoring can create partnerships for • Personal growth • Professional development • Transfer of knowledge and expertise

Mentoring….. An open vista of new experiences and possibilities… • Mentor…. • Desires to share “life experiences” • Supports the needs and aspirations of a protégé • Encourages the protégé to accept challenges and overcome difficulties • Willing to spend time with the protégé • Positive role model • Protégé represents… • The future of an organization • The insurance that a well-trained, high-quality workforce will be ready to meet long-term organizational needs • A wide range of individuals in terms of age and work experience

Five Essentials To Successful Mentoring • Respect • Trust • Partnership Building • Realistic Expectations • and Self Perception • Time • It’s about Relationship

Attributes of the Relationship • The Mentoring relationship is a personal one • You must be comfortable with this person • You must be honest with this person • You must trust this person • You must be willing to let this person see you at your best and at your worst. • Protégé and Mentor need to be committed to developing the relationship • You need to meet with your Mentor on a regular basis • You need to keep him/her aware of what is going on • Recommend that you not go more than 3 months without contacting your Mentor It’s all about relationship

Protégé • Shape the overall agenda for the relationship – know what you want! • Establish realistic and attainable expectations. • Be open in communicating with your mentor. • Don’t expect your mentor to know everything. • Solicit feedback from your mentor. • Come prepared each meeting to discuss issues. • Be willing to invest 2-3 hours a month on the relationship • Be prepared to take advantage of exposure and visibility provided by your Mentor • You must be willing to end the relationship when it no longer works for you.

Mentoring and Protégé • Identify roles the mentor can play to help the protégé achieve goals. • Develop an action plan to achieve goals. • Determine level of structure in the relationship. • Communicate on a regular basis. • Set milestones to monitor success. • Set the agenda for each meeting. • Schedule formal meetings and cancel only when absolutely necessary. • Establish guidelines for telephone calls; i.e., calls at home are or aren’t acceptable.

Finding A Mentor That’s Right For You • Look for someone who has knowledge and business experience in areas you don’t. • Make sure the mentor you choose desires to be a mentor. A mentoring relationship requires consent by both parties. • Look for what you can offer the mentor – make the relationship mutually beneficial. • Consider important “Matching variables” such as personality, communication style, personal values and career interests

Protégé Styles Protégés will likely have one of 3 types of relationship styles: • Secure • more than likely to be trusting and comfortable; pursue mentorship more than other groups. • Avoidant • do not easily trust others and generally spurn close relationships…..difficult to bond with mentor. • Preoccupied • respond with ambivalence to mentoring….unsure about whether they can rely on others to come through for them…..enjoy mentoring and guidance they receive. • Mentors must reflect on these relational styles, adjust their expectations, and approach mentoring accordingly

Checklist : Are You Ready For A Mentor? Rank yourself from 1 to 3 on the following issues. 1=Uncertain 3=Very Certain • I know the kind of mentor I want. • I’m willing to accept a mentor’s help if it is appropriate. • I’m a good listener. I hear what the other person is saying. • I’m a good follower. • I can be counted on to carry out commitments. • I learn most things fast. • I’d be willing to speak up (diplomatically) if I disagree with a mentor. • I’m good at thanking and showing appreciation to people who help me. • I feel that my “entrepreneurship potential” is high and I’d be a good risk as a protégé.

FOR THE PROTÉGÉ - MENTORING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT • A Mentor Can… • Help you determine if your goals are achievable • Help you find alternatives • Help to open doors for you • Help you feel more comfortable with the environment and NAVY culture • Discussing Your Goals With Your Mentor… • Is easier when you clearly document them • Is more meaningful and constructive when your mentor can see both your goals and your developmental plan • Helps you to think through your goals and your plan

Summary • Your Personal Development is Your Responsibility • Being a good Protégé takes effort • Opportunities exist for you, you just need to find them and be prepared to take advantage of them • As soon as you find your Mentor, you need to find a Protégé.

Quotes “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” “Successful people turn everyone who can help them into sometime mentors.” John Crosby “Mentoring is all about people…..it’s about caring, it’s about relationships and sensitivity. As it becomes increasingly in vogue it is becoming too formulated….. concerned with performance metrics, critical success factors, investment and spending. It will be a disaster.” Rene Carayol

Backup

For the mentor Sharpen management, leadership, and interpersonal skills Expand professional network Personal satisfaction For the protégé Learning and professional growth Assistance with career planning Expanded professional network MENTORING BENEFITS Mentors and Proteges should expect to spend about 2-3 hours a month on the relationship

Myths About the Mentor/Protégé Relationship • Mentors are going out of style. • It is best if mentors are older than protégés. • Mentor/protégé relationships need to be close and last a long time. • The relationship benefits the protégé more than the mentor. • A person cannot have more than one mentor or protégé. At a time. • Healthy mentor/protégé relationships won’t run into difficulties. • Mentors are the easy way of getting ahead.

Origins of the Term “Mentor” (One Version) In Ancient Africa, prior to the time of the Greek and Roman invasions, when a child was born, each village shared the responsibility for raising and educating the child into the customs and traditions associated with that village. This practice continues today and has become the rallying mantra: “It takes a village to raise a child.” But a more detailed examination of this ancient practice revealed that while the child had contact with every member of the village, there was always one older child (not a family member) who would be assigned the responsibility to ask questions and listen carefully to the younger child. In Swahili (one of the oldest languages on our planet), this questioning person was called “Habari gani menta” which, in English means, the person who asks “What’s happening?”

Formal or Informal Mentor? • Informal Mentoring is the most common form of mentoring and can be done by a supervisor, family member or co-worker. • Viewed as spontaneous, exclusive and reliant upon the “chemistry” between mentor and protégé. • Formal Mentoring is accomplished by a deliberate pairing of protégé and mentor in order to develop specific skills and competencies • Save informal mentoring for those you are “familiar” with and leverage formal mentoring to gain access to those you are less familiar with.

A Mentor….. • Knows enough to help you through challenging times • Sees your potential- sometimes before you see it yourself • Asks you questions about “What’s happening?”

Attributes of the Relationship • You both need to be committed to developing the relationship • You need to meet with your Mentor on a regular basis • You need to keep him/her aware of what is going on • Recommend that you not go more than 3 months without contacting your Mentor

Attributes of the Relationship • You must be willing to end the relationship when it no longer works for you. • It is okay to change mentors • It is not easy, but it can be done tactfully

Roles that Mentors Play • Trusted Counselor • Teacher or Tutor • Coach • Motivator • Sponsor • Referral Agent • Role Model Sometimes You Need More Than One

Your Personal Network • Your Personal network can be an extension of your Mentor relationship • Your Mentor should play a vital role in helping you develop your Network (Referral Agent)

How Do I Build This Network? • Maintain a great reputation!!! • Your good work (and a little effort) will make room for you. • Volunteer for Corporate Projects • Get exposure • Take advantage of ALL opportunities…..Introduce Yourself • Get introductions from your Mentor, Supervisor and Friends.

Mentor Roles and Responsibilities • Provide guidance based on past business experiences. • Create a positive counseling relationship and climate of open communication. • Help protégé identify problems and solutions. • Lead protégé through problem solving processes. • Offer constructive criticism in a supportive way. • Share stories and mistakes. • Assign “homework” if applicable. • Refer protégé to other business associates. • Be honest about business expertise. • Solicit feedback from protégé. • Come prepared to each meeting to discuss issues.

Mentoring And Protégé