Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
SlideShare a Scribd company logo

A Guide to Strategic Mentoring

•
•
TMA World
TMA World

Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship to promote the professional and personal growth of a mentee. A mentor provides essential information, gives feedback, encourages, provides emotional support and promotes their mentee to others whenever possible. Effective strategic mentoring can improve the development of high potentials and improve the global interoperability of your organization. Strategic Mentor is one of the Learning Paths we offer within our One World Curriculum, which delivers thought leadership in Managerial, Global and Virtual Capabilities. We offer radical flexibility by utilizing virtual classrooms, e-learning, webcasts, apps, forums and other online tools, such as the Country Navigator. Contact us today to find out more: enquiries@tmaworld.com

1 of 3
The Strategic Mentor How to make your mentoring relationships a success Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship to promote the professional and personal growth of a mentee. A mentor provides essential information, gives feedback, encourages, provides emotional support and promotes their mentee to others whenever possible. Benefits of mentoring to the mentor Professional gains through greater intelligence/information and career enhancement, personal gains through psychological reward, enhanced reputation as trusted advisor and an increase and sharpening of skills needed to be an effective mentor. Benefits of mentoring to the mentee Greater expertise, a valued relationship with their mentor, fresh perspectives, increased self esteem, personal satisfaction, recognition and an expanded professional network. To make your mentoring relationship as effective and as valuable as it can be, pay attention to the following four key areas and adopt the following winning tips. What can you do to improve the ‘fit’ between you and your mentee? While it may not be possible to develop a clear cut formula to inform the matching of mentor and mentee, there are certain considerations that will help the chances of learning for both parties. Those responsible for matching should consider whether similarities or differences will support learning or make the relationship unviable. The extent to which the mentor and mentee are able to tolerate differences is key, particularly those relating to personal values and beliefs. Here are a few things you can do to enable ‘fit’:  Discover your similarities – for example, shared experiences - and build on them. Similarity is a strong foundation for building rapport  Discover your differences in style, experience and viewpoints and build on them. Create value from them by exploring different approaches and devising new ones – difference is a strong foundation for learning  Be tolerant of uncertainty and accept different approaches from your mentee. With this philosophy both mentor and mentee can gain immensely  Hold periodical meetings that reviews your personal mentor-mentee relationship. Page 1 © Transnational Management Associates Ltd. | www.tmaworld.com
“My mentor is so busy and time poor, so how can she really help me achieve my goals?” What can you do to manage your mentee’s expectations? Fundamental to the success of a mentoring relationship is a shared understanding of expectations and conflicting viewpoints will be avoided with open discussions from the outset. These tasks should be completed at the first meeting. Define…  Roles in the mentoring relationship  Limits that you may have for the relationship. Discuss...  Time constraints that might impact the mentoring relationship  What you have to offer the relationship, e.g. Knowledge, skills, resources, etc.  Why you both want to be in a mentoring relationship. Agree…  Goals and objectives for the mentoring relationship  Frequency and duration of contact time each month  How you will both deal with confidentiality issues  How you will provide each other with regular feedback and evaluate progress  Preferred ways of interacting: Phone calls, email, or face-to-face. “Will my mentor be a role model?” What roles should you be fulfilling as a mentor? Mentoring is a complex activity requiring a variety of roles. Principle to mentoring are the following:  The advisor: Give encouragement and feedback to your mentee and help with the acquisition of skills and abilities. To do this role effectively, ensure you establish your mentee’s learning goals and career targets.  The networker: Help your mentee develop essential connections and use your network to support and promote their ambitions. To do this role, identify where your network ties in and provides opportunities for your mentee.  The counselor: Develop your mentee’s abilities and coping strategies to handle challenges, overcome obstacles, and improve recognized weaknesses. Do this by listening sympathetically and understanding the nature of support to offer. Page 2 © Transnational Management Associates Ltd. | www.tmaworld.com
 The role model: Be the living example from whom your mentee will learn. Live this role by always demonstrating exemplary behaviors, sharing experiences and providing shadowing opportunities “With only a few hours of contact each month, how can we build the kind of trust we both would like?” What can you do to build trust and establish rapport with your mentee? Rapport and trust are key components of building a strong, effective relationship with mentees. Good mentors establish rapport quickly and build trust over time. Day-to-day  Honor all scheduled meetings and calls  Adhere to your agreed boundaries of confidentiality  Promote your mentee, put in a good word, seek out opportunities. During meetings and conversations  Adapt to overcome difference, whether cultural, personality, or learning style  Be open-minded and state that ‘no question is a bad question’  Demonstrate a continual interest in the mentoring relationship  Listen carefully to your mentee and remember what they say (keep a journal)  Know your mentee’s needs: Ask open questions and funnel questions and check your understanding  Share your personal thoughts and reflections  Seek feedback on your performance as a mentor. What participants say about TMA World’s Strategic Mentoring solution: “Makes me want to increase my efforts …to spend time with my mentees” “I now have a clearer view and a structure” “I now know what to avoid” “Gave good insights” About us… TMA World is a leader in enterprise-wide management training solutions. To find out more about strategic mentoring or to enquire about other solutions contact us today: enquiries@tmaworld.com Page 3 © Transnational Management Associates Ltd. | www.tmaworld.com

More Related Content

A Guide to Strategic Mentoring

  • 1. The Strategic Mentor How to make your mentoring relationships a success Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship to promote the professional and personal growth of a mentee. A mentor provides essential information, gives feedback, encourages, provides emotional support and promotes their mentee to others whenever possible. Benefits of mentoring to the mentor Professional gains through greater intelligence/information and career enhancement, personal gains through psychological reward, enhanced reputation as trusted advisor and an increase and sharpening of skills needed to be an effective mentor. Benefits of mentoring to the mentee Greater expertise, a valued relationship with their mentor, fresh perspectives, increased self esteem, personal satisfaction, recognition and an expanded professional network. To make your mentoring relationship as effective and as valuable as it can be, pay attention to the following four key areas and adopt the following winning tips. What can you do to improve the ‘fit’ between you and your mentee? While it may not be possible to develop a clear cut formula to inform the matching of mentor and mentee, there are certain considerations that will help the chances of learning for both parties. Those responsible for matching should consider whether similarities or differences will support learning or make the relationship unviable. The extent to which the mentor and mentee are able to tolerate differences is key, particularly those relating to personal values and beliefs. Here are a few things you can do to enable ‘fit’:  Discover your similarities – for example, shared experiences - and build on them. Similarity is a strong foundation for building rapport  Discover your differences in style, experience and viewpoints and build on them. Create value from them by exploring different approaches and devising new ones – difference is a strong foundation for learning  Be tolerant of uncertainty and accept different approaches from your mentee. With this philosophy both mentor and mentee can gain immensely  Hold periodical meetings that reviews your personal mentor-mentee relationship. Page 1 © Transnational Management Associates Ltd. | www.tmaworld.com
  • 2. “My mentor is so busy and time poor, so how can she really help me achieve my goals?” What can you do to manage your mentee’s expectations? Fundamental to the success of a mentoring relationship is a shared understanding of expectations and conflicting viewpoints will be avoided with open discussions from the outset. These tasks should be completed at the first meeting. Define…  Roles in the mentoring relationship  Limits that you may have for the relationship. Discuss...  Time constraints that might impact the mentoring relationship  What you have to offer the relationship, e.g. Knowledge, skills, resources, etc.  Why you both want to be in a mentoring relationship. Agree…  Goals and objectives for the mentoring relationship  Frequency and duration of contact time each month  How you will both deal with confidentiality issues  How you will provide each other with regular feedback and evaluate progress  Preferred ways of interacting: Phone calls, email, or face-to-face. “Will my mentor be a role model?” What roles should you be fulfilling as a mentor? Mentoring is a complex activity requiring a variety of roles. Principle to mentoring are the following:  The advisor: Give encouragement and feedback to your mentee and help with the acquisition of skills and abilities. To do this role effectively, ensure you establish your mentee’s learning goals and career targets.  The networker: Help your mentee develop essential connections and use your network to support and promote their ambitions. To do this role, identify where your network ties in and provides opportunities for your mentee.  The counselor: Develop your mentee’s abilities and coping strategies to handle challenges, overcome obstacles, and improve recognized weaknesses. Do this by listening sympathetically and understanding the nature of support to offer. Page 2 © Transnational Management Associates Ltd. | www.tmaworld.com
  • 3. The role model: Be the living example from whom your mentee will learn. Live this role by always demonstrating exemplary behaviors, sharing experiences and providing shadowing opportunities “With only a few hours of contact each month, how can we build the kind of trust we both would like?” What can you do to build trust and establish rapport with your mentee? Rapport and trust are key components of building a strong, effective relationship with mentees. Good mentors establish rapport quickly and build trust over time. Day-to-day  Honor all scheduled meetings and calls  Adhere to your agreed boundaries of confidentiality  Promote your mentee, put in a good word, seek out opportunities. During meetings and conversations  Adapt to overcome difference, whether cultural, personality, or learning style  Be open-minded and state that ‘no question is a bad question’  Demonstrate a continual interest in the mentoring relationship  Listen carefully to your mentee and remember what they say (keep a journal)  Know your mentee’s needs: Ask open questions and funnel questions and check your understanding  Share your personal thoughts and reflections  Seek feedback on your performance as a mentor. What participants say about TMA World’s Strategic Mentoring solution: “Makes me want to increase my efforts …to spend time with my mentees” “I now have a clearer view and a structure” “I now know what to avoid” “Gave good insights” About us… TMA World is a leader in enterprise-wide management training solutions. To find out more about strategic mentoring or to enquire about other solutions contact us today: enquiries@tmaworld.com Page 3 © Transnational Management Associates Ltd. | www.tmaworld.com