How to construct a mentoring network that delivers results

Define Goals and Expectations

Before you can find the right mentors, you have to define what you want them to teach you “do you want technical or strategic expertise? Narrow your list to four or five objectives, any more, and you will have trouble taking in what your mentors have to offer then approach those you would like to have as mentors. Whenever someone agrees to mentor you, clarify expectation up front. For each mentor in your network, spell out what you’d like to learn from him or her and agree on how often  you will talk and how will be in charge of scheduling the meetings keep in mind that you may have a stronger or more intensive relationship with some members of your network than with others

Make every Mentoring relationship reciprocal

The old model of mentoring was a one way street. The mentor might receives satisfaction from teaching but that was simply a by product of the process. Hence, the new model is one of reciprocity both members of a mentoring relationship have teachable knowledge. The mentor and protégé may agree at the start to spend 80% of their time on the protégés need and 20% on the mentors in order to get the most out of the relationship

Regularly Evaluate Progress                   

In every mentoring relationship, chemistry comes into play. Do the two parties click? Similarities in background, experience, or personality can help forge an initial connection, just as they do in personal relationships but the connection between two people can also develop from a shared commitment to the mentoring relationships   

           

Hints And Tips; What To Do And What Not To Do in Mentoring

Plan and prepare

Take time to plan before the meeting (to ensure that you are clear about what is expected of you in this meeting, what you were meant to have done beforehand and what the key areas might be for discussion at the meeting.) Preparation will ensure that the time you have together is best used and not spent agreeing what it is that you will discuss.

Be clear about roles

Be very clear about what you will and won’t do for the mentee. This will be part of the initial contract but it will also be worth reminding the mentee as time goes along, so that they are not relying on you to do all the work. Initially you may want to be more directive and more involved but ultimately you want them to be empowered to make their own contacts, take their own actions and do things without you.

Set and measure clear outcomes

How will you know whether you are doing a good job, unless you agree with the mentee what they want to achieve and then review/measure throughout the relationship how they are achieving against these targets? Mentoring is not just an opportunity to discuss things with more senior people and to learn a little about ourselves but also to tackle and achieve some personal challenges. It is important to agree some realistic goals early, to set the focus of the relationship, even if these do change over time. A PDP is a helpful way of doing this.

Be both formal and informal

You will need to be able to strike the balance between formality and informality. Ultimately you want the relationship to develop in its own way but remember there are some organizational boundaries that must be adhered to and some business reasons for this mentoring programme.

Focus on opportunities, not problems

Although mentoring is about helping mentees with their problems, it is also about helping them identify their strengths and development needs and then to identify and manage opportunities to develop them. It is important to ensure that the mentoring conversations are not just based around problem solving of immediate business issues and are focused on the individual and their wider career concerns.

Keep appropriate records

It is important for both parties to keep records of what was discussed and agreed and what is to be achieved for the next meeting. This does not have to be on any additional formal documentation but it is helpful to have a small list to review at each session – this then is helpful when reviewing what is being gained from the relationship, at a later date.

Establish and re-establish rapport

If two people do not ‘click’ in the first two meetings, it is unlikely that the mentoring relationship will carry on as effectively as it might and it is important to remember that not all mentoring relationships will work out. It is very important to recognise this early, so that the pairings can be changed, to ensure that the mentee is linked up with someone that they are more compatible with. This does not show a failing on the mentor’s part, infact quite the opposite as changing the pairings early will ensure mentoring success in the longer run.

Make time

All mentoring relationships suffer from lack of time and diary pressures. People often chosen as mentors are the ones that are in most demand and so have even more pressure on their diaries and time. It is important that as mentors that you commit to giving up a certain amount of time each week and that you want to do this – forcing yourself to meet your mentor when you have other things on your mind, will not be helpful for either of you. Good mentors are willing to invest the time in developing other people and feel that it is an excellent use of their time and so block out time easily for this.

Encourage independence

Dependency is unhealthy for both parties. In the long run, the hope of any successful mentor is to ensure that your mentee/protégé has the confidence to go it alone and to achieve their career aspirations without you. It is unhealthy to do everything for the mentee (although they might be grateful for this at the beginning of your relationship) as ultimately you will be developing an individual to do as you do and not to think independently, without you. When you then suggest closing the formal relationship, this could cause more issues for the mentee that you may have solved during your relationship.

Recognize that all good mentoring relationships come to an end

‘It is essential that every mentoring relationship is seen from the start as a temporary alignment. Elements of it may exist, in the form of mutual aid and friendship, for many years after, but there must be clear starting and finishing points.’ (Clutterbuck 2004.) A good indication of when to finish a relationship is when the mentee has achieved their short and medium term goals and are operating quite independently or one or both parties feel that the relationship is no longer beneficial to them. This is a good sign and will indicate to the mentor that they have done a sound mentoring job, as the mentee is now more able and more confident about creating their own opportunities for the future.