mentoring delivers results

Aidan Harney, Chartered FCIPD

CPD Director, Engineers Ireland

The processes that promote effective mentoring

How to become a CPD Accredited Employer

Mandatory for Accreditation

1. Internal CPD Committee

2. CPD Policy

3. Performance Management & Development System

4. Formal CPD – minimum 5 days average p.a. recorded

5. Mentoring for Professional Development

6. Linkages with Professional Institutions / Learned Bodies

7. Knowledge Sharing activities

8. Evaluation of impact of CPD

A framework for driving strategy through CPD

Cork

Galway

Cavan Co. Council

Leixlip

Ringaskiddy

Pharmaceuticals

Galway

Medical Solutions Diagnostics Manufacturing Ltd

Biomedical Engineering Dept.

RPS Consulting Engineers (Northern Region)

Waterman

Waterford County Council

Clare County Council

WDR & RT TAGGART

Consulting Engineers

Abbott Ireland Pharmaceutical Operations

Meath County Council

Brinny

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Review

• The difficulty of a definition

Review

Career Functions Psychosocial FunctionsSponsorship Role modeling

Exposure-and-visibility Acceptance-and-confirmation

Coaching Counseling

Protection Friendship

Challenging Assignment

The functions of mentoring (Kram 1988)

REVIEW

• Coaching vs Mentoring

Mentoring Coaching

FOCUS:“WHAT TO”

MODE:THOUGHT

GENERAL

FOCUS:“HOW TO”

MODE:ACTION

SPECIFIC

The mentoring-coaching continuum

Mentoring Coaching

FOCUS:“WHAT TO”

MODE:THOUGHT

GENERAL

FOCUS:“HOW TO”

MODE:ACTION

SPECIFIC

The mentoring-coaching continuum

Review

• Considerable disagreement on the essential functions of mentoring

• Development (CPD) and knowledge exchange

Review

• Competence-based approach

• Lacks empirical research

• Lots of it!

Competence model

1. Listening Skills

2. Questioning Skills

3. Can give feedback

4. Is self-aware

5. Is approachable

Competence model

• Suggests communications skills are the most important

• No empirical evidence for this

Review

• Typology-model

• Schools and styles: traditional, formal, informal

• Again, lovely concept – not much help for the practitioner or for HR support

Review

• A shift in more recent research

• The specific micro-level processes and behaviours that have been found to make mentoring more effective

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Research

Question:

“What processes are perceived to improve the effectiveness of

mentoring in adult dyads?”

Research

• Insights into ‘lived’ experience

• Qualitative sample

• In-depth interviews 5-25 individuals

• Identify commonalities

Research

• 10 mentors and 10 mentees (10 pairs)

• >18

• Participants in ‘effective’ mentoring

• For more than six months

• Fluent in English

• Volunteers

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Results

• 11 sub-strands

• 4 major themes

• The essences of the processes that promote effective mentoring in adult pairs

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Mostly a non-directive intervention

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Most a non-directive intervention

1. Development-orientated process1 - a CPD-centred discourseDiscussion of training/CPD, development objectives, career development, assisted with transition, assisted with change , felt motivated

2 - reciprocal learningMentor learned from the process , mentor reflected on own career

3 - identifiable outcomesLearned something , fresh perspective , increased self-awareness, gained fresh insight, understand bigger picture

1. Development-orientated process1 - a CPD-centred discourseDiscussion of training/CPD, development objectives, career development, assisted with transition, assisted with change, felt motivated

2 - reciprocal learningMentor learned from the process , mentor reflected on own career

3 - identifiable outcomesLearned something , fresh perspective , increased self-awareness, gained fresh insight, understand bigger picture

1. Development-orientated process1 - a CPD-centred discourseDiscussion of training/CPD, development objectives, career development, assisted with transition, assisted with change, felt motivated

2 - reciprocal learningMentor learned from the process, mentor reflected on own career

3 - identifiable outcomesLearned something , fresh perspective , increased self-awareness, gained fresh insight, understand bigger picture

1. Development-orientated process1 - a CPD-centred discourseDiscussion of training/CPD, development objectives, career development, assisted with transition, assisted with change, felt motivated

2 - reciprocal learningMentor learned from the process, mentor reflected on own career

3 - identifiable outcomesLearned something, fresh perspective, increased self-awareness, gained fresh insight, understand bigger picture

Thoughts?

• Is mentoring a missing link in CPD?

• Skill-based learning (Skills)

• Cognitive learning (Knowledge)

• Affective learning (Behaviour)

• The real power of mentoring is in the development of insights

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Most a non-directive intervention

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Most a non-directive intervention

2. Professional friendship process1 - rapportInvolves chat, coffee/tea, commonalities, trust is felt, there is a good fit, they get on, admiration, shared understanding , humour, easy to talk to

2 - relational abilitiesMentor is approachable, is a skilled listener, has good social/people skills, has good communication skills, mentoring involves friendship

3 - emotional abilitiesMentor requires emotional maturity, has capacity for empathy, can handle emotions, handling difficult situations

2. Professional friendship process1 - rapportInvolves chat, coffee/tea, commonalities, trust is felt, there is a good fit, they get on, admiration, shared understanding , humour, easy to talk to

2 - relational abilitiesMentor is approachable, is a skilled listener, has good social/people skills, has good communication skills, mentoring involves friendship

3 - emotional abilitiesMentor requires emotional maturity, has capacity for empathy, can handle emotions, handling difficult situations

2. Professional friendship process1 - rapportInvolves chat, coffee/tea, commonalities, trust is felt, there is a good fit, they get on, admiration, shared understanding , humour, easy to talk to

2 - relational abilitiesMentor is approachable, is a skilled listener, has good social/people skills, has good communication skills, mentoring involves friendship

3 - emotional abilitiesMentor requires emotional maturity, has capacity for empathy, can handle emotions, handling difficult situations

2. Professional friendship process1 - rapportInvolves chat, coffee/tea, commonalities, trust is felt, there is a good fit, they get on, admiration, shared understanding , humour, easy to talk to

2 - relational abilitiesMentor is approachable, is a skilled listener, has good social/people skills, has good communication skills, mentoring involves friendship

3 - emotional abilitiesMentor requires emotional maturity, has capacity for empathy, can handle emotions, handling difficult situations

Thoughts?

• Friendship – largely absent from literature on mentoring!

• Challenges us to forge a professional bond

• But how do we ensure boundaries are not crossed?

• Shared commonalities is under-explored area

• Person-centric rather than firm-centric is key

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Most a non-directive intervention

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Most a non-directive intervention

3. Expertise-sharing process

1 - shared expertiseValue of being able to learn from mentor’s experience, the mentor is more experienced, give tips

2 - shared knowledgeThe value of expert knowledge, mentor’s wisdom, mentor’s capabilities

3. Expertise-sharing process

1 - shared expertiseValue of being able to learn from mentor’s experience, the mentor is more experienced, give tips

2 - shared knowledgeThe value of expert knowledge, mentor’s wisdom, mentor’s capabilities

3. Expertise-sharing process

1 - shared expertiseValue of being able to learn from mentor’s experience, the mentor is more experienced, give tips

2 - shared knowledgeThe value of expert knowledge, mentor’s wisdom, mentor’s capabilities

Thoughts?

• Expertise-sharing: missing from Kram’s seminal study!

• NO LONGER a paternalistic, authoritative relationship

• Clearly located as a model of ‘adult learning’: equals

• Mentors need to be well-respected in their field

Mentors needs to have an air of knowledge and openness

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Most a non-directive intervention

Four essentials…

1. Must be development-oriented

2. Must be an element of professional friendship

3. Expertise-sharing was most valued aspect

4. Mostly a non-directive intervention

4. Mostly non-directive process1 - non-directiveBounce ideas off, identify a range of options, offer feedback, act as a sounding board, do not give direct advice, driven by mentee, ask questions, work in a hands-off fashion, empower the learner

2 - assistiveOffer support, assist with settling in, help the learner, assist with integration

3 - directiveGive advice, give guidance, goal setting, agreed direction, action-orientated

4. Mostly non-directive process1 - non-directiveBounce ideas off, identify a range of options, offer feedback, act as a sounding board, do not give direct advice, driven by mentee, ask questions, work in a hands-off fashion, empower the learner

2 - assistiveOffer support, assist with settling in, help the learner, assist with integration

3 - directiveGive advice, give guidance, goal setting, agreed direction, action-orientated

4. Mostly non-directive process1 - non-directiveBounce ideas off, identify a range of options, offer feedback, act as a sounding board, do not give direct advice, driven by mentee, ask questions, work in a hands-off fashion, empower the learner

2 - assistiveOffer support, assist with settling in, help the learner, assist with integration

3 - directiveGive advice, give guidance, goal setting, agreed direction, action-orientated

4. Mostly non-directive process1 - non-directiveBounce ideas off, identify a range of options, offer feedback, act as a sounding board, do not give direct advice, driven by mentee, ask questions, work in a hands-off fashion, empower the learner

2 - assistiveOffer support, assist with settling in, help the learner, assist with integration

3 - directiveGive advice, give guidance, goal setting, agreed direction, action-orientated

Thoughts?

• Post-2001 research highlights non-directive behaviours

• Not a master-apprentice relationship

• Mentoring must be a shared journey of co-equals

• Mentors don’t need to be able to DO

Mentors need to be able to UNDERSTAND and EXPLORE

Mentoring Coaching

FOCUS:“WHAT TO”

MODE:THOUGHT

GENERAL

FOCUS:“HOW TO”

MODE:ACTION

SPECIFIC

The mentoring-coaching continuum

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Analysis

• A developmental process

• Professional friendship

• Expertise and knowledge sharing

• Non-directive

Analysis

• Be approachable

• Be skilled listeners

• Have good social skills

• Be emotionally mature

• Have the capacity for empathy

Analysis

Learning was:

• Cognitive, and,

• Affective

• Rather than skill-based

Implications: 1 of 5

In General:

Unique possibilities in change scenarios

Implications: 2 of 5

Mentors and mentees:

Professional friendship and approachability

Implications: 3 of 5

HR professionals:

Profession- or person-centric

vs

firm-centric

Implications: 4 of 5

Trainers

Implications: 5 of 5

Top management teams:

- The strategic intent of their mentoring programmes?

Contents

• Literature Review

• Research

• Results

• Analysis and recommendations

Thank you very much… Questions?