GROW Mentoring Dr Kay Guccione Mentoring Coaching Service

++ GROW Mentoring Dr Kay Guccione Mentoring & Coaching Service Designer k. guccione@shef. ac. uk

TAILORED DEVELOPMENT ++ why a mentoring approach ① Supporting professional staff in career progress and planning ② Well evidenced way of developing learning, leadership, and career management ③ 1: 1 tailored approach, bottom up thinking ④ The team have got it working (~300+ in last 4 years)!

HELLO! ++ introductions ① Brief introduction in group ② Any experience of mentoring? ③ What are you hoping to learn today?

COVERING ++ today’s workshop • • Understand what mentoring is in this context Understand what the mentee and mentor do Defining expectations partnership & programme Avoiding the feeling the mentor knows more about what will happen • Avoiding the pitfalls and lessons learned • Hearing some real feedback

EVALUATION DATA ++ mentees gain mentoring has helped me to: • have dedicated time out to focus on my development and create a plan • understand my options for my next move and make active choices • find new ways to build constructive working relationships • prioritise and find balance against multiple projects and demands • be listened to, improve my confidence and motivation at work

MENTEES SAID ++ a mentoring approach “I found it extremely helpful to talk through what I had regarded as difficult scenarios with someone from outside the Faculty. We also got on well and I enjoyed our meetings. ” “I was matched with exactly the sort of person I was hoping to meet, so thank you very much for taking the time to analyse all the answers to the questionnaire and suggest a mentor who was really helpful to me. ”

EVALUATION DATA ++ mentors gain too – not JUST benevolence mentoring has helped me: • tune in to satisfaction, good vibes and enjoyment of work • develop my line management skills and ways to get the best of other people • gain knowledge of other departments and other team’s ways of working • gain useful relationship-building tips & skills • Increased my own understanding of my role here and my own career, and practice what I preach

MENTORS SAID ++ a mentoring approach “I've found the experience very rewarding. Not only to meet someone new but to gain insight into their role, their Department and Faculty. I've been able to learn as well as share my own experiences and have made a great contact for future collaborative work. ” “It widened my professional network within the University, enabled me to share good practice and increased my knowledge of another department/faculty. I improved my skills in developing others and gave me an opportunity to share my knowledge and experience. ”

10 MIN ONE WAY ++ a mentoring conversation Person A talks about a problem or situation that they have not yet resolved/got an answer for… Person B may ask questions, listen and help A explore… BUT B cannot offer advice, tell A what to do or give solutions

10 MIN ++ a mentoring conversation Person B may ask ①Awhat do the mentors do if they are not talks about a questions, listen and problem or situation help A explore… BUT giving advice? that they have not yet B cannot offer advice, ② ± of giving advice resolved/got an tell A what to do or answer for… give solutions

++ advice: reflections Advice + • It’s quicker • It makes you feel helpful and like you had something tangible to offer • It makes the mentee feel grateful and value your time and wisdom – mentees expect advice • Your suggestion might be insightful • Your suggestion might stop the mentee from making a mistake, wasting time or getting into a difficult situation.

++ advice: reflections Advice – • • • We don’t know as much about the mentee as they do. Listening to your suggestion halts the thinking process. Dependency-like relationship. Power dynamic where you always know more than them. A mentee can feel relieved that you’ve made the decision. Overwhelmed with advice and feel like they have to complete all the actions before meeting you again. • What if the advice doesn’t work? • We are more likely to actually follow through and carry out ideas that are our own.

1 ++ mentoring is Off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking.

2 ++ mentoring is A long term relationship that meets a development need, helps develop full potential, and benefits all partners, mentor, mentee and the organisation

3 ++ mentoring is The purpose of mentoring is always to help the mentee to change something – to improve their performance, to develop their leadership qualities, to develop their skills, to realise their vision. This movement from where they are, ('here'), to where they want to be ('there')

OLD SCHOOL DEFINITIONS ++ coaching / mentoring? SHORT-TERM COACH OPENING PERSPECTIVES & HORIZONS SKILLS & COMPETENCE MENTOR © Clutterbuck Associates LONG-TERM

YOU DEFINE IT ++ coaching / mentoring? Mentoring/coaching draws on counselling & therapeutic models, and also on education and workplace learning, management and leadership studies… What matters more than a definition, is that both parties are comfortable, they know what to expect from the process, the sessions have a purpose, and both people want to be there.

5 MIN BREAK!

++ GROW model mentoring GOAL Where do you want to be? REALITY Is the goal realistic? What’s happening in reality? OPTIONS What are your choices? What are the pros and cons? WILL How committed are you to this? See Whitmore, J, (2010), Coaching For Performance

++ 3 stage mentoring Where do you want to be? GOAL • • • What do you want to talk about today? What is the aim of the discussion? Which of these things do you want to focus on today? What do you want to achieve in the long term? What does success look like? How will you know when you’ve got it? How much personal control/influence do you have over your goal? Can we break that down into milestones on the way? What is a short term goal? When do you want to achieve it by? Is that challenging and attainable? How will you measure it?

Is the goal realistic? ++ 3 stage mentoring REALITY • • • What’s happening in reality? What is happening now? What/when/where/who/how much/how often? Who is involved (directly or indirectly)? When things are going badly on this issue, what happens to you? What happens to the others directly involved? What is the effect on others? What have you done about this so far? What results did that produce? What’s missing in the situation? What do you have that you are not using? What’s holding you back? What’s going on (use your intuition)?

What are your choices? ++ 3 stage mentoring OPTIONS • • What are the pros and cons? What are your options? Any more? What else could you do? What if you had more time, power or money? In an ideal world? Which appeals to you most? And if you had to let one go? Does it help to imagine a penalty for not letting one go? • Would you like another suggestion? • What are the benefits and costs of each?

How committed are you to this? ++ 3 stage mentoring WILL • • • Which option or options will you choose? To what extent does this meet all your objectives? What are your criteria and measurements for success? When precisely are you going to start and finish each step? What could arise to hinder you taking these steps? What conditions, or reservations do you have? What would you do to eliminate these factors (internal or external)? Who needs to know what your plans are? What support do you need and from whom? What will you do to obtain that support and when? What could I do to support you? What commitment on a 1 -10 scale do you have to taking these agreed actions? • What could you do or alter to get your commitment close to 10?

10 MIN OTHER WAY ++ a mentoring conversation Person A talks about a problem or situation that they have not yet resolved/got an answer for… Person B may ask questions, listen and help A explore… BUT B cannot offer advice, tell A what to do or give solutions

GUIDE ++ timeline MENTORING SKILLS AND INFO SESSION MENTORING DETAILS FORM You specify your objectives, how you want to work, and your ideal mentor/mentee MATCHED TO A MENTOR OUTSIDE YOUR DEPT Outside your Faculty if you prefer, within a new area if you prefer 3 -4 x 90 min mentoring meetings, you decide when, where, how COFFEE MORNINGS MENTOR CPD WORKSHOPS EVALUATION FORM & EXIT Evaluation data phase is really important

++ making your own success MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN (Pennington, 2004) • It is formalised as part of a programme • When the expectations are communicated upfront • When participants are provided with training on effective mentoring and the management of the relationship • Process is a priority for participants, and they have volunteered • Mentee enters the process with a wish to work on their goals • Mentor helps the mentee problem-solve rather than giving them all the answers or telling them what to do • (Mentoring works well in pairings of mixed or same gender)

++ summary of a mentor role AN IMPARTIAL PERSPECTIVE ① Listen & explore ② Ask questions in preference to telling ③ Protected thinking and planning time ④ Spot patterns, what works what doesn’t ⑤ Support SMART goal setting ⑥ Building problem solving skills / resilience ⑦ Supportive challenge to achieve ⑧ Encourage & enthuse mentees

++ sandwiched between… Setting up and managing the partnership AN IMPARTIAL PERSPECTIVE adapting sessions by getting some feedback

++ summary of mentee role THE MENTEE LEADS THE PARTNERSHIP ① Get ready for mentoring – set draft objectives ② Get going ASAP and make contact ③ Talk it through and & explore issues ④ Be prepared to reflect and think ⑤ Try on different ways of doing things ⑥ Feed back to the mentor: worked / didn’t ⑦ Keep in touch, follow up ⑧ Don’t wait until you’ve achieved it all!

++ sandwiched between = Setting up and managing the partnership THE MENTEE LEADS THE PARTNERSHIP = Helping the mentor adapt by giving some feedback

Setting up the partnership without assumption on either part ++ the mentoring agreement TOP TIP NUMBER 1

Setting up the partnership without assumption on either part ++ feedback example questions PRFESSIONAL COMPETENCY & TOP TIP NUMBER 2 1. How useful was this session was for you and say why this is. 2. What would you like me to do more of in the session? What would you like me to do less of? 3. Did you notice your thoughts changing positively/ negatively during the session. What triggered this? 4. Are you doing/do you plan to do anything differently going forward?

TOP TIP NUMBER 3 ++ the no blame divorce! we will only make a good match…but, if you and your mentor/mentee are not well matched that is our fault not yours and we can help rearrange things… please keep in touch

TOP TIP NUMBER 4 ++ expect to discuss endings Intensity of learning – value added Progression BR Building rapport SD Winding Up MO Time Setting Direction Moving On

++ lets hear from the real experts ① What was it like making contact and having the first meeting, what happened? ② What types of thing did you do with the mentor/mentee? ③ What is your piece of wisdom for getting the most out of mentoring?