EPWN Marseille-Provence Mentoring programme
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The document provides information about mentoring programs offered by EPWN Marseille-Provence. It discusses what mentoring is, the basics of mentoring including defining goals, trust and confidentiality. It also describes one-on-one mentoring, the differences between mentoring, coaching and teaching, the matching process, and roles of the mentor and mentee. The overall purpose is to establish effective mentoring relationships and provide guidance on mentoring best practices.
EPWN Marseille-Provence Mentoring programme
- 1. EPWN Marseille-Provence MENTORING programme What is mentoring? Mentoring is a relationship between an expert who is willing to share her knowledge and experience with one or more mentees who want to learn from this expertise and profit from her guidance to develop personal or professional skills. EPWN mentors offer their mentoring services pro bono. Mentoring basics Defined goals One of the most powerful ways of using a mentoring opportunity is for the mentee to progress towards a defined goal. This well-known approach assumes some or all of the following: • The clear definition of goals is important for making personal and/or professional progress. • A goal can be defined before beginning the mentoring relationship or early in the process. • The chosen mentor is qualified to work with the mentee in the area of the agreed goal. • The mentee will progress towards the goal faster with encouragement from the mentor. • An agreed upon goal will remain more or less as defined for the duration of the mentoring relationship. Over time, a goal may change. • The success of the mentoring relationship depends, at least partially, on the achievement of the stated goal. Trust and confidentiality Trust and confidentiality are important in a mentoring relationship. Several rules must be followed during the relationship: • Trust includes absolute discretion about anything discussed between mentor and mentee. • Trust includes honesty from both the mentor and mentee. • Trust also includes business confidentiality as far as the protection of ideas and other intellectual property that either the mentor or mentee share in the context of mentoring sessions. • A mentee also needs to feel that her mentor respects her own development pace and style, and can be trusted not to push or cajole inappropriately, for example, on sensitive topics. • Disclosure builds trust in a mentor-mentee relationship. It is the reaction to the disclosure in terms of its appropriateness and affirmation of the other person that contributes to the kind of active trust that encourages further disclosure. The aim is honest disclosure; however, there is no obligation to reveal details that are considered too private. • The Mentoring Agreement (APPENDIX F) can establish the structure of a mentoring relationship and can be a vehicle for building trust around the issue of time management. • It is important that both the mentor and mentee can be trusted to be on time for a meeting, demonstrating both respect and commitment to the relationship.
- 2. One-on‐one mentoring One-on-one mentoring provides a great opportunity to learn about ourselves and our skills, goals, needs and priorities. We may learn more about how we react to challenges and criticism, and how we communicate our experience, knowledge and achievements. The privacy of a one-on-one mentoring relationship can provide the safest place to explore such issues. We can change our approach and behavior as we enhance our understanding via the point of view of a respected mentor. Being open to change-related learning of this kind should be a prerequisite for a mentoring relationship. New ways of thinking about our choices, past and present, may arise or be proposed, and it is important to create a framework of honest self-appraisal to accept, or at least consider, new ways of approaching situations. In addition, the mentor and the mentee may even operate in the same industry or sector. If this is the case, the mentor could provide introductions or advise the mentee on specific challenges. The difference between mentoring, coaching and teaching A mentor, a teacher and a coach may all work towards the same goals; however, their methods for achieving these goals differ. In a mentoring relationship, the mentee asks the mentor to share information, knowledge, experience and advice. Usually, this happens in a format of questions and answers. It is usually a two- way conversation. Many mentors try to be a coach; however, that is not the intention of mentoring. Most mentors are not qualified as coaches. A teacher may provide the necessary knowledge, theory, experience and tools as she sees fit in order to help a student achieve her goals. Often, teaching is a one-way conversation from the teacher to the student. In a coaching relationship, a coach asks specific questions to draw the right answers out of the coachee in such a way that the coachee becomes aware of a behavior or a need, usually leading to valuable insights that may change a specific behavior. The coach provides skills for the coachee to reach her goals. Within EPWN, there are a large number of certified coaches who can combine mentoring and coaching to help the mentee/coachee. The Matchmaking process The matching process for one-on-one mentoring begins with completion of the mentor/mentee profile forms (see APPENDIX A and APPENDIX B). As long as the mentee has been explicit in her requirements for a mentor, and the mentors have been explicit in the assistance they can provide to a mentee, this process should not be difficult.
- 3. Matching criteria • Industry sector: From a career perspective – does the mentee want her mentor to be within the same industry? For a mentee who is interested in a mentor within the same industry, this can provide a great opportunity to learn about growth within the industry and future opportunities. Additionally, it can be important for a mentee who is considering changing her industry to have access to someone in the new sector to confirm whether this may or may not be a good fit for her. This is a hugely valuable resource for mentees, as it can help to prevent someone from making a potential mistake in her career path – or alternatively, can lead her to a new career! • Skills and tools needed: Does the mentee specifically want leadership advice or mentoring? Or would she like advice about the politics of an industry? Or what does she need to know about addressing an executive board? • Education: What level of education does the mentee have? Should she be matched with someone who can provide assistance in finding the right level of education she needs for her career? Additionally, if a mentor and mentee have attended the same university, or if they worked together, there can be an automatic connection in the relationship. • Current role/title and future ambitions: A mentee's current role/title and future ambitions are the areas that are the most important information needed to make a good match. The current career level of the mentee and her future career path can also help to match the mentee to a mentor who can help her take the next step in her career. Matching process The matching process can take some time to get the right match. The Mentoring Matchmakers spend a lot of time studying the profile forms to try to make a good match. The process is difficult, especially matching those who may have never met before. Unless there is a specific reason why the match cannot work (e.g., the mentor and mentee work for competitor companies), the Mentoring Matchmakers would ask the mentors and mentees to meet and explore the potential for a relationship between themselves. Once the matchmaking process is complete, a event launching the programme will introduce the pairs, give some guidelines, answer the questions and help the pairs to start their mentoring relationship. The mentoring relationship The Mentee Who is she and what is she looking for? A mentee is a more junior person looking for a transfer of knowledge gained through the experience of the mentor. She looks for guidance, empathy and flexibility from the mentor. The objectives of the mentee should be discussed at the matching event and the first one-on-one meeting, either virtually or face-to- face. Trust and confidentiality should be discussed (see the section on Trust and confidentiality). What should the mentor know about the mentee?
- 4. When the mentor has a full picture of the mentee at the beginning of your relationship, you can better understand the context in which the mentee works and lives, and therefore understand her questions and needs better. Some suggested questions for the mentor to ask during the introductory meeting are listed below. • What is your nationality and cultural background? • What is your job history? • What is your national/international educational background? • What is your current country of residence? • In which countries have you lived and for how many years did you live in each country? • What are the nationalities and cultural backgrounds of your managers and of some your colleagues/team members? • Do you live with a partner or are you single? • Is your partner from the same cultural background? • If not, is your partner European or from another cultural background (e.g.,American)? • Why did you move to the country you currently live in? • What industry do you work in? • What type of mentoring are you interested in? The Mentor Who is the mentor? Ideally, the mentor is a more senior person who is capable in realizing the objectives of the mentee because of her experience and knowledge. It is advisable that the mentor has experience in a higher ranking position in the same sector as the mentee. It is not advisable for a mentor to have only worked as an independent consultant and/or an independent uncertified coach. In this specific case, the mentor does not have the experience of working as an employee in a large organization and may not be familiar with the dynamics involved in this environment. Of course it all depends of the needs of the mentee! What does the mentor have to offer? The mentor should be open about what she can offer the mentee. She can refer to her education, her experience in various jobs in different industries, the way she built her career, her entrepreneurship, specific knowledge on a specific topic or skill, etc. Confidentiality should also be discussed (see the section on Trust and confidentiality). The mentor should voluntarily provide information that is necessary to build trust and understanding. This includes her experience in business, but also includes personal details, such as whether she is married or has children. The mentee can ask any questions of the mentor that she thinks are relevant to establishing the mentor-mentee relationship.