Quest for Inspiration - Optimizing Your Mentoring Relationship
- 1. The Quest for Inspiration: Establishing and Optimizing Your Mentee/Mentor Relationship
- 3. Do any of these sound familiar? • “I’m stuck in my career! I wish I knew what to do next.” • “I have a million ideas but can’t determine the best one.” • “I have goals but don’t know how to achieve them.” • “I wish there were someone I could talk to about the way this organization works! I can’t make sense of it!” • “I just don’t feel like I get honest feedback from anyone.” • “I feel like I’m missing the big picture!” • “I’ve handed out 100s of business cards, but my networking isn’t doing anything for me!” • “My friends with mentors seem to progress faster.” You might benefit by working with a mentor!
- 4. We said we’d do the following today… Learn: • How to locate a mentor • How to initiate & maintain a relationship • Specifics about mentor & mentee roles • Why mutual goals & accountability are vital So let’s get started!
- 5. Let’s discuss the following … • What is mentoring? • Are there different types of mentoring? • Is a mentoring relationship right for you? • Why do mentors engage in mentoring? • Where can you find a mentor? • How can you make the connection? • How can you prepare for a mentoring relationship? • How do you know what to work on with a mentor? • What are appropriate “Do/Don’t” role behaviors? • How should you conclude your mentoring relationship? • How can you help others interested in mentoring? “That’s a whole lotta info.” Yep. Hey. ‘Sup?
- 6. But before we do… Feed your brain!
- 7. What is mentoring? Teacher FriendAdvisor CounselorGuide Role Model “Mentor” was a character in “The Odyssey” Def: To help define, understand, and pursue our goals. Good mentoring inspires!
- 8. Why do mentors engage in mentoring? Share “tacit” knowledge Shape a legacy Rejuvenate a career… adding energy! Give back… duty Create a better world! Grow! Mentoring has mutual benefits
- 9. Are there different types of mentoring relationships? Informal vs. Formal One-to-One New hire… “newbie” Peer-to-Peer Cross-generational Group/Board of Directors
- 10. Is a mentoring relationship right for you? http://wrinklefeet.blogspot.com/2013/07/being-grown-up-how-to-handle-crisis.html Have you hit a plateau? Aspire to a “next level”? Uncertain about direction? Open to collaborative learning?
- 11. Where can you locate a mentor? Formal? Informal? Volunteer Organizations Professional Associations Company Programs Neighbors & Friends Teachers/Professors College AlumFormer Supervisors Online Forums
- 12. And how do I make the connection? Identify potential candidate(s) If needed, request intro Discuss mutual interests Ask You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!
- 13. How can you prepare for a mentoring relationship? Do you share values? What do you hope to achieve? What are your motivations? Individually, then jointly determine… Should you decide to move forward… Speaking about personalities…
- 14. How can you “negotiate” the experience? What are the ground rules? • Time • Frequency • Means How do you learn best? How will you assess? Might a “charter” be of use?
- 15. What should you work on with a mentor? Soliciting, receiving feedback Curiosity and Inquiry Honest self-assessment Reflection & Introspection Goals and progress Understanding “networking” Identifying “life” lessons Consider a journal…
- 16. Appropriate “do” and “don’t” role behaviors… DO: • Set goals • Communicate • Maintain contact • Stay Professional • Respect boundaries • Respect “networks” DON’T: • Abuse the privilege • Assume status • Cross personal lines • Expect “decisions”
- 17. How should you conclude your mentoring relationship? Consolidate the learning • Review, acknowledge progress • Did you achieve goals? • What was most valuable lesson? • What else remains? • What did you learn about yourself? Integrate: Apply what you’ve learned Celebrate! Express gratitude! Evaluate: Has partnership evolved? Friendship? “Concluding” can simply mean moving to a new phase…
- 18. How can you help others? Volunteer! Create a program Create conditions and environments that favor mentoring Connect and Introduce
- 19. In review… we discussed the following! • What is mentoring? • Are there different types of mentoring? • Is a mentoring relationship right for you? • Why do mentors engage in mentoring? • Where can you find a mentor? • How can you make the connection? • How can you prepare for a mentoring relationship? • How do you know what to work on with a mentor? • What are appropriate “Do/Don’t” role behaviors? • How should you conclude your mentoring relationship? • How can you help others interested in mentoring? We covered a lot. Cool. Whoa!
- 20. Did we do the following today?? Learn: • How to locate a mentor • How to initiate & maintain a relationship • Specifics about mentor & mentee roles • Why mutual goals & accountability are vital I think we did this!
- 21. Remember… It’s been an honor and a pleasure! russblaine@gmail.com