Workforce Development - A Good Investment?

The Characteristics and Qualities of Effective Mentors

I have been asked, more than a few times, "What are the qualities or characteristics of an effective mentor?"

Here's my version of the attributes I think you should be looking for...

• An effective, skilled teacher
• Good communicator
• Good listener
• Enthusiastic
• Confident
• Dedicated
• Sensitive
• Caring
• Patient
• Nonjudgmental
• Professional
• Experienced
• Flexible
• Energetic
• Tactful
• Trusted role model

While mentors do not need any formal training per se to be mentor others, a mentor would desirably have at least five years experience in their chosen profession. (However this is a guide only as some mentors have over twenty years experience while some may have as little as two)

The important thing to remember, is a "helpful spirit", because above all, a mentor is a helper to less experienced colleagues, showing them the ropes, and providing them an alternate perspective.

Readers, Can you think of any others?

Mentoring done wrong is worse than no mentoring at all

In Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, Jared Sandberg, a Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal, wrote in the Marketplace section, Page B1, a provocative article entitled   “With Bad Mentors, It’s Better to Break Up Than to Make Up" outlining a few challenges associated with formal mentor programs.

I present this to you my readers, courtesy of the folks over at Kaiser Associates who have a great "on-boarding" newsletter, which I read and highly recommend.

Although this article did not provide the HR leader with ideas or solutions, the piece initiates a great discussion on how not everyone is cut out to be a mentor, the problems when people do not know how to be mentors, and the importance of having a good match (i.e., personality, interests, career paths, experiences, etc.) between the Mentor and the Mentee.

A few things that we would like to share:

Mentor programs can be a truly effective On-boarding tool.  Mentor systems have become popular initiatives for one reason: effective mentoring has proven to be an important factor for many individuals who have had great success in their careers.  The challenge for the organization is to design the support systems (i.e., to institutionalize) that will promote a greater percentage of the employee base to participate and benefit from mentor relationships.

The good folks at Kaiser have recommended 10 success drivers:

1. Provide effective front-end training and continued coaching for Mentors, and provide recommended structures and tools to drive positive outcomes.  Also ensure that Mentors are kept apprised what is being asked of, and what is being provided to, their Mentee.
2. Ensure that Mentors accept responsibility; opt-in models work well.
3. Provide Mentors with appropriate incentives (they can come in many forms) and recognition for effective mentoring.
4. Recognize that mentoring needs differ by job class, function, interests, personality, career paths and aspirations.
5. Give the new hire a say in the selection process; Systems can assist with the matching of Mentors and Mentees (note that these can be deployed in large enterprises)
6. Chose the right Mentor system design for your organization.  Not all systems are designed equally.  Select the one that is best for your company.  Also note that the answer is not always the same for all parts of the enterprise.
7. Consider conflicts of interest in the design.  Conflicts of interest create stress; certainly not an objective of an HR program.
8. Provide consequence free resolution paths for individuals that are experiences sub-optimal mentoring experiences.  This should be afforded to both Mentors and Mentees.
9. Integrate the Mentor program properly with other development resources, tools and programs (e.g., learning, career planning, networking, etc.)
10. Make sure that the Mentees understand their role (and their responsibilities) for driving Mentoring success.

Where to Find Women Building Bridges

Responding to the London 2012 Olympics and the push to get women into Construction, members of the WorcNet Women’s network, based in Skipton, hosted a “Women Into Construction” seminar at the Craven College Construction Launch event on Monday 5 June.

The seminar included presentations from two women ambassadors from the Construction Industry Training Board. Vicky Belton works as a Civil Engineer and Helen Dickinson as a Quantity Surveyor, they each presented on their journey and experiences as women in the construction industry. Attique Barlas told the audience of a scheme to introduce minority groups and women into construction, offering a four week placement and a guaranteed interview which could lead to a job and further training. Mary Kelly gave a very inspiring talk on the work of the Walter Segal Trust which supports people who are interested in self build opportunities, and Keith and Jane Barber from SHE Build UK told of their business which employs and trains women construction workers for their property management and development company in Bradford.

Members of the North Northumberland and Cumbrian Women’s Networks who travelled down to the Launch event are taking back information to their own networks and local colleges in a bid to establish a similar project in their own areas.

Following the formal launch event, some of the WorcNet members who are currently undertaking a 10 week starter course in construction, hosted an evening dinner at the Rendezvous Hotel for the speakers and the guests from other networks, where they talked about their experiences on the course and their hopes for the future.

WorcNet Co-ordinator Debi Hawkins said “We are really pleased that 11 of our members have taken part in this first Women In Construction course and we are working with the College to progress women into more specialized courses later on in the year. We hope to be running another Women In Construction course from September. We will be having a Women In Construction taster day in September which will include presentations, workshops and hands on activities.”

For more information on WorcNet, the courses or the taster day please contact Debi, Kath or Karen on 01756 692788 or worcnet@craven-college.ac.uk

Mentoring the Young Workforce

At some time in your life, you've likely been guided by a senior mentor.  Think of one or more important mentors in your life.  What story or stories can you remember about the experience?

Mentoring is advising, teaching, counseling and role modeling.  Formal mentoring matches a senior or more experienced person—the mentor—to a junior or less experienced person—the mentee.  Mentors focus on a mentee’s achievements, success in school and preparation for the workforce through a one-to-one relationship that is non-threatening and non-judgmental to both parties.  It is a relationship that changes over time as each grows, learns, and gains experiences in the relationship.

There are numerous "formats" of mentoring:

• Peer Mentoring where the Mentor/mentee are of similar ages, and where the Mentor experience greater than the mentee experience.
• Group Mentoring is used where there are multiple mentees
• Professional Mentoring where there is a major difference in life experience

Are you a good mentor?  Strong mentors share the following common attributes:

• Strong performances and continuous improvement on each performance that they mentor
• Ability to grow the performance abilities of mentees
• Professional behavior and attitudes
• Commitment to improving the enriched learning environment project—both the team and the overall environment

Mentoring is highly valuable, and becoming a "business essential" for the employer as well as the employee.  I'll share more on how to setup a mentoring program in a future post.

If you've been mentored, who are YOU mentoring today?

If you've never been mentored, who can you identify that can mentor YOU?