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A manager's guide to mentoring

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, January 30, 2004

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When it comes to mentoring, there's little doubt that the process facilitates solid communication, support, and productivity between seasoned veterans and their novice colleagues. Understandably, the challenge for managers is how to develop the necessary skills and how to make time to foster effective, worthwhile relationships. There is a critical need in any health care setting for a practical way to swiftly educate managers and leaders so that they see mentoring as a positive opportunity rather than a hassle. According to the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), a manager's productivity increases by 88% when mentoring is combined with training. It's unlikely that your facility has the time and/or resources to take mentoring partners offsite for extended training, so developing an easy and brief training session that emphasizes the where's and how's of the mentoring process will set mentors on the fast track. A straight-forward method for use by new or veteran mentors can be mastered in four simple steps:

STEP 1: EXTEND YOUR REACH

Managers will find that sharing their experiences and insights with their mentees is personally rewarding and professionally effective.

STEP 2: LISTEN, DON'T PREACH

A successful mentor listens to the needs and wants of his or her partner. In order to move forward, they must have a clear understanding of the expectations and goals their partners envision for the process.

STEP 3: DO MORE THAN TEACH

The role of the mentor has evolved from traditional teacher to a more complex position. There are four conversation styles proven to foster learning while quickly conveying information. Mentors need to learn how to 1) share their stories, 2) encourage dialogue, 3) debrief their partner's experiences, and 4) help build network connections for their partners.

STEP 4: DEFINE ACTIONS FOR BOTH

Mentoring is a joint venture. Both partners need specific action plans so that both mentor and mentee can assess the progress of their efforts. Finding a balance between doing too much and too little is the key to success.

Editor's note: The above excerpt is adapted from the article, "Fast-Track Mentoring: Sparking Ideas for Collaborative Conversations" by Beverly Kaye, published in the e-newsletter Link&Learn, a product of Linkage, Inc. http://www.linkageinc.com.

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