Academic Mentoring

Overview What do we mean by ‘Mentoring’ Rationale Principles underpinning the process Mentor Role vs Manager Role What ‘zone’ is the Mentee in? The Mentoring Cycle Mentor Skills How you can prepare for your Mentoring Meetings?

Mentoring Definition ‘Off-line help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge work or thinking’ (Clutterbuck 1990) ‘To help and support people to manage their own learning in order to maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be’ (Parsloe, 1992)

Rationale The rationale for Academic Mentoring is to support the professional growth of the individual who is in the early stage of their career and to promote excellence in teaching & learning, research and academic leadership

Mentoring Principles The Mentee drives the Mentoring agenda Engagement is on a voluntary basis for both the Mentor and the Mentee The Mentoring relationship is confidential Mentoring is non-directive in its approach It is a relationship built upon trust and mutual respect The Mentor empowers the Mentee to take responsibility for their own learning and career development The relationship places no obligation on either party beyond its developmental intent It is distinct and separate from the Performance Management Development System (PMDS) in UCD

Manager vs Mentor It is not the role of the Mentor to interfere with Mentee’s day to day activities or objectives The Mentee may however, wish to discuss how they can improve daily activities with the Mentor The relationship between Mentee and Mentor is confidential

Zones DEAD COMFORT ZONE ZONE STRETCH PANIC ZONE ZONE Linda Richardson’s book – page 15. Everyone lives and works predominantly in one zone. There is movement back and forth but most people stabilize in one place – at least for a period. Dead Zone People who live here are not actively interested in improving. They take no initiative to get better.They do not seek out the things that make them change. Typically they are people to whom things happen. They are resigned to things as they are and more importantly as they were. They are disengaged. Comfort Zone People in this zone want to be effective. They have been successful in the past and want to continue to be so – so they do the same old things that worked before. Unfortunately these people have made a dangerous assumption. They have failed to see that everything in their world continues to change – everything but them. They think they are open – but really they are not. These people have blinkers on. Panic Zone This is the zone of reactive adjustment. People here care very much or they wouldn’t panic. But because they feel panicked, they can’t learn well or perform well here. Burnout happens here. Quality suffers. People are pushed into indecision. People here don’t feel competent to handle what is before them. Panic creates exhaustion diminishing and draining everyone. People in this zone do not feel in control. Stretch Zone People in the stretch zone are actively involved in their work and are committed to developing themselves. They are looking to change in a major way. They actively seek to do things differently. These people do not feel threatened by change. They see it as an opportunity. They believe that they can control their destiny by their actions and approach. People in this zone understand that they have blind spots and that they must be open to feedback to compensate for them. Individuals learn best in the Stretch Zone. In the stretch zone, incremental, planned development offers the best opportunity for growth – a step at a time, continuously moving forward, stretching without breaking.

Mentoring Cycle Phase 3 Phase 1 Maturation & Clarifying Closure 1. Building Rapport 2. Contracting 3. Direction Setting 4. Progress Making 5. Maturation 6. Closure Phase 3 Maturation & Closure Phase 1 Clarifying Expectations Phase 2 Productive Phase

The Mentoring Cycle Rapport-building: Developing mutual trust and comfort Contracting/Ground Rules: Exploring each other’s expectations of mentoring Direction-setting: Agreeing initial goals for the relationship Progress making: Experimentation and learning proceed rapidly Maturation: Relationship becomes mutual in terms of learning and mentee becomes increasingly self-reliant. Closure: Formal relationship ends, an informal one may continue

Skills Required By Mentors Ability to build rapport with the mentee Communication skills Feedback skills Questioning skills Listening skills Interpersonal skills

Questioning Styles For Mentors Assertive Opening horizons Creating insight Unfreezing assumptions, values and beliefs Challenging Probing Building values and beliefs Drawing together Setting boundaries Creating confidence Confirming Testing

How Mentors Help Others Learn ‘The Guide’ Hands on guidance, explaining how and why; creating opportunities to learn ‘The Challenger’ ‘Making Waves’; challenging, stimulating, questioning, probing ‘The Role Model’ Unseen, largely unfelt. The Mentee unconsciously adopts aspects of the mentor’s thinking behaviours and/or style

Key Points ‘Contracting’ at the beginning of the partnership e.g. Discuss and clarify each other’s expectations Be clear about roles Agree logistics such as meeting arrangements (location, frequency etc.) Maintain a structure i.e. clear goals, actions between meetings Review relationship regularly – is it still of value? Continue only as long as there are goals to achieve Mentor style is guiding and facilitative Keep it confidential