Lou Orslene, MSW, MPIA, CPDM Mentoring: Strategy for Retaining and Advancing People with Disabilities Melanie Whetzel, MS JAN Lead Consultant Lou Orslene, MSW, MPIA, CPDM JAN Co-Director

Overview Mentoring – What it is and isn’t Benefits of Mentoring Challenges of Mentoring Strategies and Tips for Developing a Program Elements of a Successful Program Mentoring as an Accommodation: Examples from the Field

Mentoring is not… A job coach Accommodation and Compliance Series: Job Coaching in the Workplace http://askjan.org/topics/jobcoaching.htm A Workplace Personal Assistance Service (WPAS) Accommodation and Compliance Series: Personal Assistance Services (WPAS) in the Workplace http://askjan.org/media/PAS.html

Mentoring also is not… Workplace Coaching Something managers must do for all their staff Takes place within the manager-employee relationship Focuses on developing the individual within their current job. Arises out of the need to ensure that the individual can perform the tasks Relationship driven by the individual’s manager. Ends as individuals move on to work in other jobs under other line managers. United Nations Presentation “Best Practices in Mentoring: Attracting, Developing & Retaining Your Talent” 2008

Mentoring is…. A mentor in the workplace is a person who provides guidance to a less-experienced employee, the mentee. A mentor may be another employee of the company or she may be a professional from outside of the company. “Workplace Mentoring Primer” - http://www.askearn.org/pwm.cfm Mentoring is a relationship between a senior person and a junior person that enhances the junior person’s personal learning on the job and career development. Terri A. Scandura PhD. "Mentoring – A Review of the Science and the State of the Art" Management Faculty Articles and Papers (2009).

Mentoring works… When executives of Fortune 500 companies were surveyed, 96 percent said mentoring is an important developmental tool, and 75 percent said it played a key role in their personal career success. Seventy-one percent of Fortune 500 and private companies use mentoring in their organizations. In a survey of U.S. companies with formal mentoring programs, 77 percent indicated that mentoring improved both retention and performance of employees. http://businessfinancemag.com/hr/it-s-not-your-father-s-mentoring-program

Why Mentoring? In 2006, Gartner studied the financial impacts of a mentoring program in Sun Microsystems (owned by Oracle). Of the 1,000 Sun Microsystems employees mentored, 25% had a salary grade change (compared with 5% of their non-mentored co-workers), 72% of mentees were retained (compared with 49% of employees who were not mentored), and the mentored employees were promoted five times more often than those not in the program. The same study also found mentors received promotions six times more often than their peers. The retention rate of the leaders who mentored was also 20% higher than the retention rate of those who did not participate in the program. “Workplace Loyalties Change but the Value of Mentoring Doesn’t.” Knowledge @ Wharton. Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, 16 May 2007. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/workplace-loyalties-change-but-the-value-of-mentoring-doesnt/

Why Mentoring? "Mentoring is...an integral part of developing and retaining a diverse workforce. Federal agencies need managers and supervisors with the skills to manage and mentor diverse populations. Managing diversity within the workplace means creating an environment where everyone is empowered to contribute to the work of the unit; it requires sensitivity to and awareness of the interactions among staff and between staff and leadership, and knowing how to articulate clear expectations. “Workplace Mentoring Primer” - http://www.askearn.org/pwm.cfm

Benefits to the Employee Orients the employee to the organization Helps the employee learn about and adjust to the culture Introduces and connects the employee to other professionals Serves as a sounding board for and providing feedback Encourages the employee to pursue his or her own professional goals Assists the employee with mastering a particular skill-set to maximize job performance http://www.askearn.org/pwm.cfm?pg=pwm_what_is_mentoring

Benefits to the Mentor Gain personal and professional satisfaction Gain recognition from their peers and the company Improve their interpersonal skills Have an opportunity to focus energy outside of themselves Gain a deeper understanding of other employees’ experiences Are prepared for taking on greater responsibilities and leadership roles within their company Pardini (2006)

Benefits to the Employer Expands leadership abilities and understanding of diverse workers Improves awareness of personal biases, assumptions and identifies areas for improvement Extends collaboration among employees from different generations and cultural backgrounds Creates a culture of acceptance and inclusion Attracts, supports, and retains talented employees Improves performance, motivation, and accountability

Challenges Providing inadequate direction Taking advantage of greater power Dealing with conflicting demands Dealing with conflicting advice

Challenges Lacking commitment Crossing boundaries Discovering a mismatch between mentor and mentee Breaching confidentiality

Types of Mentoring Traditional One-to-One Peer Mentoring Professional Networking Group Mentoring Virtual Mentoring http://www.askearn.org/pwm.cfm?pg=pwm_what_is_mentoring

Types of Mentoring Reverse Mentoring: Flash Mentoring: Cross-Group Mentoring Cross-Generational Mentoring Cross-Agency Mentoring http://www.askearn.org/pwm.cfm?pg=pwm_what_is_mentoring

Willingness to commit time Characteristics of a Good Mentor Willingness to commit time Sincere interest in helping another employee or job seeker Strong interpersonal communication skills Willingness and patience needed to provide guidance, coaching, and constructive feedback Sensitivity to cultural diversity and personal differences.

Characteristics of a Good Mentee Good organization Focus on what the mentee can learn from the mentor Willing to share strengths that they can provide to the mentor in exchange for invaluable career advice And, business oriented with an agenda or a list of discussion points for every meeting with the mentor This is the secret of what makes the most effective mentoring relationships work and last – it’s all about exchange.

Improving managerial competency Improve leadership Goals for a Successful Mentoring Program Improving managerial competency Improve leadership Improve time to proficiency for new hires Retain and transfer knowledge Create an inclusive, diverse culture Retain talent through a long-term relationship http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-your-mentoring-program/

Gain commitment from key stakeholders Strategies for a Successful Mentoring Program Gain commitment from key stakeholders Show the benefits to the organization, mentee, mentor Identify critical success factors and possible barriers Define roles and establish ‘learning contracts’

Choose mentor and mentee partnerships carefully Strategies for a Successful Mentoring Program Choose mentor and mentee partnerships carefully Select key person as Program Coordinator Market the mentoring program Set clear goals, performance measures and evaluation processes

Evaluating Your Program Metrics Increase in number of participants Behavior within the program Outcomes at an organizational level http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-your-mentoring-program/

Evaluating Your Program Methods: Analytics Reports Surveys http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/how-to-measure-the-effectiveness-of-your-mentoring-program/

Examples from the Field Employee with autism Fast food restaurant

Examples from the Field Employee with an intellectual disability Country club

Examples from the Field Employee with autism Large office setting

Examples from the Field Employee with a mental health impairment Retail department store

Examples from the Field Individual with severe social anxiety Landscape business owner

Additional Resources The Business Case for Workplace Mentoring https://millionwmentors.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/the-business-case-for-workplace-mentoring/ Federal Workplace Mentoring Primer EARN http://askearn.org/fed-fwm.cfm The Modern Mentor In A Millennial Workplace http://www.forbes.com/sites/karlmoore/2014/09/11/the-modern-mentor-in-a-millennial-workplace/

Additional Resources (cont.) Best Practices Guide in Mentoring Youth with Disabilities https://www.disability.gov/resource/best-practices-guide-in-mentoring-youth-with-disabilities/ Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) DMD is a large-scale national effort coordinated by AAPD to promote career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities. While DMD has been and continues to be officially launched the third Wednesday of each October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), the foundation of the program has expanded from a one-day event to a year-round initiative across the country. http://www.aapd.com/what-we-do/employment/disability-mentoring-day/

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