Mentoring

The aims of the training: to define mentoring and its uses in avp to outline skills and qualities needed to consider boundaries and agreements to set out guidelines

What is Mentoring 1? ‘To support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.’ (Eric Parsloe, Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring) It is a useful tool for support, reflection and self-awareness throughout the avp process. It is a mechanism for all volunteers, whether recently trained or having a long period of avp service, to step away from the immediacy of their role and reflect on the ‘bigger picture’. It is for ALL volunteers within AVP Britain – including admin and other support volunteers.

What is Mentoring 2? It is a way to stay connected - If every volunteer has a mentor they can have regular one to one communication, and this will nurture growth, both at a personal and at an organisational level. It helps you answer the questions What are your goals currently and for the future? How your skills are being used – and how they can be best used Please write down your answers to these two questions now. It can be as detailed as you like.

What is it not? It is not a disciplinary or performance sanctions scheme – all volunteers are free to discuss performance errors and be supported to develop. It is not mandatory – but we strongly encourage you to take part. You may find that it turns into more of a peer mentoring ‘chat’ with another facilitator rather than a formal mentoring session – if this helps you meet your goals – then this is completely acceptable. Write down any fears you have about the process so you can discuss these with your mentor at your first meeting.

Benefits for Mentors The role of mentor is one of supporter The mentor will listen and may give advice and guidance if it is appropriate - but the main role is one of listening. They may ask questions that guide the mentee towards their own solutions. Mentoring focuses on developing capability by concentrating on the mentee’s goals to help them to move forward The flow of learning is two-way in a mentoring relationship and the mentor often gains as much as the mentee

Benefits for Mentees The mentee is responsible for their own learning and development and for setting the direction and goals for the relationship, as well as their work in AVP. They must set up the meetings and communicate with their mentor. The mentor scheme is of value throughout the duration of volunteering with AVP - we all continue to learn and develop and need to be open to new ideas and ways of working Having a mentoring process enables new mentees to make links and connections throughout the organisation

Benefits for AVP AVP Benefits from the development of skills and progression of volunteers through the organisation. Mentors can be used to guide the mentee through any difficult feedback or performance information – and to ensure they are supported throughout any difficulties. Mentoring puts the learner in charge of their own learning process and ensures they feel empowered. A mentoring session shortly after the workshop allows the volunteer to reflect carefully on their practice (and the workshop as a whole), and to formulate goals and objectives for their future learning. This will improve the delivery of workshops and enable new ideas and ways of working to run through the system.

Other Resources There are many resources online to read about mentoring – to start you off, take a look at these 3 Ted Talks about Mentoring and the powerful impact it can have. Clicking the blue link will open a new window in your computer browser. Lori Hunt – The Power of Mentoring - 5 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atme26C0l5E Shawn Blanchard – The Science of Mentoring -14 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh46lVSKWHc Zoe Damacela- Mentoring - 7 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx7Ksl84jQI

Skills There is a huge overlap between facilitation skills and mentoring. The main skills we feel are important are: The ability to remain calm Flexibility – (resilient and not phased by sudden changes) Active listening Empathy The ability to be non-judgmental and stay open-minded Being organised

Basic Checklist (Before) Follow this checklist to ensure you address all areas before you have your first meeting. How will you meet? In person? Phone? Skype? Who will contact whom to arrange this? How will this be done? Be specific – no phone calls after 10pm for example. How long will the meeting be approximately? Who will record it? How? Will this be shared? When will you have a follow up meeting and how often will meetings usually take place? Is it event driven or more regular? (e.g. before/after a workshop only). Write this agreement down and share it.

Sample Checklist/Skills Take some time to write down your ideal ‘ways of working’ using the checklist on the previous page. This will help you consider your personal boundaries when setting up a mentoring relationship. Consider the skills section of this training – where are you strong? Where do you need to focus to ensure you improve?

First Meeting This is a useful space to discuss the more nuanced questions before you begin your session – such as: Ensure you discuss confidentiality (and the limits thereof) with your mentee Discuss what style of mentoring your mentee wants – e.g. how much do they want to be pushed on accountability? Discuss the usual length of the relationship and how you will review if it is working (or not). Remember to spend time getting to know each other and building rapport

Sample Questions How did the environment affect how you felt and acted? What did you learn from observing other facilitators? What did you learn from the exercises that you led? What new exercises might you try next time, and how will you prepare? How would you describe the group at different times during the workshop? What helped or hindered the sense of community? How did you feel about individual participants? How did you deal with those feelings? How did you contribute to the team? How did the team support you?

Follow-Up Questions After using one of the questions on the previous page – for each topic use this follow up questions to ensure you explore the issue- What worked for me/you? What didn't work? What will I do differently next time? Is there anything I need to learn?

Troubleshooting If things aren’t working – you can always contact your regional coordinator for advice and support. Some issues may be: Having a mentor or mentee too close to your AVP work to be impartial Someone not following the guidelines you set out at the start A personality disconnect between the two parties Remember, you are free to end the mentoring relationship and seek different parties to continue with. You should feel able to discuss this fairly and honestly with your mentee. AVP is an organisation that works on building better relationships – with a great track record of success in this area! We must be able to model this within our own internal relationships – ensure you use the skills you already possess to resolve any conflicts within the mentoring relationship.

Top Five Tips Set it up well! Ensure you follow our checklist Be consistent, reliable, and trustworthy Establish a good rapport – be open-minded LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN! Do NOT presume you know the answer. Draw it out of your mentee. Review next steps and progress so far at each session end

Next Steps The mentoring relationship starts as soon as you agree the parameters with another volunteer. You can choose a mentor you have met or worked with before, or your regional coordinator will have a list of those who have already completed the training. The person you choose at first may be temporary or the relationship can be ongoing throughout your AVP ‘journey’ – there is no ‘one size fits all’. So email your regional coordinator now to discuss your options!