You’ve Got What It Takes: Peer Training and Mentoring for Staff Development You’ve Got What It Takes: Peer Training and Mentoring for Staff Development Instructor: Janet Hildebrand An Infopeople Workshop Winter 2006

This Workshop Is Brought to You By the Infopeople Project Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project supported by the California State Library. It provides a wide variety of training to California libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered around the state and are open registration on a first-come, first-served basis. For a complete list of workshops, and for other information about the project, go to the Infopeople website at infopeople.org.

What Is Peer Training?  Staff training other staff typically in groups typically in groups  Involves all classification levels as trainers as well as learners  Can be on any topic

How Is Peer Mentoring Different?  One-on-one non-supervisory non-supervisory  Extended period of time  Personalized focused on individual focused on individual mutual work plan mutual work plan  Based on trust  Relationship lasts until goal is achieved

Workshop Overview  Why Use Peers?  How to Begin  Planning and Implementing  Meeting Challenges  Designing Your Own

Why Train or Mentor With Peers?  Involves staff uses existing knowledge uses existing knowledge better training results better training results  Builds teams  Creates culture of learning investment in the human resource investment in the human resource  Increases nimbleness of organization shared burden shared burden preparedness for change preparedness for change

Creating A Peer Training Plan  Determine training goal and objectives  Assess training needs  Identify and recruit trainers  Prepare trainers and material  Plan the roll-out

What Training Is Needed?  What do learners already know?  What do they need to learn?  What is the range of skills and aptitudes in the target audience?

Needs Assessment Methods  Formal surveys surveys pre-test of skills pre-test of skills measures of demand measures of demand focus groups with staff focus groups with staff  Informal peer trainer observation of peers peer trainer observation of peers supervisor input supervisor input listening and noticing listening and noticing

Identify Trainers  What skills are needed? positive attitude toward learning positive attitude toward learning aptitude for learning to train aptitude for learning to train knowledge level beyond learners knowledge level beyond learners or, ability to learn it quickly or, ability to learn it quickly  How many trainers are needed?  From where in organization?

Recruit Trainers  Give the big picture and their role in it  Be specific and personal tell what they bring tell what they bring describe what they will get describe what they will get  Describe support provided address their doubts address their doubts ask what they need to say “yes” ask what they need to say “yes”

Design The Training  Draft training materials complementary roles of trainer and expert complementary roles of trainer and expert “leave none behind” design “leave none behind” design  Test training materials arrangement builds logically arrangement builds logically transitions create relationship between topics transitions create relationship between topics time schedule works time schedule works

Support Trainer Practice  Offer multiple ways to prepare  Ask what they need to be successful  Use trainer teams  Allow “baby steps” for a new trainer on the team

Plan Roll-Out  Schedule for success maximize participation maximize participation be creative and committed be creative and committed recruitment pitch recruitment pitch  Details count plan thoroughly plan thoroughly write up instructions, tip sheets write up instructions, tip sheets

Roll-Out  Go! and pay attention details continue to count details continue to count  Delegate  Communicate

To Reinforce Learning  Follow-up for the learners how will they practice? how will they practice? how will they know if they got it? how will they know if they got it?  Follow-up for the trainers what did they learn? what did they learn? what would they do differently next time as trainers? what would they do differently next time as trainers?

Common Methods For Evaluating Success  Survey participants after training and after a period of time  Ask trainers their experience of lesson design and performance of learners  Give post-test of skills and compare to pre-test  Collect supervisor feedback

Congratulate! For Future Success  Notice the accomplishment, and report the results  Acknowledge trainers for their contributions  Celebrate together

Determine Your Goal and Objective  Goal is big picture what is the broad, overall purpose? what is the broad, overall purpose? how will staff benefit? how will staff benefit? how will library users benefit? how will library users benefit?  Objective is specific who needs what skills, knowledge, attitudes? who needs what skills, knowledge, attitudes?  Is peer training the answer?

Sample Goal and Objective  Training Goal: Customers receive assistance in the use of library computers to meet their needs.  Training Objectives: All staff efficiently use basic computer skills and troubleshooting tools in all they do. All staff efficiently use basic computer skills and troubleshooting tools in all they do. Staff assists customers to use library computers. Staff assists customers to use library computers. Staff provides public training in the use of library computers. Staff provides public training in the use of library computers.

What Is Peer Mentoring?  One-on-one guidance and consultation  Focused on individual to develop individual skills, and to develop individual skills, and to meet needs of the organization to meet needs of the organization  Specified period of time to meet specific objective(s) to meet specific objective(s)  Based on trust and communication

If you were going to be mentored, what qualities would you like in your mentor?

As the mentor, how would you establish trust in the mentoring relationship?

Peer Mentoring Situations  Staff development  Succession planning  Performance improvement

The Mentor’s Role  Respect individual’s learning process understand how the mentee is different from you understand how the mentee is different from you appreciate and build on strengths appreciate and build on strengths  Act patient  Encourage and applaud the mentee  Provide opportunities to build new skills

The Mentee’s Role  Consider the mentor’s points of view, and options suggested by the mentor demonstrate flexibility demonstrate flexibility show willingness to try new things show willingness to try new things  Work to gain knowledge and skill  Take initiative

Creating A Peer Mentoring Plan  Determine mentoring goal and objective  Identify and invite mentor and/or mentee  Assess learning needs together  Develop mutual work plan  Finish up together

Identify and Invite the Mentee  Let them know what’s in it for them  Tell why you need them specifically  Describe how you will work together  Offer up what you will bring as mentor

Assess Needs Together  Ask mentee what they need to be successful what they need to be successful what feels easy or hard what feels easy or hard how they describe their learning style how they describe their learning style  Ask supervisor  Ask co-workers and other observers

Develop Mutual Work Plan  Prioritize needs  Develop timeline  Personalize approach  Stay flexible

Finish Up Together  Follow-up determine what is left to learn determine what is left to learn consider next steps in development consider next steps in development  Evaluate and acknowledge provide written commendation provide written commendation  Congratulate and celebrate

Determine Your Mentoring Goal and Objective  Goal is big picture what needs to be accomplished? what needs to be accomplished? who will benefit how? who will benefit how?  Objective is specific what skills, knowledge, attitudes will the mentee learn? what skills, knowledge, attitudes will the mentee learn? what is the scope? what is the scope? what is the time frame? what is the time frame?  Is peer mentoring the answer?

What challenges or barriers do you anticipate in carrying out your peer training or mentoring plan?

Common Challenges  Recruiting reluctant people  Finding the knowledge within  Meeting tight deadlines  Ensuring ways to practice