AMA Alliance Mentoring 101 - Developing Leadership in Your Alliance

Editor's Notes

• #2: It’s probably easy for you to recall someone who has had a significant impact on your life. A teacher who gave you the skills to solve mathematical problems or to write an essay – a coach who corrected your swimming stroke or cheered when you finished a race and inspired your lifelong love of sport. Or, someone who has shared information with who that has allowed you to grow into a leader either in the Alliance of in another aspect of your life. It is this type of relationship that is the essence of mentoring. The term mentoring encompasses the idea of apprenticeship strengthened by a relationship between a teacher and a student. The process of learning from such a mentor is known as mentoring. The word “mentor” is taken from The Odyssey, written by the Greek poet Homer. The story tells us that Odysseus (also know as Ulysses in the Latin translation) is planning to go to battle in the Trojan War. As he makes his preparations, however, Odysseus realizes that his heir, Telemachus, is not trained to act in the role of King during his absence. Odysseus turns to Mentor, a wise and trusted family friend, who agrees to tutor Telemachus while Odysseus is away. Selecting Mentor, known to be wise and compassionate, for the job of training Telemachus was an appropriate and well-considered choice. Odysseus recognized how important these qualities, wisdom and compassion, would be in the important task of preparing his heir for the challenges of kingship. “Mentoring” – as the word has come down to us through the ages – epitomizes relationships that provide for the exchange of information and knowledge – and which are built on a foundation of trust, truth, and compassion.
• #4: When asked about what we need to do to make our Alliance grow and increase our accomplishments, having knowledgeable and enthusiastic leadership is almost always one of the first things named. Whether it’s finding county leaders, bringing in new state leaders….or helping our members thrive in the leadership roles of every day life such as organizing a car pool….or being president of the local PTO…heading a team project at work…..the Alliance is uniquely positioned to deliver training that will enhance our members’ lives. Beyond leadership… gaining skills in leadership builds member retention…by demonstrating that we value the skills and talents of those who join the Alliance. If we look at these figures, it gives us a good idea of how we as the current leaders in this room came to be in our positions and illustrates clearly that we are directly responsible for encouraging and developing our successors. A few people step up to leadership because their Alliance experiences a crisis, another small group is comprised of people with such great natural gifting and instinct that they navigate into leadership roles on their own. But 4 out of 5 of all the leaders that you have ever met have emerged because of the impact made on them by established leaders who have mentored them. Are you surprised by these numbers? How many of you in this room were influenced or mentored by an Alliance leader? Can you share what types of influence was most important in your leadership development? (If time permits, allow audience to share their mentoring examples)
• #5: The best part of mentoring is that done correctly, you both learn and grow as leaders. The fact ……. all of us as leaders need to continue to develop our own leadership skills. Like a tree that dies the day it stops growing, good leaders are always finding new ways to grow and to enhance their own leadership skills.
• #6: When we decide how to best look at mentoring member to grow into leaders, we must always be honest about the time and resources that we are willing to commit to developing a mentoring program. Nothing will destroy the leadership pipeline or value of mentoring faster than to promise something that isn’t delivered. Mentoring can and should be tailored to each Alliance and to each mentoring pair. It may be as informal or formal as you desire….but providing some guidelines will help ensure success. Informal mentoring is ongoing for most alliances and you may only need to enhance what’s naturally occurring in your Alliance to have an explosion of leadership growth.
• #7: Facilitated group mentoring: Facilitated group mentoring allows a number of members to participate in a learning group and to benefit simultaneously from the experience and expertise of a mentor or mentors. The richness of the experience multiplies as each group participant brings personal experiences into the conversation. The facilitator asks questions to keep the dialogue thought provoking and meaningful, shares their own personal experiences, provides feedback and serves as a sounding board. Example: Once a month seven alliance members meet to talk about issues pertinent to their interest in learning more about leadership. For each session, they choose an outside facilitator (usually another member with skills they want to learn) based on the leadership topic they are exploring. Peer-group mentoring: Peer-group mentoring brings together peers with similar learning interests or needs. The group is self-directed and self-managed. It takes responsibility for crafting its own learning agenda and for managing the learning process so that each member's learning needs are met and everyone derives maximum benefit from each other's knowledge, expertise and experience. Example: Each participant presents a problem or issue. The other members of the group respond to the problem or issue presented. As a result, the collective wisdom of the group is harnessed to solve problems and improve practices, and value is created for all group members. Team mentoring: Team mentoring offers a methodology for facilitating the learning of an intact team. Together the individuals making up the team articulate mutual learning goals and work simultaneously with one or more mentors who guide them through a deliberate and deliberative process to facilitate their learning. The mentoring process allows the team to be supported and to learn from each other’s experience and knowledge. Example: In a state alliance, two mentors with membership experience work with the state membership team with the goal of helping them better understand what they do and how they do it. Or, state chairs may organize a mentoring group of county chairs to enable them to all improve skills and share ideas. There are many variations on these themes and innovative group mentoring practices can be as individual as the needs of your Alliance.
• #8: The formal type of mentoring programs will obviously take more time and resources. It’s also the type of program that if done successfully can have a real impact of meeting the goals and visions of your Alliance. Leadership mentoring is defined toward meeting the goals of individuals and in advancing your mission and vision for your Alliance. Do you have a wonderful fundraiser or community health project that needs specific leadership skills to accomplish..talking to the media, making the ask…you might want to consider a formal partnership to pass this specific knowledge on to other leaders. Partnering the two members is a facilitated process Aims of the relationship are specific, directed toward achieving goals/s which the mentee has clarified A mentoring agreement form is the cornerstone of the partnership, which defines communication methods, structure, timeframes The relationship is regularly evaluated and measures to check progress toward goals Finite duration of relationship Likelihood of win/win/win benefits (mentor, mentee, organization)
• #9: It’s possible to have a process that combines the ease of informal mentoring, but still allows for some of the structure of formal mentoring. Today, I’ve given you information on the CD and handouts that will allow you to begin to implement an Enhanced Informal Mentoring program, or, provide you with a checklist if you’re already in a mentoring relationship. Have an orientation of what effective mentoring looks like for interested members Provide mentoring self-study materials to interested members Provide informal coaching for interested mentors/mentees Circulate examples of effective mentoring activities Evaluate progress after a trial period
• #11: The important thing to recognize is that you don’t have to start the program all by yourself. Let the mentoring process begin by appointing a task force to define what types of mentoring is needed or wanted in your Alliance. There are thousands of websites and resources on mentoring… the information that I’ve provided is just the tiny tip of the iceberg! Why try to reinvent, when you have access to proven programs.
• #12: The important thing to recognize is that you don’t have to start the program all by yourself. Let the mentoring process begin by appointing a task force to define what types of mentoring is needed or wanted in your Alliance. There are thousands of websites and resources on mentoring… the information that I’ve provided is just the tiny tip of the iceberg! Why try to reinvent, when you have access to proven programs.
• #13: Retention – Mentoring improves retention and builds loyalty among Alliance members. Legacy – Mentoring preserves and perpetuates the traditions and creates a legacy for future leaders. Leadership Pool – Mentoring identifies and trains the next generation of leaders. Quality – Mentoring raises a leader’s skill level with a shorter learning curve. Diversity – Mentoring promotes a variety of leaders, work styles, and thinking patterns. Productivity – Mentoring increases individual and Alliance productivity and communication flow. Involvement – Mentoring encourages and motivates capable Alliance leaders to step forward and utilize their mentoring and interpersonal skills.
• #14: Personal satisfaction – Mentors feel a sense of pride by helping potential leaders progress. They feel they are giving back some of what the Alliance has given to them. Sharpened leadership and interpersonal skills – Mentors sharpen their own skills as they coach and challenge their mentees. Recognition – Mentors are well respected at all Alliance levels for their contributions to building continuity of leadership. Information – Often, Mentors receive feedback and fresh ideas from their mentees. Mentees offer insight about how the association is perceived. Leadership advancement – Enhances the mentors reputation for getting things done, and developing others to follow the Mentor’s example can help the provide the opportunity to advance into leadership positions. How often do you want to move on to a new challenge in leadership, but can’t because of your inability to find someone to build on what you’ve already accomplished. Legacy – Mentors gain satisfaction from passing their experience and insights on to the next generation of Alliance leaders.
• #15: Not everyone in your alliance will make a good mentor or what to participate in mentoring. That’s not to say that they aren’t valuable leaders for your organization, but everyone is different in how well they can transfer their own skills to others and the amount of time they have to devote to developing leaders for the alliance. Mentors should be: Approachable and welcoming Shares information and experiences openly Good communication skills Trustworthy Provides accurate and appropriate feedback Technical and leadership expertise Motivating, encouraging, positive and empowering Allocates appropriate time to mentoring Sensitive to the needs of the member Do some of these characteristics remind you of wonderful past leaders in your Alliance? What a great way to keep them involved with your Alliance and not letting that wisdom and leadership experience be lost. Do pay particular attention to the characteristics of being positive and empowering!
• #16: Motivation – Mentees feel more motivated since leaders and the organization are both interested in their development and success, and are willing to invest in them. Knowledge and new skills – Mentees learn from the experiences of Alliance leaders. Accelerated advancement – Mentees participate in skills training, which leads to personal development and leadership opportunities. Networking –Mentees cultivate valuable contacts within and outside their local organization. Feedback – Mentors provide constructive feedback on actions, behaviors, and decisions. Support – Help with setting and achieving goals is readily available.
• #17: Drives the process and take responsibility for solving problems, personal growth and development Motivated and willing to develop a good relationship Listens and accepts guidance and feedback Sets realistic and appropriate goals Reliable, trustworthy and maintains confidentiality Looks to be challenged Flexible and open to new ideas Shows initiative and enthusiasm but has reasonable expectations Recognizes, acknowledges and appreciates mentor
• #18: Often in smaller Alliances, friends must serve as mentors to potential leaders. Both pros and cons are present when peers mentor peers, rather than someone a higher level on the leadership pyramid in your Alliance. With the use of e-mail, chats and unlimited cell phone minutes or free SKYPE calls…mentors can be across the state or across the country!
• #19: Member may feel threatened during the mentoring process knowing that their peer will assess their leadership ability The mentor may not be sufficiently independent to make a fair and valid assessment It may hinder working relationship and friendship
• #24: Communicate openly Encourage them to take responsibility for achieving their goals Give them space and time to complete tasks Guide and counsel as they reach final stages of tasks Help them to learn from mistakes Help them to work out the answer, rather than just telling them Give constructive, critical advice – but don’t expect to solve all their problems for them Introduce them to other people who might be able to help them Give them responsibility and monitor progress Build confidence through meaningful assignments
• #25: Avoid an “I do it best” mind-set. Leaders who believe that to have something done right they have to do it themselves or the same way that they would do the assignment will not be able to develop potential leaders. Ease your potential leaders into additional responsibility by taking the following steps toward delegation. 1. Ask them to be fact finders only. It gives members a chance to get their feet wet and to become comfortable with the issues and objectives. 2. Ask them to make suggestions. This gets members thinking, and it allows you to understand their thought processes. It you have used the process of synergy we discussed above, your potential leaders will be engaged in creative thought for your Alliance and eager to contribute. 3. Ask them to carry out one of their ideas, after getting approval. This is a critical time. Set members up for success and not failure. Give lots of encouragement. 4. Ask them to take action on their own, but to report the results or problems immediately. While this gives confidence, you will still be able to assist new leaders to make sure their ideas are successful by troubleshooting any difficulties. 5. Give complete authority. This is the final step—what you’ve been working toward! You now have a leader who will be able grow other leaders.
• #26: To encourage interaction To help maintain interest and stimulate thought To help facilitate learning by involving member To defuse potential confronting situations To allow individuals the opportunity to get some feedback on what they want to know To create a discussion To redirect a discussion To obtain feedback
• #27: Keep them simple (one idea per question, simple language, short) Pause and give the other person a chance to reflect and answer Prompt (repeat or paraphrase the question, recall information related to the question) Deal with wrong answers in a sensitive and constructive way
• #28: What questions might be appropriate in the following situation?
• #29: Let’s take a couple of minutes to formulate empowering questions in each of these situations… (If time permits have participants give their own examples for each situation listed.)
• #34: Assist mentee to identify and evaluate options to achieve agreed goals. Share personal experiences and knowledge with the mentee. Encourage mentee to make decisions and take responsibility for the courses of action under consideration. Provide supportive advice and assistance in a manner which allows the mentee to retain responsibility for achievement of their own goals. Change and discuss the mentoring relationship when appropriate. Make any adjustments to the relationship taking into account the needs of both mentor and mentee.