CARE Capability Building
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Transcript of CARE Capability Building
CARE Capability Building
Mentoring Guide
• Overview of Effective Mentoring Practices– Benefits of a Mentoring Relationship– Components of an Effective Mentoring Relationship– Characteristics of an Effective Mentor– Build an Effective Supportive Role as Mentor
• Effective Mentoring Techniques– Active Listening in Communication– Delivering Effective Feedback– Effective Questioning Techniques– Managing the Mentoring Relationship– Positive Ends to New Beginnings
• Mentoring Program Activities– Create a Mentoring Agreement– Using the Mentoring Curriculum– Ending Ineffective Mentoring Relationships
• Recommended Reading on Mentoring
Contents
Benefits of a Mentoring Relationship
Benefits for mentors
Benefits for mentees
Benefits for organizations
Mentoring provides advantages to everyone involved if the time and commitment are given by all parties from the start of the mentoring program.
• Gain respect from mentee, colleagues, supervisors for mentoring commitment
• Benefit to own work from hearing mentee’s ideas through discussions
• Renew enthusiasm for work through reward of motivating another person to succeed
• Access value chain-specific knowledge through instruction, individualized professional development
• Acquire role-modelling of market facilitation skills and behaviors
• Understands professional development opportunities and sets goals
• Expand organisational communication and understanding: both national and international communications improve
• Improve recruitment and retention of qualified employees
• Build skilled employees to fill positions through promotion within the organization
Components of an effective mentoring relationship
Share information, knowledge, experiences and wisdom Provide valuable opportunities by facilitating networking and increasing contacts Challenge, stimulate curiosity and build confidence by presenting new
opportunities, ideas and challenges Help mentees set goals, discover talents, interests and define and attain their goals Support mentees by encouraging their growth and achievement by providing an open
and supportive environment Be a role model for your mentee, share stories of your achievements and failures /
challenges Ask powerful questions to facilitate the mentee’s discovery and learning process, and
advance your own learning and development as a mentor
Formal mentoring usually involves specific goals in terms of professional development. With these types of relationships, it is useful to set up goals and timeframes for meeting these goals. A formal mentoring relationship can have either a formal written or verbal agreement, depending on the complexity of the established goals
Characteristics of an effective mentor
As a mentor, you can use the skills that you have to become very effective in your role. During the program you will demonstrate your knowledge of CARE and Market Engagement, excellent interpersonal skills, influence and respect and commitment.
Knowledge of CARE and Market Engagement
Excellent interpersonal skills
Influence and respect
Commitment
• Understands CARE and its strategic goals • Provides guidance on making progress in value chain initiatives• Provides career development advice and support• Encourages mentee to set and achieve career goals
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills• Gives clear instructions, demonstrations, and role-modeling• Listens actively at all times to understand mentee’s needs / strengths• Stimulates mentee’s development through guidance and questioning
• Commands influence, respect and credibility within CARE and the wider development field
• Introduces mentee to professional networking opportunities• Acts as an advocate for the mentee
• Involves him/herself in mentee’s (career) life with genuine interest• Take risks to provide career guidance and key decisions• Makes time for mentoring among other work commitments• Relates to the mentee on a personal and professional level
Build an effective supportive role as mentor
Mentors need to be able to provide support to mentee as necessary to address challenges, keep professional goals and work on track. It will also be important to help mentees regain confidence when experiencing personal or professional problems, by using support strategies with mentees. Further support tools are detailed in the next section of this pack.
• Tell your own story to build a relationship with your mentee on a personal and professional level
• Ask open-ended questions to help conversation flow and find out more about your mentee
• Find common ground to help build strong foundations for your working relationship
• Encourage your mentee when she / he comes to you with a challenge
• Listen without judging to provide a safe environment for your mentee to share experiences with you
• Demonstrate confidence and respect for your mentee to build confidence
• Be reasonable about your expectations of your mentee
• Show genuine interest in your discussions with your mentee
• Practise empathising with your mentee to understand his / her situation, feelings and motives.
• Demonstrate appropriate affection and warmth towards your mentee
• Listen without interrupting and be patient
• Ask questions to help your mentee clarify issues they are experiencing
• Support your mentee to list the options available and think them through
• Guide your mentee to identify the best solution for him / her, letting the mentee make those decisions
• Provide (appropriate) emotional support
Establish Trust Provide Encouragement
Take a Genuine Interest Handle Personal Problems
Contents
• Overview of Effective Mentoring Practices– Benefits of a Mentoring Relationship– Components of an Effective Mentoring Relationship– Characteristics of an Effective Mentor– Build an Effective Supportive Role as Mentor
• Effective Mentoring Techniques– Active Listening in Communication– Delivering Effective Feedback– Effective Questioning Techniques– Managing the Mentoring Relationship– Positive Ends to New Beginnings
• Mentoring Program Activities– Create a Mentoring Agreement– Using the Mentoring Curriculum– Ending Ineffective Mentoring Relationships
• Recommended Reading on Mentoring
Active Listening in Communication
Active listening promotes understanding. In a mentoring relationship, it's essential that the mentor understand as much as possible about the mentee. Active listening involves giving the mentee your full attention, being patient and seeking understanding. Use these checklists to support your ability to listen actively when you are mentoring.
Give the mentee your full attention Be patient Seek Understanding
Switch off your phone, Skype, email during meetings
Allow no interruptionsDemonstrate interest with
verbal cues to encourage mentee to speak [and body language in face-to-face meetings]
Spend the full time allocated for the meeting with mentee
Use empathy to engage your mentee
Respond to mentee’s (spoken or implied) requests for help
Listen quietly whilst your mentor is speaking
Avoid formulating a response whilst your mentee is talking
Avoid interrupting whilst your mentee is talking
Control your emotional reactions and responses
Allow periods of silence to enable reflection on questions or discussion points
Listen first, consider and form opinions afterwards
Ask brief questions to clarify a point
Paraphrase your mentee’s words by repeating them in your own words
Summarize points to validate your understanding
Seek the overall message (avoid becoming diverted by semantics)
Respond to body language / verbal cues which may indicate you need to ask questions to explore further
Delivering Effective Feedback
Providing feedback improves performance and helps to build skills. Effective feedback from mentors enables mentees to improve their professional skills, through meeting frequently, providing information and guidance (not advice) and feeding back in a clear, approachable way.
Meet frequently Provide information and guidance
Feedback clearly in an approachable way
Make yourself available to your mentee
Feedback successes and problems to guide your mentee
Avoid undermining your relationship with your mentee caused by avoiding difficult conversations
Value time with your mentee as a time for mutual learning and professional growth
Avoid telling the mentee what to do
Engage your mentee with exploring more than one possible solution to a problem
Warn your mentee about potential negative outcomes to solutions / actions
Allow your mentee to take risks and experience challenges and even failure as part of his / her learning process
Praise your mentee for successes
Address issues directly and honestly but tactfully
Make your points as clear and easy to decipher as possible
Encourage your mentee to ask about anything that is unclear
Confront (tactically) your mentee to address ineffective work habits or behaviours
Effective Questioning Techniques
Asking effective questions can inspire your mentees to think in innovative ways. Questions can guide mentees to make better decisions, whilst discovering ways to develop themselves professionally themselves. Use open ended questions, and enable your mentees to progress through the questions that you ask, with these checklists for support.
Ask open-ended questions
Use opening statements
Avoid defensive responses
Stimulate more detail and emotion in your mentee’s responses
Offer the chance for your mentee to explain his / her point of view
Suggest that there is no right or wrong answer with your questions
Set a direction for the conversation
Use a provocative question to start the mentee thinking
Invite the mentee to consider new possibilities and contemplate things in a different way (e.g. how might technology change value chain programs in 5 years’ time?)
Avoid ‘why’ questions which can elicit a defensive response (E.g. replace why did you organize it like that? With how effective do you feel the organization was?”
Ask rhetorical questions rarely as these can be patronising or insulting
Avoid dead-end questions
Avoid closed questions (e.g. eliciting the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’) as this will stall conversation and minimize your interaction
Avoid questions that are too complex as they can derail a conversation (consider asking such a question as a ‘takeaway’)
Managing the Mentoring Relationship
Mentoring can involve challenges as well as rewards. Use these checklists as part of learning to negotiate occasional difficult situations or unexpected turns caused by unrealistic expectations, lack of serious commitment from the mentee, insufficient time or rumor / jealousy.
Unrealistic expectations
A lack of commitment Insufficient time
Develop a mutually agreed set of goals and expectations (e.g. time together, benchmarks for progress)
Renegotiate original expectations regularly
(As needed) reassess the mentoring relationship and adjust for unexpected changes
Formalize involvement in the mentoring process by including mentoring commitment in performance management process
Ask your mentee to evaluate the relationship to receive 360° feedback on your effectiveness as mentor
Adapt your schedule (once committed to being a mentor) to set aside enough time for your mentee
Consider identifying a new mentor if you schedule changes and you cannot commit the time
Delegate tasks (where appropriate and helpful) to your mentee
Rumors and jealousy
Maintain professionalism at all times
Strike a balance between publicising the mentoring program and ‘flaunting’ the special status of mentees
Suggest mentees share learnings with their peers and direct reports
Positive Ends to New Beginnings
End your mentoring relationship in a positive way to reinforce positively the efforts of both mentee and mentor, regardless of challenges experienced during the mentoring program. Use these checklists to support you to end the mentoring relationship effectively.
Thank participants
Avoid any potential feelings of inadequacy in mentees by thanking the mentee for his / her contribution to the relationship
Express encouragement for them for the future
Bestow kudos
Demonstrate the value you attached to the mentoring relationships
Discuss the mentee’s successes and talk through strategies to build on
Use encouragement to motivate your mentee to use new skills and tools in their ongoing work
The principle of a no fault conclusion
Be aware from the outset that either mentee or mentor can end the relationship (if necessary) without harmful consequences
Conclude any formal contracts as they began
Contents
• Overview of Effective Mentoring Practices– Benefits of a Mentoring Relationship– Components of an Effective Mentoring Relationship– Characteristics of an Effective Mentor– Build an Effective Supportive Role as Mentor
• Effective Mentoring Techniques– Active Listening in Communication– Delivering Effective Feedback– Effective Questioning Techniques– Managing the Mentoring Relationship– Positive Ends to New Beginnings
• Mentoring Program Activities– Create a Mentoring Agreement– Using the Mentoring Curriculum– Ending Ineffective Mentoring Relationships
• Recommended Reading on Mentoring
Create a Mentoring Agreement
During launch week, meet with your mentee and develop a formal mentoring agreement. Documenting your goals and expectations will clarify the direction and scope of your mentoring relationship.
Mentoring Agreement:
Overall goals for relationship
Expectations of how to work
together to achieve these goals
Meeting times (frequency,
duration)
How to record and monitor
progress
Confidentiality agreement
Signature of mentee
Signature of mentor
Reference document: Mentoring Agreement
Using the Mentoring Curriculum
Mentors and mentees will use the mentoring curriculum to focus learning every month on a new module. As a mentor, you will need to be familiar with the content of the modules to drive your interactions with you mentee, and prepare adequately for these interactions.
This section will support you with guidelines on:
How to use the curriculum when mentoring via
How to use the curriculum to provide additional
context to the mentee’s journal questions
How to use the curriculum to prepare for the
monthly mentoring call
How to use the curriculum in the quarterly forum
Conduct mentoring via weekly emails (1 of 2)
Mentee’s Email to MentorQuick Update
The mentee will:• Summarize work completed during the week and share stories• Reflect on progress made against the two targets identified with mentor the previous
weekDiscussion Points
The mentee will:• Identify two topics (one or more from the module, optionally one from his / her value
chain work) Discussion Point one:
For both discussion points the mentee will: • Reflect on current familiarity with this area in own work• Hypothesise about how to apply learning to current work• Discuss any current reading / research relating to this topicDiscussion
Point twoFollow Up: The mentee will:
• Ask the mentor for guidance / further information relating to these discussion points• Ask the mentor for additional tools, templates, examples
Target Setting
The mentee will:• Identify two target areas to focus on for next week (at least one relating to the
module) based on your assessment of your opportunities for development
Reference document: Mentoring Email Template
Mentor’s Email to MenteeQuick Update
The mentor will:• Summarize own work completed during the week and share stories
Discussion Points
The mentor will:• Address the two discussion points explored by in the mentee’s email, share examples
from own practice and respond to any requests for guidance, templates, tools etc.Discussion Point one:
For both discussion points the mentor will: • Give a short description of own professional experiences relating to the discussion
point• Respond to mentee’s comments / hypotheses on the discussion point• Offer guidance and tools / templates as appropriate
Discussion Point twoFollow Up: The mentor will:
• Suggest related topics for further reflection• Key reading or professionals who are SMEs in this area for the mentee to engage with
Target Setting
The mentor will:• Validate the two targets identified by the mentee for focus next week and finalise these
to agree them (to ensure that they are relevant / supportive to the mentee)
Conduct mentoring via weekly emails (2 of 2)
Reference document: Mentoring Email Template
Review the Mentee Journal
Mentees will use the mentee journal to reflect and answer questions that are included throughout the mentoring module. The journal provides a safe environment for the mentee to document current learning, challenges and issues to share with his or her mentor.
Mentee’s Responsibilities:Reflect upon past and current value chain work to
provide examples in your answersSummarize your answers in two to three
paragraphs, highlighting examples, learning and challenges
Send completed answers to the mentor in preparation for the monthly call
Mentor’s Responsibilities: Review the mentee’s journal prior to the monthly
call Be prepared to share your feedback and guidance
on their answers
Reference document: Mentee Journal
Mentor’s preparation for the Mentoring Call: Read the module your mentee is working through at the beginning of the month, so that you are
familiar with the content. Read the mentee’s journal to understand their answers to the mentoring module questions. Reflect on the relevance of the module content in relation to your mentee’s value chain work In your mentoring email one week prior to the call, agree targets for next week: you will discuss
these in your call Prepare for the mentoring call any examples you have, relevant to the previous week’s discussion
points to share with the mentee. (Also prepare any relevant tools / templates) Read the reflection questions the mentee has been asked to complete for this month, and
formulate a list of questions you can use to stimulate the flow of conversation on the two discussion points. Use the mentoring techniques (in this pack) to support you.
Prepare for the Mentoring Call
The monthly mentoring call will enable further discussion between the mentor and mentee on learning that has occurred throughout the month via email communications. Follow the steps below as you prepare and conduct the mentoring calls at the end of the month.
Represent Activities for Module 1 Represent Activities for Module 2
Key Monthly Activities for Mentee and Mentor
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri S / S Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri S / S Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri S / S Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri
Mentee
Mentor
Week Five Week One Week Two Week Three
Emailmentor
Emailmentor
Email Reply
Mentoring Call
Study moduleReflect on VC work
Study moduleReflect on VC work
Study moduleReflect on VC work
Prepare for following month's module
Emailmentor
Study moduleReflect on VC work
Emailmentor
Email Reply
Study moduleReflect on VC work
Prepare for the mentoring call
Agenda for Monthly Mentoring callMentoring Call AgendaIntroduction(5-10 mins)
• Introduce the call with an update about your week, and share personal or professional anecdotes to build common ground and strengthen your working relationship.
• Validate the agenda for the call: check whether the discussion points are still appropriate as far as the mentee is concerned.
Discussion Points(20 mins each)
Discussion point one: • Use your prepared questions to stimulate the discussion. Listen to your mentee’s experiences and
questions, and share examples. • Keep the conversation reflection oriented so that you discuss options for challenges, and create
actions for the mentee (and yourself). • Keep to the time to allow for both topics to be covered during the meeting
Discussion point two: • As above (20 minutes) NB the above structure is recommended, but depending on external factors
you many want to be flexible to meet your mentee’s needs)
Follow Up (5 mins)
• Summarizing the outcomes and actions from the call• Acknowledging your mentee’s success stories to create a sense of accomplishment. • Ask your mentee to identify two targets from your discussion to focus on for next week, and agree
these together.
Target Setting (5 mins)
The mentor will:• Ask your mentee to identify two targets from your discussion to focus on for next week, and agree
these together.
Mentor Quarterly ForumSuggested Agenda for Quarterly ForumOverview The Mentoring Program Coordinator will facilitate these calls
• Introductions (if necessary)
Current Mentoring Updates
Mentors take it in turns to:• Provide overview of the value chain program of their mentee , its current stage of
implementation and the challenges
Round Table
• Mentoring Program Coordinator leads discussion of success stories and challenges of mentoring.
Module Focus
One Mentor (per forum):• Discusses the module they have worked with their mentor on that month• Explains areas where mentee needed support and guidance, and how they provided
the mentee with support• Invites other mentors to share their experiences from this or other modules
Actions The Mentoring Program Coordinator summarises actions from the meeting (e.g. sharing of tools, templates, links to latest reading on mentoring)
Mentee Quarterly ForumSuggested Agenda for Quarterly ForumOverview • The forum will be hosted by one of the countries involved in the program, e.g. Ethiopia.
The mentee(s) from this country will facilitate the call and agenda. The schedule for who will host will be determined during the Launch Week.
• Mentees introduce themselves, and give 1-2 sentence summary of current workCurrent Work Updates
The mentees will:• Take turns to share their current value chain work experiences• Share the challenges that they are facing• Share how the plan to overcome these challenges
Round Table
• Open discussion where mentees share suggestions from own experiences that can help to address these challenges (raised in ‘current work’ updates)
Module Focus
One mentee will:• Give an overview of the module they’ve been studying• Discuss how the module has supported his / her work• Invite other mentees to share experiences from this specific module (to build skills of
all mentees)Project Focus
One mentee will:• Give an overview of their value chain project as a whole• Invite other mentees to share experiences relevant to the challenges / specifics of this
project
Mentee / Mentor Evaluation
To measure the effectiveness of the mentoring relationship, both mentee and mentor will complete an evaluation form at three intervals during the mentoring program. This will enable mentors and mentees to measure progress and address challenges as they occur.
Mentoring Evaluation
Separate forms for mentee and mentor
Opportunities to:
Reflect on progress made
Highlight challenges
Target areas to improve the
relationship
Provide feedback on the program as a
whole
Make continuous improvements to the
mentoring program
Ending Ineffective Mentoring Relationships
Occasionally mentoring relationships do not work, and it will then be appropriate for the mentee or mentor to end the relationship. Understand these five indicators that a mentoring relationship is not working. Contact the Mentoring Program Coordinator to determine the appropriate resolution if this occurs in your relationship.c
Mentor not meeting expectations
Dependent mentees
Personality conflicts
Incompatible work habits
• Make it clear from the outset that either party can end the relationship if the agreed goals and expectations are not being delivered.
Mentees outgrowing mentors
• The mentee cannot learn to act independently of the mentee (i.e. is unable to make decisions on her / his own, or does not take any action if the mentor refuses to make decisions for him / her).
• A mentee and mentor do not get along, meaning meetings are combative and unproductive. Avoid this by becoming acquainted before agreeing to mentor a mentee and ensure personalities match.
• The working habits of mentee and mentor differ so completely that they are incompatible and mentoring cannot take place. There is little chance of a rewarding, mutually beneficial relationship.
• The mentee has learned all he / she can from the mentor. Support the mentee to find a new mentor suited to developing his / her skills further.
Contents
• Overview of Effective Mentoring Practices– Benefits of a Mentoring Relationship– Components of an Effective Mentoring Relationship– Characteristics of an Effective Mentor– Build an Effective Supportive Role as Mentor
• Effective Mentoring Techniques– Active Listening in Communication– Delivering Effective Feedback– Effective Questioning Techniques– Managing the Mentoring Relationship– Positive Ends to New Beginnings
• Mentoring Program Activities– Create a Mentoring Agreement– Using the Mentoring Curriculum– Ending Ineffective Mentoring Relationships
• Recommended Reading on Mentoring
Recommended Reading on Mentoring
• Be Your Own Mentor: Strategies from Top Women on the Secrets of Success: Sheila
Wellington and Betty Spence
• Managers and Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning: Chip R. Bell
• Hard Won Wisdom: More Than 50 Extraordinary Women Mentor You to Find Self-
Awareness, Perspective and Balance: Fawn Germer
• The New Managerial Mentor: Becoming a Learning Leader to Build Communities of
Purpose: Patricia J. Fritts
• Co-active Coaching: new Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life:
Laura Whitworth, Henry House, Phil Sandahl, Henry Kimsey-House