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1 Guidelines for Establishing a Mentoring Programme within the Framework of the IEC Young Professionals Programme

Guidelines for Establishing

a Mentoring Programme within

the Framework of the

IEC Young Professionals

Programme


Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 3

What is Mentoring? .................................................................................................................................. 3

Why is Mentoring Important to Achieving the Outcomes of the IEC Young Professionals

Programme ………………………………………………………..….……………………...……………….….. 3

What Makes a Successful Mentoring Programme .................................................................................. 4

Planning and Design ............................................................................................................................... 6

Planning .................................................................................................................................................. 6

Design ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

Participants, their roles and responsibilities .......................................................................................... 10

IEC National Committee ................................................................................................................... 10

Facilitator .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Mentor .............................................................................................................................................. 11

Mentee ............................................................................................................................................. 12

Training ............................................................................................................................................ 12

The Mentoring Relationship .................................................................................................................. 13

Matching Mentors to Mentees .......................................................................................................... 13

The Mentoring Relationship ............................................................................................................. 15

The Mentoring Process ........................................................................................................................ 16

Evaluation and Review ......................................................................................................................... 19

Facilitating Ongoing Opportunities ....................................................................................................... 20

Resources ............................................................................................................................................ 21


Mentoring was identified by several participants in the 2011 IEC Young Professionals Workshop as being one tool that would help them to become involved, or more involved in IEC work.

These guidelines are intended to provide a framework for a Young Professionals Mentoring Programme that can be used by IEC National Committees to establish a mentoring programme in their countries within the broader context of the IEC Young Professionals Programme. This material is not intended to be prescriptive, but rather a guidance document which will provide National Committees with the tools and resources to implement their own tailored programme. It aims to encourage National Committees to implement local programmes that increase the participation of young professionals in both national committees and IEC technical committees with the intention of improving the transfer of technologies and experiences.

Mentoring provides an informal pathway to developing and strengthening a Young Professional‟s career in standardization or conformity assessment. Mentoring has many varied definitions; however in the context of the IEC, it may be best defined as a developmental partnership through which one person shares knowledge, skills, information and perspective to foster the personal and professional growth of someone else: a one-of-a-kind opportunity for collaboration, goal achievement and problem-solving [1]. In its best form, mentoring provides benefits to both the mentor and the mentee. The mentor can experience enhanced self-esteem, better fulfilment of their own developmental needs and industry recognition. As a bonus, the relationship may bring exposure to new ideas, other perspectives and intellectual stimulation. The mentee may also „upwardly mentor‟ their mentor, for instance in using new technology.

Introduction

What is Mentoring?

Why is Mentoring Important to Achieving

the Outcomes of the IEC Young

Professionals Programme


The mentee gets support in furthering their involvement within the IEC community. Benefits should include access to an informed second opinion, gaining insight into their own performance through a „critical friend‟, identifying personal development needs and opportunities as well as learning from the experience of the mentor. The IEC National Committees and the overall IEC community in turn will benefit through the development of future experts and leaders, and from the transfer of knowledge from experienced to new participants. Mentoring is effective because humans learn through conversation in a social context, which is the essence of mentoring. [2] A successful mentoring programme relies on commitment from a strong and passionate facilitator who identifies and matches eager mentors and mentees whose objectives are in line with the established goals of the programme. Whilst the following are no guarantee of success, without these key success factors it is likely the programme will not achieve the desired outcomes:

1. Defined objectives and support from the leadership of the IEC National Committee.

a. Goals should be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

i. E.g. The goal of the IEC Young Professionals Mentoring Programme is to increase participation rates in the early 20s to mid-30s age group by X% in X years.

b. A senior leader within the IEC NC who strongly believes in the programme should be identified and willing to serve as its champion and advocate.

2. Select a strong and passionate programme facilitator: a. Successful mentoring programmes are not only

comprised of mentors and mentees – they are managed by a third party that establishes, designs, plans, resources, promotes and administers the programme, identifies and matches mentors and mentees, provides them with training and support and evaluates the outcomes.

b. This facilitator may be a committee or an individual from the National Committee.

What Makes a Successful Mentoring Programme


3. Clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and limits to expectations for all stakeholders.

4. Make sure all participants and stakeholders are involved voluntarily.

5. Ensure flexibility is designed into the programme: a. Whilst mentoring is an educational experience, its merits

lie in its informality and commitment to the needs of the individual.

b. If a programme is too formal, and structures too rigid, the preferred learning methods and outcomes sought by the individual will not be met.

6. Promote the programme: a. Promotion is essential to attracting participants (both

mentors and mentees) to the programme. b. Effectively communicate the benefits and strategic value

to all stakeholders.

7. Consider the needs of the mentors and well as the mentees: a. Establishing a strong and reliable group of mentors that

remain in the programme for the long term is critical, otherwise recruiting and training mentors will drain the programme‟s resources.

b. Mentors are typically busy professionals with limited time so the time they devote to the programme must be effectively utilized.

c. Recognition and reward strategies, which could include formal certification as a mentor, could aid in attracting and retaining quality mentors.

8. Training and preparation are essential for both the mentors and mentees:

a. All participants need to be fully aware of the programme‟s goals, their roles, best practices and the IEC NC‟s mentoring process.

b. Mentors should receive formal training and ongoing support.

c. An orientation session at the commencement of the programme, followed by guidance throughout is one option.

d. Mentors and Mentees should write down their objectives for participating and track their progress against these.

9. Match mentors to mentees a. The relationship between the mentor and the mentee is

at the core of any mentoring programme. b. This match-making process should consider the mentees

learning needs, field of interest and personality. c. Ensure there is a process for a fault-free re-assignment

of matches in the case of mismatches.

10. Have a plan in place for managing conflicts of interest


11. Establish mentoring metrics a. Metrics should be established during the design of the

programme around each of its objectives so that the progress of the programme can be effectively tracked.

12. Set an end date a. A closure point should be established for each mentoring

relationship with milestones established and monitored for set points throughout it.

b. There should be a formal process for ending the mentoring experience.

13. Provide ongoing opportunities a. After the mentoring process, the mentee‟s participation in

standardization may need to be facilitated by the National Committee.

b. Without ensuring that mentees have been put into contact with relevant technical committees, and that they have the opportunity to practice what they have learnt, the experience will have been in vain.

14. Recognize successes a. Identify, communicate and recognize individual and

programme-wide successes. b. This applies to both mentors and mentees.

The IEC National Committee should establish a committee, consisting of potential participants and other stakeholders, to identify the level of support for the programme within their organization, the risks involved and potential outcomes. This planning should entail:

1. Verification of the needs of young professionals at a national level and the viability of mentoring as a solution to these needs.

2. Confirmation of enthusiasm for a mentoring programme – if there is no enthusiasm for mentoring, training or other options may be more viable.

3. Identification of mentees – who is the target and how can the programme meet their needs?

4. Identification of mentors – identify key areas of experience, competence and attitude both as a professional and as a person who should meet potential mentee needs and the programme objectives. Is there an adequate pool of experienced candidates who are willing to invest their own time into mentoring young professionals?

5. Confirmation that the IEC National Committee will provide adequate resources for the programme, which may include financing training, providing staff and meeting spaces.

Planning

Planning and Design


6. Identification of who will design and develop the programme – this should include a variety of stakeholders including potential mentors and mentees.

7. Who will act as the programme facilitator, responsible for communication, recruitment, training, support and evaluation? This may be an individual or a group.

8. Consideration of logistical issues including: a. Start dates b. Time required to develop the programme c. Lead-time for marketing the programme d. Resources required e. Training and support events necessary.

9. Identification of measurement metrics including establishment of baseline data. Metrics should include qualitative and quantitative measurements.

10. Establishment of marketing plan – establish a communication strategy including above the line and below the line marketing.

11. Drawing up a budget for the programme. Possible costs would include:

a. Capital investments: i. Preparation ii. Programme design iii. Publicity materials iv. Infrastructure: meeting rooms or

teleconferencing/web conferencing facilities. b. Recurrent costs:

i. Coordination & support ii. Ongoing publicity iii. Training iv. Networking and other events linked to programme v. Evaluation & programme amendments.

If the planning phase does not identify any insurmountable barriers to establishing the mentoring programme, the next task is to design the programme. The design committee should consider:

1. What are the specific objectives of the programme?

2. Will previously defined mentoring best practice, or standards be followed: for example the International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment.

3. How will an ethical framework be established for the Programme? Guidance may be sought by referring to mentoring standards. How this ethical framework will be communicated and enforced will also need to be considered.

4. What are the mentoring metrics and how will outcomes be evaluated?

Design


5. Who will participate and how many? This may need to be re-examined after the availability of suitable and willing mentors is determined.

6. What level of formality is desired? Remember there needs to be some flexibility. More administrative control will lead to few participants. Complete informality may leave participants without adequate support and programme goals unmet.

7. What sort of mentoring model is appropriate? The mentoring programme may recommend one model only, or a combination of the following: one to one, senior-junior, peer to peer, junior-senior, group or panel. The selection of mentoring model must consider which experiential differences are most appropriate in light of mentee needs and programme goals. These guidelines deal predominately with the one to one, senior-junior model, but can be applied to other models.

8. Characteristics and skills needed in the mentor? The specific experience sought in a mentor depends on the aims of the programme and the needs of the mentees. Other important characteristics are:

a. Listening with empathy b. Sharing experience and learning c. Being a sounding board d. Providing professional friendship e. Developing insight through reflection f. Being interested in the development of others.

9. What individual goals are appropriate for mentees? These should be used at briefings and in other programme information. As individual ideas on what mentoring is and can do vary a lot, managing expectations from the start is crucial.

10. How will participants be recruited, including both mentees and mentors?

a. Some options include calling for nominations and personal applications.

b. Consideration should also be given to how people will be persuaded to join.

11. How will applicants be screened and matched? a. Leave some choice available to both mentor and mentee

in deciding partnerships. b. Make sure they know how to end the relationship without

blame if the match doesn‟t work. c. Mentoring software could be considered as there are

several suites such as Chronus that have been specifically designed for this purpose.

d. Consider potential conflicts of interest in the matching process and how these can be managed. Management techniques can include:

i. Place participants from industry with those from outside industry (e.g. academia/consumer protection) and vice versa.


ii. Place participants with those from non-competitor companies.

iii. Have agreements in place from the participant‟s employers that they can engage in a mentoring relationship with someone from outside their company.

iv. Have strong confidentiality policies in place, which are understood and agreed to by participants.

v. Market the benefits of participating to employers.

12. How will equity and the perception of equality be managed in the matching process?

a. Mentoring partnerships may cut across gender, culture, language, disability and/or generation as well as experience which can lead to difficulties arising.

b. Some points to bear in mind: i. Cross-gender relationships can provoke gossip if

not handled openly or may be culturally inappropriate in some countries.

ii. People often feel more at ease with mentoring partners of the same sex and culture.

iii. Partners who differ in one or more of these characteristics may be unable to provide the exchange sought by their partner, because priorities and experience are too far apart.

iv. When there is little equality or equity, dependency may arise – whereby a mentee feels dependent on the mentor for the future of their career. This needs to be avoided wherever possible.

c. Differences in experience and perspective also offer positive outcomes such as providing insights not otherwise obtainable.

d. Trying to match participants too closely may result in there being few mentoring partnerships.

13. What procedures will be put into place to handle relationships that do not function as intended?

a. For example, arrange that mentoring partners meet with or give feedback to the facilitator after their first or second meeting to confirm that the partnership feels positive and that learning goals have been agreed.

b. If there are signs the relationship is not functioning as desired, the facilitator should propose and arrange meetings with alternative partners emphasising that personal fit is a priority for all involved.

14. What orientation and training will be provided to participants? The following should be considered:

a. Introduction to mentoring information pack b. Orientation presentation c. Training on how to benefit from mentoring for both

mentors and mentees.


15. How will participants be supported? This could include: a. Informal networking opportunities b. Formal sessions where a particular group can get

together to discuss common issues and possible solutions.

c. Further training and formal recognition.

16. What is the communication strategy? This could encompass: a. Encouraging everyone involved to spread the word,

which could include via social marketing methods such as Facebook/LinkedIn.

b. Traditional marketing such as flyers and advertisements. c. Letters to employers associated with the National

Committee. d. Letters to existing technical committee members. e. Pre-programme orientations and progress events.

Mentoring relationships should be based on trust, acknowledgment of mutual benefit and a balanced responsibility for conduct with attention to the confidential nature of the relationship. [3]

• Develops a mentoring policy and strategy. • Communicates this to all stakeholders. • Promotes mentoring at every opportunity. • Cultivates a mentoring culture. • Participates in programme events. • Members of the National Committee may volunteer as

mentors.

IEC National Committee

Facilitator

Mentor

Mentee

•Strategy

•Promotes

•Resources

•Supports

•Supervizes

•Monitors

•Shares

•Solves

•Motivates

•Explores

•Applies

•Progresses

Participants, their roles and responsibilities

IEC National Committee


• Provides the resources to plan, design and implement the programme.

• Supports the facilitator, providing ideas and suggestions where necessary.

• Participates in the monitoring and review of the programme.

• Markets the programme to involve new mentors and mentees.

• Processes applications from mentors and mentees to be involved in the programme.

• Provides training and other support events. • Facilitates the matching of mentors to mentees. • Arbitrates conflict between mentee and mentor. • Supervises participants. • Ensures all participants remain focussed on the programme

objectives and adhere to set standards, ethics and boundaries.

• Monitors and reviews progress of programme, and whether goals are being achieved.

• Provides feedback on the programme to the IEC National Committee. Ensures mentees have the opportunity for further development following completion of the mentoring relationship.

A mentor facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual by sharing the knowledge and insights that have been learned through the years. [4] [3] They are a:

Teacher – who shares their knowledge and experience as a current or former participant in IEC activities and encourages the mentee in their learning journey.

• Problem solver – providing solutions to the mentee‟s issues, but more importantly enabling mentees to gain confidence in analysing and solving problems and become effective decision-makers.

• Motivator – supporting mentees in discovering, defining and actioning their goals within the scope of the programme.

• Listener – who provides an open and non-judgemental space for mentees to discuss their issues, and after listening provides encouragement and support in resolving them. The mentor listens, clarifies, reflects back and, when necessary, challenges what the mentee says.

• Guide – Assisting the mentee to reflect on their beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviours and to view issues from a number of perspectives.

Mentors need to be able to [3]:

• Commit time to their mentee • Be accessible

Facilitator

Mentor


• Be a positive influence • Give and receive constructive and honest feedback • Be non-judgemental • Respect confidences.

A mentor is not the manager or director of the mentoring relationship. They should not be the mentee‟s direct supervisor or manager in their working environment either.

A mentee is an achiever – "groomed" for advancement by being provided opportunities to excel beyond their current limits. [4] They are a:

• Learner – with a strong desire to learn new skills and abilities.

• Decision maker – taking charge of their career path within the IEC, and learning to find their own solutions.

• Initiator – a mentee is willing to explore challenges on their own initiative. The mentee initiates meetings with the mentor, manages meeting dates and times and sets the agenda for the relationship within the scope of the programme.

• Risk taker – “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate,” said Thomas Watson, Senior, founder of IBM. A mentee needs to be open to and appreciate different perspectives and ideas. They cannot be afraid of learning or changing.

• Communicator – the mentee must be able to listen as well as to talk. They need to listen, clarify, reflect back and, when called for, challenge what their mentor says.

• Goal setter – if you know where you are going, people are willing to help guide you. Mentees should have specific individual goals for participating in the mentoring programme which they can clearly communicate to the facilitator and mentor. They should be able to take responsibility for identifying and achieving their own development goals.

Mentees need to be able to [3]:

• Spend time with their mentor • Be accessible • Be receptive • Give and receive constructive and honest feedback • Respect confidences.

It is vital to the success of the mentoring programme that both mentees and mentors understand the programme objective and their individual roles and responsibilities.

Mentee

Training


Formal or informal training should occur before the mentoring commences, with consideration given to covering the following topics and issues:

The objectives of the programme

Explaining both the benefits and risks to the mentor and mentee

Definition of relationship boundaries: o Confidentiality o Interaction o Communication o Socialising o Timeframes

Roles and Responsibilities

Communication skills, particularly listening skills

Negotiation and conflict resolution

The standards and ethical framework for the programme

Confidentiality and conflict of interest

Goal setting

Administrative and other procedures that need to be followed

How the programme will be monitored and evaluated.

Matching mentors to mentees is the responsibility of the Facilitator and is critical to the success of the programme. There are a number of considerations which need to be taken into account in the matching process, with the exact criteria being defined by the programme‟s objectives. For example, if the objective of the programme is to increase the participation rate of Young Professionals in committee meetings, mentees need to be matched with mentors who have had experience in this area. The criteria for matching will differ for each National Committee, taking into account both their objectives for the mentoring programme, and also cultural considerations specific to their country. Some considerations in matching include:

How cultural and social differences may impact upon the mentoring relationship and the potential issues which may arise.

Gender considerations: o Senior professionals in management and engineering

and thus prospective mentors are often male, which makes it especially important to consider gender when matching participants.

o A male mentor to a female mentee must be sensitive to issues and barriers women encounter including discrimination, social isolation and family and work conflict.

Matching Mentors

to Mentees

The Mentoring Relationship


o A female mentor to a male mentee likewise should be sensitive to any discomfort the latter may feel, particularly given that they may be used to hierarchical relationships where males are leaders, and may find equal or subordinate relationships with women disconcerting.

o In mixed gender mentoring relationships it is vital to take steps to avoid inappropriate conduct or rumours thereof.

Personality: o The relationship style of the mentor and mentee will

impact upon the mentoring relationship. Some people may seek out relationships, whilst others may avoid contact or be ambivalent.

o Compatibility should consider work ethic, need for achievement, motivation, preferences for structure, productivity and turnaround.

Confidentiality and conflict of interest o The employers of both mentors and mentees may have

concerns about confidentiality and conflict of interest which may become barriers to involvement if not properly managed.

o These could be managed by: Pairing mentors and mentees from different fields

represented within the IEC, for example:

Academics

Corporations

Consultants

Consumer Advocacy Groups. Pairing mentees who attend, or wish to participate

in one committee with a mentor from a committee operating in a different area. This would require the mentor to provide guidance in terms of IEC processes and procedures rather than technically specific guidance.

Using professional mentors – these are mentors who provide a mentoring service as part of their business.

Compatible matches lead to successful mentoring relationships, however it is important to note that if the mentor and mentee are too close in their experience and attributes, they may learn nothing from the experience. The best outcomes are typically achieved where the mentee has a choice. This could be organized by the programme facilitator through informal networking prior to the commencement of the mentoring relationship. Choice needs to be balanced with equal access to mentoring opportunities to mentees from minority groups.


Above all, if the match proves to be unsuccessful, there needs to be mechanisms in place for both the mentor and mentee to dissolve the mentoring relationship on amicable terms, and to move on.

A successful mentoring relationship changes through the course of time, as the mentee experiences personal development and career growth as an outcome of the mentoring process. Mentoring literature notes that mentoring relationships tend to follow similar pathways of progression, and it is anticipated that the relationships developed as part of this programme will fit into the following five-stage model [2]:

1. Stage One: Building Understanding. In this stage the mentor and mentee find out whether they will be able to work together, a decision which is typically based upon:

a. Alignment of work, personal and cultural values b. Mutual respect c. Agreement as to the purpose of the relationship d. Alignment of expectations (see Relationship Agreement

below for further detail). To assist in building this understanding, the programme facilitator should ensure that there is ample opportunity for open dialogue between the prospective mentor and mentee prior to the formal relationship starting. They should also manage any re-matches which arise as a result of this stage.

2. Stage Two: Goal setting. In this stage the mentor and mentee set goals for the relationship within the bounds of the programme objective.

3. Stage Three: Progression. By this stage two to three meetings have taken place between the mentor and the mentee. This stage of the relationship is the core period, and lasts at least six months. It is during this period that both participants challenge each other‟s perceptions, explore issues and experience mutual growth. The mentee takes greater responsibility for the development of the relationship.

4. Stage Four: Winding Up. Once the mentee feels that they have achieved most of their goals, or is equipped to be able to do so without the mentor‟s assistance, it is vital that both mentor and mentee take steps to wind up the formal mentoring relationship in a positive way. This should be done by reviewing and celebrating what has been achieved, and not by drifting apart.

5. Stage Five: Moving On. This does not mean that the mentor and mentee have no further contact. This simply signals a transformation of the relationship into a friendship or alliance. Both participants may continue to seek out each other informally to discuss issues on an ad-hoc basis or to network.

The Mentoring Relationship


Mentoring Programme

Relationship Agreement

Mentoring Conversation

Actions & Outcomes

The precise framework used for the mentoring process needs to be considered by the National Committee, as cultural factors have a strong influence on the suitability of the model chosen.

In considering the framework to use, it is important to remember that the purpose of the mentoring process is to allow the mentee to feel able to converse with their mentor and in doing so address issues concerning their career growth and personal development. The goal of this process, in turn, is to support the goals of the programme and ultimately to develop future experts and leaders through the transfer of knowledge from experienced members to new participants.

In principle, there are four main components to the mentoring process:

Understanding

Goals

Progress

Winding Up

Moving On

The Mentoring

Process


Mentoring Programme

Sets scope and provides supervision, measurement and training

Matches mentors to mentees

Supports mentors and mentees.

Relationship Agreement

Whilst it is not necessary to have a formal relationship agreement, it is vital to plan for the development and end of the mentoring relationship at its beginning.

An important part of this process is to clarify the expectations of both the mentee and the mentor as to:

o Nature of the relationship o Roles of both parties o Responsibilities of both parties o Boundaries: including confidentiality, socialising, and

acceptable methods of communication (including phone numbers and email addresses that can be used)

o Frequency of meetings o Location of meetings and acceptance of other means of

contact o Time frames.

Whether the relationship agreement is formal or informal, when

complete, it should provide a useful tool that both mentor and

mentee can use to manage their relationship.

Mentoring Conversation

It may be useful for the mentor to develop an informal structure with the assistance of the Programme Facilitator that can be used to guide and direct each mentoring conversation.

It is important for the mentor to have a model that they are confident in implementing so that they can focus on what is being said, and not what they have to say or do next. In short, having a structure supports active listening.

There are many structures already documented in mentoring literature which may provide useful frameworks. Some examples of these models include:

o „The Learning Conversation’ [2]:

1. Reaffirmation: The mentor and mentee re-establish their bond prior to commencing the formal conversation. This should include re-affirming mutual respect and examining the progress made by the mentee since the previous conversation.

2. Identifying the issue: The mentor and mentee identify the issue for discussion, in addition to why this issue needs to be discussed and the outcome


the mentee is hoping to achieve. Through this the mentor discovers how they may be able to assist the mentee.

3. Building mutual understanding: The mentor and mentee explore the issue in depth, with the mentor careful not to solve the issue, or discuss their own similar experiences in too much detail. When the issue has been fully discussed, the mentor may summarize the discussion to ensure mutual understanding has been reached.

4. Explore alternative solutions: The mentor and mentee discuss a range of possible solutions to the issue, from which the mentee can choose one to implement or consider them in further detail. The mentor should set timeframes for implementation, and also discuss how they may monitor the mentee‟s progress.

5. Final Check: The mentor should enable the mentee to review their action plan in addition to what they have learnt about the issue, and also about themselves.

o The Three Stage Process [5] 1. Exploration: The issue is appropriately explored. 2. New Understanding: The mentee gains new

understanding of the issue. 3. Action: The mentor and mentee consider what

actions can be taken based on this understanding, which the mentee can implement.

o The Seven Steps of Mentoring [2] 1. Identify need 2. Gather evidence 3. Motivate, set targets 4. Plan how to achieve 5. Create practice opportunities 6. Observe and give feedback 7. Support through setbacks.

Actions and Outcomes

The goal of the mentoring conversation is to identify actions that a mentee can take to resolve an issue or make progress in their development which is in line with the programme‟s objectives.

Action could include accomplishing a task or simply reflecting on the conversation and implementing what they have learnt in their daily life.

Actions and outcomes are not solely limited to the mentee. It is equally important for the mentor to act upon what they have learnt from the mentoring conversation.


Metrics should be established during the design of the programme around each of its objectives so that the progress of the programme can be effectively tracked. The Facilitator should continually monitor the success of the programme against these metrics and use the information gathered to implement ongoing improvements and to enhance future occurrences. Metrics (what is being measured) may include [3]:

Are the programme‟s objectives being met?

Is the programme functioning as it should?

How are the administrative and other procedures working?

Are all the procedures actually necessary, helpful and being followed?

How are the relationships working?

What issues are mentors having difficulty with?

What issues are proving difficult for mentees?

Has training been sufficient?

How is the communication strategy working?

Are there any areas for improvement? Some of the methods which may be used to monitor the programme could include:

Surveys.

Interviews with mentors and mentees at different stages of the mentoring relationship.

Interviews with those not directly involved (for instance members of the National Committee) to gain an understanding of their perception of the programme.

Statistics i.e. increase in the number of participants in IEC meetings/events who are under a certain age.

Documenting changes which occur in the National Committee throughout the programme‟s life.

The outcome of individual mentoring relationships should also be assessed based on the goals of the participants. This should ideally be done by the mentor and mentee, who should consider whether:

The goals set at the start of the relationship are being met within an acceptable timeframe.

Circumstances have arisen which have changed the course of the relationship.

The relationship has adhered to the standards and ethical framework established by the National Committee, and within the boundaries established in the relationship agreement.

Evaluation and Review


There are any issues, or items of conflict which need to be resolved.

The relationship needs to move to the next stage i.e. from progression to winding down.

As part of the evaluation and review process it is also important to identify, recognize and communicate both individual successes, and programme-wide achievements. This could be done through National Committee newsletters, the IEC e-tech, or through reward and recognition programmes.

Once the mentoring relationship has concluded, the mentee‟s participation in standardization or conformity assessment may need to be facilitated by the National Committee. Some mentees may already be involved within a technical committee or other IEC programme or committee, however others will not. Some ideas for facilitating ongoing involvement of mentees in IEC work include:

Allowing mentees to observe committee meetings along with their mentor. The mentee could do follow-up work under the direction of the mentor and otherwise assist with the committee work but not vote.

Granting access to committee meeting documents.

Staging mock committee meetings to give mentees hands-on meeting experience.

Establishing additional places on committees exclusively for Young Professionals.

Asking Young Professionals to assist in the organization and running of committee meetings, for instance setting up of IT, taking minutes.

Establishing a forum for Young Professionals to present new proposals or ideas at committee meetings.

Establishing frequent networking opportunities for Young Professionals.

Without ensuring that mentees have been put into contact with relevant technical committees, and that they have the opportunity to practice what they have learnt, their involvement within the programme, and the corresponding investment from the National Committee will have no immediate benefits for the IEC community. [6] [7] [8]

Facilitating Ongoing Opportunities


[1] USC College of Mass Communications & Information Studies Alumni

Society, “Mentoring Program Manual,” February 2008. [Online].

Available: http://cmcismentorprogram.wordpress.com/mentoring-

program-manual/. [Accessed 1 May 2012].

[2] C. G. S. &. G.-H. Megginson, Mentoring in Action- A Practical Guide,

London: Kogan Page Limited, 2006.

[3] University of Queensland, [Online]. Available:

http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/attachments/personnel/MentoringGuidelines.

pdf. [Accessed 1 May 2012].

[4] “DOT Mentoring Handbook,” [Online]. Available:

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/mentor/mentorhb.htm. [Accessed

10 May 2012].

[5] G. &. S. Alfred, The Mentoring Pocket Book, Alresford, Hants:

Management Pocket Books, 1998.

[6] J. &. Ridley, Elements of Mentoring, New York: Palgrave Macmillan,

2004.

[7] D. Kay & R. Hinds, A Practical Guide to Mentoring, Oxford: How to Books

Ltd, 2002.

[8] Crawford, Manager's Guide to Mentoring, New York: The McGraw-Hill

Companies Inc., 2010.

Books

Conway, C. (1998). Strategies for mentoring. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Klasen, N., & Clutterbuck, D. (2002). Implementing mentoring schemes. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Lacey, K. (1999). Making mentoring happen: a simple and effective guide to implementing a successful mentoring program. Warriewood, NSW: Business & Professional Publishing Pty Ltd.

Ressources

Bibliography

Reading


Websites

http://www.learningresourcesunlimited.co.uk/mentoring/ http://www.coachingnetwork.org.uk/resourcecentre/articles/ http://www.generalphysics.co.uk/downloads-library/clutterbuck-associates/ http://www.theiet.org/membership/career/mentoring/index.cfm http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/pdp/Documents/Mentoring-Guidelines.pdf http://www.iitp.org.nz/mentoring/overview http://mentoring-australia.org/benchmark.htm International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment (ISMPE) The International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment

(ISMPE) are a set of six principles upon which to base good mentoring

programme practice.

http://www.ismpe.com/

http://www.learningresourcesunlimited.co.uk/mentoring/

http://www.coachingnetwork.org.uk/resourcecentre/articles/

http://www.generalphysics.co.uk/downloads-library/clutterbuck-associates/

http://www.generalphysics.co.uk/downloads-library/clutterbuck-associates/

http://www.theiet.org/membership/career/mentoring/index.cfm

http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/pdp/Documents/Mentoring-Guidelines.pdf

http://www.iitp.org.nz/mentoring/overview

http://mentoring-australia.org/benchmark.htm

http://www.ismpe.com/

Guidelines for Establishing a Mentoring Programme within ... · 3 Guidelines for Establishing a...

Documents

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