MentorshipApril 23, 2019

Dom Bortruex, MLIS 2015

Manager of Metadata & Resource Description | American University

MLIS Instructor | Kent State University, Dominican University

Dom Bortruex, MLIS they/them

� Manager of Metadata, Resource Description� American University

� MLIS Instructor� Kent + Dominican

� Mentor & Mentee

Why I’m a mentor and mentee

Mentor� Share information to mentee with similar

values

� Give back, make a difference

� Better understanding of institution� Cross departmental opportunities

� Develop skills

� Network

Mentee (Protégé)� Gain information from experienced

professional with similar values

� Better understanding of institution� Cross departmental opportunities

� Career development, goals, planning

� Network

Mentoring

http://www.conqagroup.com/blog/creating-cohesion-different-cultures-leadership-business-managment-j2r4j

� Mentor or partnership programs connect people who have specific skills and knowledge (mentors) with individuals (protégés) who need or want the same skills and advantages to move up in work, skill level, or school performance.

Benefits of mentorship

Why Mentors Matter: A summary of 30 years of research (2019)Lauren Bidwell, Ph.D.

Improved career outcomes

� Researchers analyzed forty-three studies comparing the various career outcomes of mentored and non-mentored employees. Compared to non-mentored employees, mentored employees:� Receive higher compensation

� Receive a greater number of promotions

� Feel more satisfied with their career

� Feel more committed to their career

� Are more likely to believe that they will advance in their career

https://www.successfactors.com/content/ssf-site/en/resources/knowledge-hub/why-mentors-matter.html

Employee engagement

� In a survey of 170 sales and marketing professionals, employees who were part of a mentoring relationship were found to have significantly higher engagement scores than employees who were not. Mentored employees:� Felt more positively about their organization as a place to work for

� Felt more positively about their organization’s senior leadership

� Believed their organization provided opportunities for career growth

� Felt informed about the future course of their organization

https://www.successfactors.com/content/ssf-site/en/resources/knowledge-hub/why-mentors-matter.html

Employee retention

� Mentoring has been found to reduce turnover intention as well as actual turnover.

� When over 5,000 newly hired sales representatives were surveyed, those who indicated that they were part of a mentoring relationship reported significantly higher organizational commitment and lower intentions to leave their organization than did non-mentored respondents.

� Similarly, in a study of 1,300 U.S. Army officers, being part of a mentoring relationship was found to decrease odds of turnover by 38%.

� Initiating a formal mentoring program can be particularly beneficial for racial and gender minority employees, who otherwise, might not be chosen as an informal mentee

https://www.successfactors.com/content/ssf-site/en/resources/knowledge-hub/why-mentors-matter.html

Mentor benefits

� The benefits of a mentoring relationship are not limited to mentees either; compared to non-mentors, employees who act as mentors:� Report greater job satisfaction and organizational commitment

� Have greater career success

� Perceive increased work-related fulfillment

https://www.successfactors.com/content/ssf-site/en/resources/knowledge-hub/why-mentors-matter.html

Beginning a mentorship

Finding a mentor

� Established programs (comes ready!)

� Find your own (some assembly required)

Established programs

� Easy to find

� Established structure, expectations

� Accountability

� Reflects institution’s values

� Incentives

AU Mentoring Matters Program

� “designed to provide AU staff with opportunities to broaden their individual skills and knowledge and enhance personal and professional development while building competencies to assist AU in its goal of Inclusive Excellence”.

� Eligibility� Mentor: full time staff member, three years of service at AU.

� Mentee: full-time staff member, completed your probation period.

� Application: state why you want to enter the mentorship

� Types of mentoring� Shadowing

� Situational

� Traditional

Mentoring Matters: mentee experience

� Advice through experience� People management

� Project management

� Templates

� Communication

� Cross-departmental relationships

� Goals

� Networking

� Fun!

Mentoring Matters: mentor experience

� Service, making a positive difference

� Sharing information

� Build leadership, communication

� Cross-departmental relationships

� Learn from mentee

� Fun!

Finding a mentor

� Set meaningful intentions and expectations

� Know what you want and what you can give

� Do your research� Qualities of prospective mentors

� Consider former supervisors, educators, alumni, volunteer organizations, online mentoring� Your mentor can be from a different field!

Starting a mentorship

� Contact prospective mentor, arrange time to discuss mentorship

� Be clear about your intentions and expectations

� Be courteous and respectful to prospective mentors.

� Thank them for their time.

Successful mentorships

Early stages of mentorship

� Set ground rules

� Get to know and trust each other

� Focus on big, long term goals

� Communicate what you need, and what you can give

Tips for the mentorship

� Have casual conversations

� Ask questions

� Be open and honest

� Contribute to the conversation� Don’t make the mentor do all the work

Library Mentorship Programs

http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/mentoring-opportunities

Contact me!

� Dom Bortruex� Bortruex@american.edu� LinkedIn