guide

Preparation

Negotiating
Mentoring is a professional activity, a
trusted relationship, a meaningful
commitment. The concept of Enabling
mentoring faculty and administrators 4 Phases of Mentoring Growth
is relatively new to higher education
and rare in information technology Relationships
circles, where staff professional Successful mentoring relationships go Coming to
development often takes the form of through four phases: preparation, Closure
technical manuals and certifications. negotiating, enabling growth, and
It is precisely this type of support closure. These sequential phases build
organization, however, that needs a on each other and vary in length.
strong foundation of mentoring to In each phase, there are specific steps
build and retain a healthy workforce and strategies that lead to mentoring
that can react quickly to change and excellence. This guide will provide
can develop, adapt, and regenerate some strategies for success and
itself over time. checklists to help guide your progress
in each phase of your mentoring
relationship. Use the guide for notes,
gauging progress and to assist with
accountability.
Preparation
Checklist Preparation

Review the following

items in preparation for
the relationship:

Strategies for Preparing the Relationship

I have a sincere interest in • Initiate contact with your mentee.
helping this person or being • Exchange background information before you talk for the first time.
helped by this person. • Take time to get to know each other.
• Share past mentoring experiences and those who influenced us.
We have mutual interest and • Talk about the learning and development goals.
compatibility. • Determine the personal expectations of the relationship.
• What do you need from your mentor?
I am clear about my role. • Define the “deliverables” and desired outcomes.
• Candidly share personal assumptions and limitations.
I can commit adequate time • Discuss personal and learning styles.
for the mentoring • Participate in Strengthsfinder2.0 survey. (approximately $13.00 for book)
relationship.

I am willing to use my
network of contacts to help in Based on interviews with three senior administrators at the University of South
the progress. Carolina, co-mentors William Hogue and Ernest Pringle3 developed a "work in
progress" set of Mentor Guiding Principles:
I have access to
opportunities and resources ■ Strive for mutual benefits. The relationship should be defined from
to support learning. the beginning as mutually beneficial. Each participant has committed to
the relationship by choice. Each should openly share his or her goals
I am committed to developing for the relationship and work collaboratively to help achieve them.
my own mentoring skills. ■ Agree on confidentiality. Maintaining an environment of confidentiality
is a critical component in building trust between the participants.
Without a mutually understood ability to speak freely as the situation
warrants, the relationship is unlikely to reach its full potential.
■ Commit to honesty. The participants should be willing to candidly
share what they expect to gain from the relationship and their vision for
getting there. They should be prepared to offer frank feedback as
appropriate, even if the feedback is critical.
■ Listen and learn. Mutual benefit and honesty can only be achieved
when both members feel their viewpoints are heard and respected.
Many Mentors Mentors, especially, need to remember that the relationship is not
primarily about them. Co-mentors should not be intimidated or made to
Over the course of your life’s feel their views are not valued.
journey, you will have many ■ Build a working partnership. Consider structuring a working
mentors, each serving a partnership that includes project consultation or active collaborations
purpose to move you forward in rooted in the common ground of shared professional goals. These
your career or other ambitions. collaborations can lead to discoveries about each participant's
preferred working style, daily obligations, and professional aspirations.
■ Lead by example. Actions create the most lasting impression.
■ Be flexible. It might help for a mentoring relationship to have defined
goals, but the process may be as important—or more so—than the
goals.

©2006 Susan E. Metros and Catherine Yang

The Importance of Mentors, Chapter 5
The Ohio State University
2
 Interview Questions
Take time to discuss the following in the beginning of the mentoring relationship. As you are talking, jot down any ideas
that come up regarding short and long term goals. This will help in determining the goals for the mentoring relationship.

1. What are you looking forward to in this mentoring relationship? Goal Notes:

2. What do you see are your strengths?

3. What do you perceive are areas for improvement?

4. What areas would you like to see worked on in this mentoring relationship?

5. Are you able to prioritize those things to work on so that areas most important to you
are addressed early in the relationship?

6. Are you familiar with your learning style? What are the best ways for you to learn new
information? Are you comfortable with seeking our experiences that may be out of your
current comfort zone in order to build confidence in areas of improvement? How do you
feel about this?

7. Tell me about your current job and responsibilities.

8. What are the most challenging things about your job?

9. What are the most exciting things about your job?

10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

11. What motivates you? What stresses you?

12. How do you relax?

13. What else do you want to tell me?

3
 Mentoring Goals (S.M.A.R.T.)
Negotiating
Specific
! State the goal in simple, but specific terms.

Measurable
Agreement
! How will we measure progress?

As a mentor pair,
Attainable negotiate the following:
! The goals need to be appropriate and achievable.
1. How much time can be
committed to the relationship
Realistic/Relevant on a regular basis? Be
The goals need to be realistic, often we reach too far when setting goals. It is realistic.
2. Write down goals and
better to do things in smaller steps than to be disappointed when expectations
analyze them to meet the
are not realistic. SMART criteria.
3. Agree on a discussion
format. (e.g. Formal
Timely
agendas, topic-driven
What is the time frame of the goal’s success? What are the check points? agendas, check-in
Assign a time, even if only a guess, to each goal to check progress. conversations, etc.)
4. Use a journal to help stay
focused, monitor progress
and capture follow-up items.
5. Establish any ground rules.
(e.g. Confidentiality,
Goals to work on in mentoring partnership: boundaries and “hot topics”)
6. Be flexible! Expectations and
plans will change as your
relationship progresses.
7. Evaluate progress,
milestones, goals, regularly.
1. 8. Learning styles are
important, identify and
discuss successful learning.
9. Articulate criteria for
success. What does
success “look” like?
2.

3.

4
 Investigative Questions
Strategies
• Solicit facts, objective data Enabling
★ Regularly check in • Tell me what you have accomplished so far. Growth
• What happened?
★ Actively listen/advise

★ Ask for and give feedback Discovery Questions

so that the learning
experience is satisfactory What did you learn from this?
•
and the pace is If you had it to do again, what would you do?
•
comfortable. What worked best?
•
• What advice would you give someone else just starting the same project?
★ Provide timely support,
• What concerns you?
create appropriate
• What are your ideas?
challenges to facilitate
• What would happen if you did _____?
learning.
• What scares you about this?
★ Solicit feedback from other • Tell me three things that you would consider in making a decision on that.
sources. • What are you most comfortable with?
• What conclusions can you draw from the experience?
★ Use the time together • What is your reasoning?
productively. • What did he/she do to help the most?
• Give me two alternative ways of thinking about this.
★ Evaluate goals and • If he/she says this, what could you say back?
deadlines throughout the What else could you have done?
•
process. What is most important to you?
•
★ Give constructive criticism
and accept and reflect on it. Empowering Questions
★ Advise on what you know,
don’t be afraid to admit • What outcome are you looking for?
what you don’t. Find other • What will you do first?
resources if you can’t • What must you do to make that happen?
provide guidance. • How will you begin?
• How will you know when you have it?
★ Don’t shy away from • Who else needs to know this?
difficult conversations. It is • What resources do you have/need?
a safe place to talk. • What is the risk of doing this? Not doing it?
• How might you get in your own way?
★ Celebrate each small
success!

Tips
• Identify the real issue.
• Define how you are
contributing to the
problem.
• Challenge yourself to
think in new ways.

5
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

6
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

7
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

8
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

9
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

10
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

11
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

12
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

13
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

14
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

15
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

16
 Follow Up Tasks/Ideas! ! ! Due Date! ! ! ! Who?

Journal Date! ! ! ! ! /! /
Discussion
Notes:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3-2-1
• Write down 3 things
you learned today.
• Write down 2 actions
or changes you will
make.
• Write down 1 thing
you will never forget.

17
The End is the Coming to
Closure
Beginning...
Consider what you want Once the mentoring relationship has been established and fostered, it is
your mentoring important to understand the parameters for when the association should
relationship to look like change or end. Ending a mentoring relationship does not mean it has
failed. Often, it simply means that the initial goals of the mentorship have
after the formal been attained, and it is time to "graduate" and move on.
relationship concludes.
When ending a mentoring relationship, remember to thank a mentor for
the knowledge and time provided. In the ensuing years, communicate
1. Be sensitive to when the
relationship should end. your career progression. A mentoring relationship often evolves into a
long-term professional friendship.
2. Find a personal way to
express your feelings about
the experience.
3. Give and receive thanks.
4. Even if you are
disappointed in the
outcome, identify and
©2006 Susan E. Metros and Catherine Yang
express the positive The Importance of Mentors, Chapter 5
benefits you gained as a The Ohio State University
result of being in the
mentoring relationship.
5. Take time to consider what
you learned and identify
what you will do differently
in another mentoring
relationship. As part of the SIGUCCS mentoring program, you will be
6. Celebrate! asked to provide continued feedback on your progress and
share ideas for improving the program. Your participation
and contribution is very important to the success of this
program. Thank you for your time and commitment to
successful professional development.

Often you have gained a life-

long professional colleague The Mentor Advisory Team
whom you can continue to
share experiences and seek
advice.

Even though you have met

goals and had personal growth
through the mentoring
experience, the formality may
end, but a new type of
relationship begins....

18
 Brian Allen Ballen@hennepintech.edu

Advisory Dan Herrick Dan.herrick@colostate.edu

Team Karen McRitchie Mcritchi@grinnell.edu

Dana.pfeiffer@uni.edu
The SIGUCCS advisory team is Dana Pfeiffer
available for you to lean on as
you need assistance or run into
obstacles in your mentoring Beth Rugg Erugg@ithaca.edu
relationship. Please note your
assigned team member and
their contact information.
Christine Vucinich Clv4@duke.edu

Mark Zocher Mzocher@sandiego.edu

SUCCESS!
• Spend sufficient time getting to • The relationship is about growth and
know your mentoring partner. development. There has to be
commitment to reach goals.
• Meet on a regular basis; always
have a date scheduled on the • Provide regular feedback; seek and
calendar. welcome feedback from other
sources.
• Keep focused on goals as well as
the day-to-day challenges. • This is a learning experience for
mentors as well.
• Follow through on your
commitments; hold each partner • Use your time well.
accountable for tasks and
• Expect to make mid-course
commitments. corrections.
• Be open to learning and new • Check in with your advisory team as
approaches. There isn’t always just necessary. Provide feedback about
one way of doing something! your successes and challenges to
• Periodically reflect on what each share with others.
partner is learning.