DEPARTMENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
MENTORING
“… is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge , social capital , and support perceived by the mentee as relevant to their work, career, or professional development."
"… entails informal communication , usually face-to-face during a sustained period of time. ”
MENTORSHIP
Research from other public agencies indicates that mentorship programs can improve employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention, while also training existing and future leaders within the organization. Unlike many other development tools, mentoring utilizes resources and talent that already exist within the agency.
Research done as part of the Personnel Department’s workforce planning efforts revealed that 40% of the City’s workforce will be eligible for retirement in the next three years. With the risk of losing a great deal of knowledge and skills that may not be reconciled otherwise, the development of a mentorship program was identified as having significant value throughout the department.
A mentorship program can become a useful means of transferring knowledge, while also becoming a valuable tool in the professional development of a department’s workforce.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The general objective of any mentorship program should be to enhance workforce development and engagement, include the following:
- Facilitate personal and professional growth
- Increase employee engagement and job satisfaction
- Transfer tacit and explicit knowledge
- Expand cross-functional knowledge
- Expand leadership, coaching, and interpersonal skills
- Leverage workforce diversity and experience to provide development opportunities
MENTORS
More than just providing a to-do list for the mentee’s professional development, the mentor is encouraged to provide information and resources to the mentee, as well as discuss career options and offer guidance when appropriate. Sharing wisdom and past experiences gives mentors the opportunity to provide tacit and explicit knowledge from their own career, while giving the mentee real situations from which to develop ideas and draw conclusions around their own career.
QUALITIES
To help optimize the program, mentors should:
- Understand the organizations structure
- Support the organization’s mission, vision, and goals
- Be respected as an experienced and successful professional in the organization
- Be a model for continual learning and growth
- Stay accessible, committed, and engaged during the length of the program
EXPECTATIONS
The mentor will be responsible for scheduling the mentorship meetings and guiding the meetings in a direction that meets program objectives and the mentee’s personal development plan. Ideally, the mentors should be able to:
- Promote the organizations best performance practices
- Listen well and offer encouragement through genuine positive reinforcement
- Be a resource and a sounding board, when necessary
MENTEES
Successful development of the mentee can depend on any number of factors; career aspirations, strengths and weaknesses, cooperation, willingness and ability to implement strategies, and regular evaluation. In order to truly benefit from the program, the mentee must understand the value of the mentoring partnership. The program is committed to the development of the mentee and is only as successful as they are willing to participate.
QUALITIES
To benefit most from the program, mentees should be:
- Be open and honest on their goals, expectations, challenges, and concerns
- Actively listen and ask questions
- Seek advice, opinion, feedback, and direction from their mentor
- Be open to constructive criticism/feedback and ask for it
- Respect their mentor’s time and resources
EXPECTATIONS
Ideally, a mentee should be able to:
- Commit to self development
- Assume responsibility for acquiring or improving skills and knowledge
- Discuss individual development plans with their mentor
- Stay accessible, engaged, and committed during length of program
- Comfortably give feedback on their mentorship pairing, both to program staff and to their mentor on what is or isn't working