Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mentoring in Today
Mentoring in Today
Today's Workplace
by Moya K. Mason
Libraries, as part of the welfare state are now in flux: shifting to a Post-
Fordist paradigm leading to a fundamental reconceptualization of the library in a
market society. As Harris and Marshall emphasize in Reorganizing Canadian
Libraries, "financial restraint and technological change are resulting in marked
changes in organizational structures and work patterns in libraries" (Harris
1997,1). Conceivably, libraries are currently global information sites, with
librarians funneling through and disseminating information for their clients, but
there is a lot more competition out there. We, as managers, must help employees
expand their individual skills and reach their full potential.
What Is Coaching?
The key is it is a way to give employees instruction on how they can better
use the skills and expertise they already have more effectively (Bentley
1996,112). Coaching assists in "improving or developing performance" (Lewis
1996,109). An example would be a fine-tuning or a reminder of the reference
interviews' five microskills, which includes the all-important, follow-up
questions, which librarians often ignore. There is a focus on results, the
exploration of specific problems, and opportunities to develop better skills
(Megginson 1995,30). This differs greatly from training, which involves teaching
new skills (Bentley 1996,112).
What Is Mentoring?
Mentors are benefitted by the prestige of having the ability to develop such a
relationship, as well as providing an ally and getting job assistance from the
mentee, in addition to learning more about the organization themselves (Stueart
1993,144). Of course, the workplace will always derive success from such
relationships by reaping "increased productivity, reduced turnover in staff,
properly socialized employees," and a solid management team (Stueart 1993,144-
145).
Specific goals that can be achieved through the mentoring process include
advancement of employees' careers, solidification of relationships between
managers and staff, a deepening of the commitment to the goals and values of an
organization, and the development of personal connections (Gilley 1996,40).
What mentoring also does, is help the mentee avoid the typical hazards that go
hand-in-hand with today's workplace, or as Gilley and Boughton put it, it
develops "employees' political awareness and savvy"(Gilley 1996,40). Mentors
provide their proteges with invaluable information on the mission and philosophy
of the organization and serve as confidantes (Gilley 1996,40). They show them
the ropes and offer encouragement, but do not perform tasks for their mentees.
The key to mentoring is to closely link it to the mission, goals, and priority
strategies of the organization. Only an integrated, facilitated process which is
linked to current and future mission or business imperatives can be expected to
stand the buffeting of the winds of change. Of course, mentoring must be
monitored and tracked to measure its impact (Murray 1995).
Both coaching and mentoring are great opportunities for learning, which use
"effective questioning that brings insight, which fuels curiosity, which cultivates
wisdom" (Bell 1996,68). Asking questions, rather than telling or ordering is the
fundamental component which brings the processes of mentoring and coaching
together. This implies, of course, that you must be an excellent listener and
communicator. However, they are very different concepts. Mentoring
encompasses coaching, but it also focuses on the individual, his or her
performance, within a context of objectives (Lewis 1996,33). Mentoring is unique
"in that it does not exclude other methods, but exists alongside them,
complementing them and adding value" (Lewis 1996,x). In an article entitled
Developing Employees, Steve Truelove makes the following distinctions,
Mentoring has had a long history with its roots stretching back to the 8th
century B.C. where it got its name from the elderly friend and counselor of
Odysseus, named Mentor, who also offered guidance and acted as tutor to
Odysseus' son Telemachus. It continued to be the basis on which commerce,
craft, and art were carried on from ancient times until the inception of capitalism.
Coaching, on the other hand, has only been around for the last few decades, and
has only received great attention in the 1990s (North 1997,206). Mentors can
perform similar functions as a coach, but is usually someone who works within
the same facility, whereas coaches are more often from outside the organization,
but not always (Judge 1997,72). Both involve the transfer of some skill or piece
of knowledge, and primarily, the distinction between mentors and coaches may
be summarized as follows:
2. The mentor, on the other hand, zeros in on the individual, focusing not only
on the present, but with an eye always on the future. Mentors do provide some of
the same services as coaches, but they are built into a complex, ever-evolving
synergetic relationship that is based on mutual respect and a friendship of sorts
(Megginson 1995,30).
From research on mentors compiled in the early 1990s, we know that there
are three integral qualities which are very highly valued by learners, and they are
a keen understanding of management practices, organizational know-how, and
credibility (Lewis 1996,40). Let your employees benefit from the experience,
knowledge, and success you have attained, and there will be a win-win situation.
Expect to become exhilarated.
Employees who are willing to assume responsibility for their own growth and
development, who are receptive to positive and negative feedback, and who are
willing to accept suggestions and advice (Gilley 1996,177).
These employees are usually very positive about their jobs, the workplace,
and their colleagues, and are people one could envision as organizational leaders
of the future (Gilley 1996,177). After choosing a good candidate, especially one
deemed for a mentoring relationship, you may want to develop a formalized plan
of action, which describes respective responsibilities, goals the employee would
like to achieve, some strategies that can help, and target dates for the completion
of specific activities (Gilley 1996,181). A mentoring plan can also be beneficial
because it is a visual identification of progress made, and can act as a motivator
(Gilley 1996,181). Of course, not all mentoring/coaching relationships are
formalized ones, and remain as spontaneous discussions and meetings, however,
regardless of the level of commitment, boundaries should be set out to avoid
problems that can arise (Bell 1996,60).
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Firstly, the experience should be viewed as a learning opportunity. One of the Aid
Agencies has great saying which summarises the approach 'is it better to give people
fish or teach them how to fish?' From a leadership and Management development
perspective, a manager should emerge from this experience with the skills to deal
with particular business problems on an ongoing basis.
Secondly, the learning happens at the same time that real business issues are being
addressed. Having access to an experienced manager to provide the benefit of their
expertise can be invaluable when faced with problems such as, hiring new staff,
exporting for the first time, seeking government assistance, dealing with difficult
employees etc.
Team management is one of the driving factors in an organisation and with the
expanding size of teams; it has become one of the major tasks of a CIO. Mentoring
one’s team in modern management is considered one of the most important
processes in team building.
A CIO should be a mentor who can empathise, create trust among his team
members, be a good listener and influence his team members. He has to be a role
model for them: only then will he be able to prove himself as a true team leader.
He should be a team player and model team behaviour himself, which plays a major
step in creating a healthy team atmosphere during crises.
OFFSITE INTERACTION
Conducting offsites is one of the most recommended techniques for team building as
it facilitates bonding between team members in an organisation. Offsites enable
team members to interact with each other in a much more relaxed environment, and
it is during such interactions that tacit knowledge sharing occurs.
Usually during such interactions, onsite problems and differences of opinion among
team members are automatically resolved. This helps to create a strong bond
between team members. There are companies who arrange such off-sites frequently.
STRATEGY AT BIRLA
At Birla Sun Life Distribution, strategic issues are discussed by the senior
management team and operational issues are handled by the operations team head
with his subordinates in conjunction with the HR head and team.
Business strategies are usually discussed among the business heads and CEO; the
details of the strategy are discussed with the operations head who in turn briefs his
team.
Any issues related to operations are directly escalated to the HR head, as it is his
function to resolve any operational issues which will cause a hurdle in the
implementation of a project.
Many managers in the Indian
VIEW ON INDIAN SYSTEMS industry are young, which adds to
their dynamism and decision-
making ability. The disadvantage
In the service and finance sectors, the compensation of the Indian system is that it is
for top management in India is on par with the US or yet to adopt a process-driven
any other countries. The concept of high risk, high pay environment. If organisations
implement their strategies in a
is entering these sectors. simulated environment, projects
will be implemented more
The Indian system has an advantage of age. Many professionally
managers in the Indian industry are young, which
adds to their dynamism and decision-making ability. The disadvantage of the Indian
system is that it is yet to adopt a process-driven environment. If organisations
implement their strategies in a simulated environment, the project will be
implemented more professionally.
MANAGING MANAGERS
Some management theorists believe that the gap between the top management and
middle management pay scales should not be too large. Large inequality in the
compensation package might lead to discontent in an organisation as the success of
top management is dependent on the performance of subordinates.