Provide at minimum two hours of training prior to the match. At a minimum, trainings should include the following topics:. Research on mentors participating in BBBS showed that mentors receiving less training prior to being matched with their mentee, specifically less than two hours, had less positive mentoring relationships.
These mentors reported that they did not feel as close with their mentees, spent less time with them, and were less likely to continue the relationship the following year compared to mentors who had received two or more hours of training prior to beginning the mentorship. Make matches based to encourage sustained relationships.
MENTOR suggests that characteristics of the mentor-mentee should be considered during the matching process. Learn more about adults who mentor and the key attributes associated with successful mentoring. Offer continuous support and training to mentors that extends post-match. While initial training can be helpful for mentors, continuous ongoing support is also essential.
MENTOR suggests that programs contact mentors and mentees at least twice a month during the initial month of the relationship and at least monthly after that. Programs should also provide mentors with resources such as experts, publications, connections with experienced mentors, and social service referrals to help address challenges that they may face during the mentoring relationship, and at least one or more opportunities for training following the initial training.
Though practice and research suggest some best practices for mentoring programs, it is important to recognize that the needs children and youth face are unique to their circumstances.
Programs designed for them are most effective when the needs of the mentees are taken into account and factor into the structure of the program and the pairing of mentors and mentees. Cavell, T. Strengthening mentoring opportunities for at-risk youth. Deutsch, N. Capturing the magic: Assessing the quality of youth mentoring relationships. New Directions for Youth Development, , DuBois, D. Research methodology and youth mentoring. Journal of Community Psychology, 34 6 , Herrera, C.
Mentoring school-age children: Relationship development in community-based and school-based programs. Jekielek, S. Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. Washington, DC: Child Trends. No amount of mentorship training outweighs the value of an authentic connection between mentor and mentee.
The next practice of good mentors is sharing their optimism much more than their cynicism. If your mentee shares an idea that seems unrealistic, try the 24 x 3 rule: spend 24 seconds, 24 minutes, or a day thinking about all the reasons that the idea is good before you criticize any aspect of it.
Finally, be more loyal to your mentee than you are to your company. At its highest level, mentorship means committing to helping other become fuller versions of themselves. Mentorship comes in many flavors. Put another way, the best leaders practice a form of leadership that is less about creating followers and more about creating other leaders. How do they do that? Put the relationship before the mentorship. For real mentorship to succeed, there needs to be a baseline chemistry between a mentor and a mentee.
Studies show that even the best-designed mentoring programs are no substitute for a genuine, intercollegial relationship between mentor and mentee. One piece of research , conducted by Belle Rose Ragins, a mentoring expert and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, demonstrated that unless mentees have a basic relationship with their mentors, there is no discernable difference between mentees and those not mentored.
All this is to say that mentoring requires rapport. At best, it propels people to break from their formal roles and titles boss versus employee and find common ground as people. Focus on character rather than competency.
Beyond participants, key leaders and stakeholders need to be educated on the benefits of the program and strategic value to the organization. Consider the needs of mentors. Building a solid base of mentors can be a challenge. A key is understanding the positive and negative factors that impact mentor participation. For example, mentors are often busy people with limited time to spend. How can you help mentors become more efficient with their time?
Also consider recognition and reward strategies. Formally recognizing mentor involvement is a best practice that can be very motivating to those mentors and help attract new ones. Provide training to mentors and mentees regarding the programs goals, participant roles, mentoring best practices, and your mentoring process.
Help mentors and mentees clarify their own objectives. Provide tips and best practices throughout the mentoring program to help participants stay on track and get the most out of the program. For mentoring to thrive, a solid relationship needs to form between mentor and mentee. The strength of the match plays a critical role in this.
Consider giving mentees a say in the matching process by allowing them to select a particular mentor or list their top three choices. Mentoring software can improve and speed up the matching process. If your software has a strong matching capability, it will recommend suitable mentors based upon learning needs and compatibility. How will you know if your mentoring program is a success? Track program and connection metrics and ask for feedback. At the program level, build metrics around defined objectives see Tip 1 above.
Also, be sure to assess the outcomes of individual mentor and mentee connections. One of the easiest ways to measure success and capture feedback is through surveys.
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