Mentoring in workplace- assignment
1
2
Mentoring in the Workplace (013106)
Assignment 2
Subject coordinator: Dr Catherine Raffaele
Student Name: Manni Xia
Student Number: 13011731
Workshop: Sunday 2-5pm cohort (MEDLL)
Introduction Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This introduction is too general. It would be more suitable for a general essay on mentoring. Instead, the introduction should introduce the paper that you have written and any specific background that you want to brief your reader on before the main body of the paper starts.
Mentoring in the workplace refers to a learning partnership between staff members for the purposes of sharing institutional knowledge, technical information and insights regarding a particular endeavor, profession or occupation (Khojah & Asif, 2020). Mentoring in the workplace has been practiced for a long period of time to improve knowledge and skills of young professionals. In a mentorship program, experienced employees provide guidance and support to less experienced workers. Mentoring is a two-way process that benefits both the mentor and the mentee. If the process is implemented effectively, it may create a positive workplace environment, increase productivity and reduce employee turnover. The lack of a formal mentoring program is a significant loss to both a company and its workers. Mentoring is an extremely cost-effective and powerful, development tool when implemented correctly in an organization. This paper evaluates a mentoring program and provides recommendations for improvement. The paper also presents relevant literature to support the program design. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This is a better start as it focuses on introducing the paper you have written. You could also do a 1-3 sentence summary of your context (which were covered in more detail in Assessment 1).
Evaluation Outline
The nature of mentoring practices differs from one company to another. The type of leadership in an organization plays a significant role in the implementation of a mentoring program (Roberts, Storm & Flynn, 2019). This section presents and evaluates mentoring program that I was part of in the early years of my university education. The program helped me acquire significant insights in my field of study which helped me develop I my profession. In addition, during the program I was able to interact with numerous professional in the field of marketing increasing my network in the profession. This is critical to ensure I grow and develop professionally on my career in the future. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This first sentence is very general. Better to save word count for your evaluation and your context. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This sounds more like an introduction. Save the main body of your evaluation for evaluating the features and delivery of your mentoring program.
I participated in a mentorship program provided by XYZ. The company was technology-centric and believed it could leverage advanced technologies and innovations to advance human lives. The founder of the organization believed in providing training and mentorship programs to employees to help them achieve their maximum productivity. This particular mentoring program started with the selection of participants from staff members. The selection criterion was based on potential and personal attributes of an individual and not their educational qualifications. The organization believed that since you are already member of the team you are qualified for the program. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This is good detail to identify in your evaluation. However, it is missing the evaluation part. So take care to make sure if you are describing an aspect of your program, that you are also evaluating it too. Was this selection process effective? Try to not only look at why it was effective if it was, but also were there any problems with it? Consider incorporating your Literature Analysis with your evaluation – so here you could draw on the literature to support your evaluation of the selection criteria to discuss strengths and weaknesses.
Communication in the mentorship program was strictly restricted to email. The program has two phases. The first phase focused on the development of an open approach. The aim of this phase was to help the participants to develop skills for supporting creativity and innovation. We undertook various activities that related workplace activities to the real-world situation. At the end of every session a quiz with few questions about what was discussed was given. Ion this phase, we learned a lot of skills necessary developing a positive workplace environment including but not limited to teamwork, leadership, communication and creativity among other soft skills.
In the second phase, the program focused on the development of technical skills. The aim of this phase was to help the mentees to develop content creation, digital marketing, application and web development. In this phase the team was divided to three groups of two. In my team, we focused on digital marketing where I learned content marketing, social media marketing, PPC and SEO. The mentors showed us the directions and helped us to achieve our goals. I would say that the program helped the mentees to learn wide range of skills which we could not have leant by ourselves.
For a mentoring program to be effective it must have the following key elements: psychological support, trust and mutual respect, predetermined goals, mutual respect, knowledge and skills and exchange of experience (Murphy, 2019). These factors are essential for an effective mentorship program. In the above described mentorship program, all the above elements were present. The mentor cultivated a culture of trust and mutual respect among the team members. Before the program started the mentors helped us to develop achievable goals. This helped us to remain focused throughout the program.
The mentor also helped us to develop effective communication skills. By giving us small assignments to complete as a tem, we were able to use communication skills to achieve our objectives. Making presentations before the team also reinforced our public speaking skills. This is an important aspect of a marketer. We used emails to enhance our communication skills. We were taught how to write a formal email and different formats of doing so. We practiced regularly and developed knowledge and skills of how to do it by ourselves. We were also able to work closely as team members to accomplish certain assignments. Some tasks required teamwork, and this showed us the important of being team players.
This mentorship program also helped us to gain leadership skills. We were given different tasks to accomplish as a team. Being a team of two members, it required us to show leadership in achieving our goals. We also had to respect each other to be able to achieve our goals. We learned that respect and trust was an important thing in any team. Being able to trust another team member was critical in building respect. In cases where we needed to accomplish certain tasks within a very short period of time, it was important to trust each other to avoid time wastage. Collaboration was also another critical skill that we were able to learn in the mentorship program. By collaborating with the mentors, we were able to gain significant insights on how to work as a team to achieve a common objective.
The mentors also exchanged with use their experiences in marketing. They explained to use the challenges that we may face in our profession based on what they had gone through. They gave us real life examples of what we are likely to face in the field. This encouraged us to think outside the box and come up with new ideas of how we could have handled some of those situations. While this program was effective, there are various ways in which it can be improved. This is discussed in the following section.
Recommendations for Improvement Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This could be longer. It would be good to look at more ways that that the program could be improved and elaborate more on how you would implement those recommendations. Note that you don’t have to keep these in a separate section, you can incorporate your recommendations in your evaluation so that you evaluate an aspect of your program and then suggest how you would improve that aspect before you move on to evaluating the next aspect. If you then had more overarching recommendations, or you are noting gaps in the program, then you could have an “additional recommendations for improvement” section after your evaluation.
This program could be improved by providing a new perspective on an issue. The mentor should help the mentees approach a situation from different perspectives and work on the best way to deal with it. This program can also be improved by building confidence of the mentees. This is achieved by acknowledgement small achievements by the mentees. The mentor should also celebrate the achievements of mentees. This goes a long way in building confidence among the mentees.
Supporting Literature Analysis Comment by Catherine Raffaele: You’ve done a good job in this section of pulling out relevant literature to inform your evaluation. Now what you need to do is make more of a connection between these learnings and your evaluation of your specific program. You do this but you could make those connections stronger and more specific. Another possibility is to incorporate some or all of your literature analysis into your evaluation and recommendations.
When developing a mentoring program, it is important to develop models to be used. The most common mentoring model is where a senior professional in an organization mentors one employee within the same organization (Steven, 2019). This is referred to as one-on-one mentoring. In addition, this is also the easiest model to administer. However, the model to be selected for a particular program depends on the goals and the dynamics of an organization. In most cases, a combination of different models is the best options. One model could be suited for one department while another model could be able to meet the needs of another business unit. Using two or three models could reduce the limitations associated with each model.
There are various models that support the evaluation plan outlined above. One of these models is ementoring. This model involves the mentors and mentees engaging over the internet for example through Google hangouts, Skype, instant messages or email among many others (Satterly, Cullen & Dyson, 2018). This model is very effective in cases where the mentors and mentees are not residing in the same location of the distance, they meet to travel to meet is long. In addition, the study materials that can be accessed in this model are unmatched. It can help mentees to gain significant insights on their specific field of study or focus.
Another model that supports the evaluation plan discussed in this paper is peer mentoring. This is where two individuals in the same level exchange knowledge and skills. Over the past few years, this model has proved to be an effective approach. This is because it forms a mutual beneficial relationship between the mentor and the mentee. In addition, working with an individual of the same level means that an employee is likely to retain what they have learned. Peers are more aware of the challenges that an employee will face in their day to day activities. As a result, they may help each other to address these challenges effectively. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This doesn’t refer to any specific literature on peer mentoring. Make sure that your literature analysis is referenced properly. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: For example, this assertion needs a reference otherwise it could just be your opinion. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This sounds like you are talking about people generally, not your specific program. It would be good to connect each of the points you raise in your literature analysis back to your specific program. What does this say for your evaluation of your program specifically?
Group mentoring is another effective approach that supports the evaluation plan. In this model, the mentor works with a group of mentees. This is particularly useful when there are many mentees and few mentors. This approach also has the advantage of providing an opportunity for mentees to know each other better (Satterly, Cullen & Dyson, 2018). However, the relationship in this model is not as good as that of one-on-one mentorship. Mentors and mentee enter into a flow of conversation to share tips, experience and ideas. This approach also offloads the mentoring demands on various faculty members.
Another model that supports this evaluation is reverse mentoring. This model has not been around for a long time. This approach involves a young professional coaching senior employee (Satterly, Cullen & Dyson, 2018). On modern technologies such as digital marketing trends, social media and cloud computing. The concept behind this model is that the young professionals are more knowledgeable on technological developments. As a result, they can teach the senior professionals on how to integrate technology into their daily activities. In so doing, the mentor and the mentee develop a strong relationship that is critical for effective mentoring.
All of these models are highly applicable in the context given in the evaluation section. One-on-one mentoring would allow the mentor to help us have a better understanding of digital marketing. This would also allow the development of a strong relationship between the mentor and the mentees due to the close interactions. Ementoring is also highly applicable in the XYZ mentoring program. This model involves the mentors and mentees engaging over the internet for example through Google hangouts, Skype, instant messages or email among many others. By doing so, it could be easier for the mentees to participate in the program remotely without having to engage the mentor physically (Satterly, Cullen & Dyson, 2018).
Peer to peer mentoring would also allow us to share ideas of what we know about digital marketing particularly content marketing, social media marketing, PPC and SEO. Engaging in discussions could help us view a particular issue in this topic in a different perspective. This encourages creativity which is one of the main goals of the mentorship program. This would also support the evaluation plan by allowing us to communicate effectively and collaborate with pother team to achieve a common goal. This would also ensure that we develop close relationships which foster effective teamwork. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: I see that you have more specific discussion here. It would be better to include this to when you are talking about the literature so it feels more connected.
Group discussion would also be applicable in the above case. Despite the program only having six participants, this model would allow us to create a strong relationship with the mentor. It would also allow us to enter into a flow of conversation to share tips, experience and ideas. Reverse mentoring would also be very applicable in the case discussed above. The founder of XYZ is an old person and therefore does not have extensive knowledge on the use of technology bin business. Since we are youthful and have extensive knowledge and skills of using technology, we could help him learn new ways in which the company can use technology for marketing. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: This is good specific discussion – good to include this when you are discussing the literature so that it’s connected.
There are various considerations that need to be made while applying these models to the XYZ. The first consideration is the goals of the program. In this particular case, the mentoring program aimed at leveraging technologies to achieve optimum productivity of employees. As a result, using reverse mentoring would have allowed the mentors to learn new things from the mentees concerning the use of technology in marketing. The other consideration to make is the dynamics of the organization. However, since the company believes in technology, all the above models can be combined to achieve great results.
Identification of Implementation Issues
There are various challenges that I may encounter in the implementation of this program. One of the challenges that may be encountered is setting goals for the mentees. Goal setting can be a difficult task for young professionals. The impacts of this challenge can be mitigated by teaching mentees how to develop SMART goals. Another challenge is ineffective matching. Some mentees may want to be in the same group with the people they consider their friends. But this may not help them to achieve the goals of the program. This challenge can be addressed by presenting the mentees with the right mentors at the beginning of the program (Satterly, Cullen & Dyson, 2018).
Another challenge that may be encountered in the implementation of this program is lack of open feedback. Sometimes mentees may feed guarded especially if the mentor is a senior person within the company. This challenge can be addressed by providing guidance to the mentees on how they can remain confident throughout the program. Another challenge to this program is tracking outcome. This can be addressed by using mentoring software that can create reports about the progress of the mentees.
Various issues may arise in the implementation of the program. One of these issues is scheduling meetings. Both the mentors and the mentees have responsibilities which serve as excuses to postpone meetings. It is however important for both parties to remember the importance of the mentorship program. Mentors and mentees should plan early enough to avoid rescheduling meetings. Both parties should treat the mentorship meeting the way they would have treated workplace duties. They can also download a calendar application to help them manage their time effectively and plan ahead. This can help them avoid last minute rush.
Another issue is the overdependence of the mentor or the mentee. In some cases, the mentor may rely on the mentees for emotional support instead of dealing with the needs of the later (Washington & Cox, 2016). In other cases, the mentor mat wants the mentees to accept everything offered rather than letting them create their own ways of doing things. Mentors should keep their emotions in check especially when dealing with mentee issues. They should also remember that the mentorship program is focused on improving the mentee rather than the mentor. On the other hand, mentees should need to find way to come up with their own decisions. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: Some of these issues are discussed very generally – make sure you are discussing them specifically about the program you are evaluating.
Moreover, another issue that may arise in the implementation of the program is unfair manipulation on both parties. Mentees may be required to complete the mentors work under the argument that the mentee needs to gain more experience in doing the work (Woods, 2018). On the other hand, mentees may refuse to accept responsibility of their actions and put the blame on their mentors. Both the sections undermine the effective implementation of the program. Both mentors and mentees need to go through proper training to prepare effectively for the program. If such an issue arises during the program, speaking to the program manager may come in handy.
Furthermore, one of the issues that may prevent the program from being sustained for a longer term is lack of follow up. Without follow up, mentees are likely to forget what they learnt in the mentorship program and this may significantly affect their productivity (Woods, 2018). This can be addressed by using mentoring software that can create reports about the progress of the mentees. The reports can be used to compare the objectives of the programs and the outcome. This report can help the program managers to identify areas of weakness that need improvement.
Peer Mentoring Reflection and Implications
Mentorship in the workplace is a very essential process as it ensures employees are satisfied with their work. Various things worked well with my peer mentoring. The ability to work as a team to achieve a common goal is one of the things that stood out for me in the mentorship program. In addition, developing effective communication and public speaking skills was a good step for improving my performance in the marketing field. Various issues were experiences including poor scheduling of meetings and setting unrealistic expectations. However, effective strategies were applied to mitigate their impacts.
I have learned many things from this experience. I gained significant insights on the importance of mentorship programs. I also got to learn on how a mentorship program can be implemented effectively to achieve desirable results. Finally, I learnt the challenges that I could face in the implementation of a mentorship program and how their impacts can be mitigated. After completing this evaluation, my view on mentorship has changed. Before completing the evaluation, I did not see the importance of participating in a mentorship program. However, now I know how effective a mentorship program is in promoting career development of an individual. Comment by Catherine Raffaele: It’s great that you have identified some interesting and helpful learning. This section could be improved by demonstrating more of your reflective analysis – what provoked your learning and how did this make you learn what you did?
The evaluation plan has shown area that the XYZ mentorship program was effective and those that needed improvement. The report has also provided recommendation on how the program can be improves. Undertaking such a program in the future could help me develop more knowledge and skills in the field of marketing. Being a marketing student, this mentorship program can help me connect with extensively experienced professionals in the field. This would help me advance in my career.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mentoring in the workplace has significant benefits ranging from creating a positive workplace environment to increased employee’s productivity and reduced employee turnover. Organizations need to develop mentorship programs to help their employees gain new knowledge and skills for optimal performance. An effective mentoring program needs to have key elements including exchange of experience, mutual respect communication, teamwork and collaboration among others. As a result, the program helped mentees to achieve their predetermined goals. The XYZ mentoring program can be improved by providing a new perspective on an issue and building confidence of the mentees.
References list:
Khojah, A., & Asif, F. (2020). Mentoring Matters in Workplace: The Impact of Formal Mentoring Program on EFL Instructors' Performance at ELI, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. English Language Teaching, 13(4), 140-161. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1248774
Murphy, J. (2019, October 15). 6 Key Elements of Mentoring by John Murphy. Retrieved from People Development Magzine: https://peopledevelopmentmagazine.com/2019/10/15/key-elements-of-mentoring/
Roberts, A., Storm, M., & Flynn, S. (2019). Workplace mentoring of degree apprentices: developing principles for practice. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/HESWBL-10-2018-0108/full/html
Steven, E. (2019, May 23). Why is mentoring important? Retrieved from the University of Nebraska: https://www.unl.edu/mentoring/why-mentoring-important#:~:text=Mentoring%20is%20important%2C%20not%20only,enhances%20students'%20chances%20for%20success.
Satterly, B. A., Cullen, J., & Dyson, D. A. (2018). The intergenerational mentoring model: an alternative to traditional and reverse models of mentoring. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 26(4), 441-454. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13611267.2018.1530172
Washington, R., & Cox, E. (2016). How an evolution view of workplace mentoring relationships helps avoid negative experiences: The developmental relationship mentoring model in action. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 24(4), 318-340. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13611267.2016.1252109
Woods, E. (2018, March 12). Mentoring: A Mutually Beneficial Partnership. Retrieved from Mind Tools: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_72.htm#:~:text=Mentoring%20is%20a%20relationship%20between,person%2C%20or%20%22mentee.%22