Part 7

Part 7: Development of an Action Plan

Making a plan of action would be the culmination before changes can be implemented into the organization (Higgins & Bourne, 2018). There are many reasons for improving systems in an organization. Propel, Inc. has shown to have challenges in the preceding sections, but mentoring seems to be the underlying impact on the organization. By evaluating the mentoring process as one of the crucial aspects of decline, this will allow to know whether the plan for improving the mentoring process as being successful or not. The result of the plans initiatives is the implementing of a comprehensive career plan and propelling strategic growth with a base that will establish in individual career goals (Blackburn, 2017).

Action Steps

The mentoring support network model includes the four following goals: (1) identify and recruit mentors for database, (2) provide training for mentors, (3) provide trainings for mentees, and (4) create a mentoring network to help support mentors. To support strategic development along a distinct mentoring roadmap and toward achievement of females in STEM careers, the recognition and development of a distinct assortment of mentoring resources or mentors and the relationships has been created (Hardy & Thompson, 2017).

Goal #1 - Identify and Recruit Mentors for Database

Theories abound as to why mentors get involved (Beede et al., 2011). Some mentoring programs focus on “social” or “human capital,” referring to the peer networks, cultural connections, and available personal time and resources that lead someone to mentor (AAUW, 2021; Berwick, 2019; Robnett et al., 2018). Other programs look at personal traits, such as empathy and “prosocial” attitudes (Montogomery, 2017). Still others look at what the mentor expects to get out of the experience (Kupermidst et al., 2017). Although there is no one answer to why mentors choose to get involved, the variety of potential reasons does mean that mentoring programs will have to employ a variety of approaches in their recruitment efforts. The programs that are the most successful are those that identify their potential volunteers’ motivations and beliefs and speak to them directly during recruitment messages (Beede et al, 2011).

Programs can best address race and gender issues in recruitment by tapping into the smaller community-based social networks and organizations to which these individuals might belong (Huggett et al., 2020). For example, a program needing more female mentors might work with the local college chapter of various sororities using their organizations network to identify mentors, would be a wise approach (AAUW, 2021). While race, culture, ethnicity, and gender all are factors in targeted recruitment, it is really the access to the groups themselves (and the social motivations for mentors those groups provide) that is important.

Goal #2 Provide Training for Mentors

Collaborating, formally or informally, with the other programs in the area to not only recruit, but also train mentors is an important factor in creating a supporting mentoring network (Kern et al., 2019). Propel may be getting mentor applicants who are a better fit with other programs than theirs, and vice versa, but training is essential in helping to produce not just knowledgeable STEM professionals, but competent mentors (Hardy & Thompson, 2017). Having a good relationship with a local training program can lead to more referrals from other mentor organizations when collaborating with individuals who are looking for something deeper and more meaningful (Dailey, 2019). Prospective mentors can connect with other mentors from the local area, which helps to expand the mentoring network. This can only happen if Propel is building relationships and getting involved with what other mentoring groups in the community are doing.

Goal #3 Provide Training for Mentees

Many parents want their children in mentoring programs to wind up volunteering themselves once they see the positive impact mentoring can have. Mentees may be willing to mentor in some way once they have gained enough experience and feel confident in their own mentoring abilities, such as helping with recruitment tasks (Domingo et al., 2019). Mentees can also provide great testimony about the program to other parents, coworkers, and friends. A mentees experience is not just defined by their success in a program, but also their transition to one day becoming a mentor themselves (Blackburn, 2017). Young women who are benefiting, and who are turning things around and achieving goals and dreams in STEM can become excellent mentors for the next generation (AAUW, 2021). It is necessary to continue the tradition of “passing it on” to prominently involve mentee participants in not just recruitment, but training.

Goal #4 Create Mentoring Network to Help Support Mentors

Recruitment for mentors can happen anytime and anywhere when connections to influential groups are established (Beede et al., 2011). A comprehensive mentoring network should be able to tell potential recruits about the experience of being a mentor and the impact of their time and effort on the mentee participants. Building a mentoring network can be done both formally and informally by building into it planned recruitment and training opportunities (Elliott et al, 2020). The point is to identify the people who care about what they are doing and who are already engaged at some level in mentoring work and give them opportunities to utilize their connections and skills (Forward on Talent, 2021). In addition to involving these groups in specific recruitment campaigns, it is important to create a culture where such support takes place automatically on an ongoing basis (Huckins, 2021).

A good program coordinator for a mentoring program may always want to know, “What are the surefire ways to recruit and expand for new mentors?” Programs need to find what works for them, rather than simply emulating what someone else did. For a mentoring network to work, you have to be creative (Beede et al., 2011). Creativity comes in developing strategies that work for the unique circumstances surrounding STEM fields. Examples for building and expanding a supportive mentoring network can include things like, sponsoring billboards around town or help in developing a contemporary marketing message or perhaps putting a flier about the program in local restaurants with every to-go order (Purcell, 2015). The list of creative and innovative ideas for recruiting mentors is endless, but they are always homegrown and should be a custom fit to the program.

Table 7: Action Plan provides the details regarding the implementation of the new program at Propel, Inc. The mentoring support network model is proposed as corresponding to a tiered or prescribed structural mentoring intervention and is useful for short- and long-term professional development planning as a self-guided valuation or mentor-engaged tool to support individuals seeking mentoring (Lortie et al., 2017).

Table 7

Action Plan

Goals	Resources needed	Desired outcome	Date to Begin	Date to End	Status	Personnel
1.	Identify and Recruit mentors for database	Advertisement via social media and STEM networks	Expansion of mentor recruit database	11/1	12/1	Priority	Director of Talent Acquisition
2.	Provide training for mentors	Professional development	Understanding of appropriate role as mentor	1/3	2/3	Priority	Outside Consulting Company
3.	Provide training for mentees	Professional development	Understanding of appropriate role as mentee	1/3	2/3	Priority	Outside Consulting Company
4.	Create mentoring network to help support mentors	Establishment of database that features mentors focused on	Use of useable database to help with identifying, pairing, and supporting mentoring relationship	2/1	4/1	Priority	Lead Mentor

Timeline

The timeline for this project is detailed in Table 7 as follows: there are four identified goals: 1. identify and recruit mentors for database, 2. provide training for mentors, 3. provide training for mentees, and 4. create mentoring network to help support mentors. While each of the intended goals are identified as a priority, there are different resources that are needed before a goal can be met. For goal #1, the needed resources are advertisements via social media and STEM networks. Goal #2 and Goal #3 require professional development. Goal #4 requires the establishment of a database that features mentors focused on STEM. Included in the Table 7: Action Plan are the target start and end dates for each goal. Goal #1 is targeted to begin November 1st and end December 1st to be conducted by the Director of Talent Acquisition. Goals #2 and #3 are set to begin January 3, 2022 and end February 3, 2022 to be conducted by an outside consulting company. Goal #4 is set to begin February 1, 2022 and end April 1, 2022 to be facilitated by the lead mentor.

Roles and Responsibilities

Director of Talent Acquisition

The Director of Talent Acquisition is tasked with deciding and directing the recruitment and monitoring procedures, including sourcing, interviewing, and the onboarding of mentors. The individual parts of the hiring process are done by members of a team, a group of recruiters and specialists, who are all managed and in charge of the director (Zambrana et al., 2015). The director does not just oversee this work but is also in charge of planning and understanding what the company needs. They are also tasked with building talent pipelines, a system in which organizes qualified mentors that already exist and identify future mentors with the best qualities for the current needs (Hardy & Thompson, 2017). The director does this by creating and maintaining relations with STEM groups and institutions from which mentors may be sourced, such as universities, organizations, and job boards.

Mentors

The knowledge, advice, and resources a mentor shares depends on the format and goals of a specific mentoring relationship. A mentor may share with a mentee information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling (King, 2016). A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources. The mentor role may change as the needs of the mentee change. Some mentoring relationships are part of structured programs that have specific expectations and guidelines, while other relationships are more informal (Beede et al., 2011). According to Mack (2014), the concept of mentoring is simple, but successful implementation can be challenging. The following provides the impact the mentor relationship has on the mentor:

• value the mentee as a person:

• develop mutual trust and respect

• maintain confidentiality

• listen both to what is being said and to how it is being said

• help the mentee solve his or her own problem, rather than give directions

Mentees

Mentoring is a partnership between two individuals, the mentor and the mentee. In considering the roles of the mentor, he or she must wear many hats throughout the process. A mentee must also perform several roles (Beede et al., 2011). The mentee is the STEM student who needs to absorb the mentor’s knowledge and have the ambition and desire to know what to do with this knowledge. As a student, the mentee needs to practice and demonstrate what has been learned (Blackburn, 2017). A mentee is the "gauge" to measure how interactive the connection between the mentor and mentee will be. This means that the mentee determines the capacity of the mentoring connection. The mentee decides upon the amount of help and guidance she needs (Dennehy & Dasgupta, 2017). As well, the mentee should take the initiative to ask for help or advice to tackle assignments that are more challenging:

1. identify initial learning goals and measures of success for the mentoring relationship

1. be open to and seek feedback

1. take an active role in their own learning and help drive the process

1. schedule and attend mentor conversations

1. follow through on commitments and take informed risks as they try new options and behaviors in support of career and development goals (Blackburn, 2017).

Resources

Mentorship programs are one of the most effective tools organizations have to influence engagement, retention and performance. When a mentorship program is designed to align with an organization’s greatest talent need, with long-term sustainability in mind, the results are beyond the impact of traditional development opportunities (Elliott et al., 2020). However, to be effective, mentorship programs need more than a great design; they also need mentors who are confident and capable of developing diverse talent (King, 2016). Money is needed to help with both recruiting and training mentors. As such, Propel is needed to help provide both a training and recruitment budget for mentors. This budget can help with such processes as fingerprinting and clearance requirements. Propel, Inc. has a fund to support these processes for the mentors; however, there has to be further expansion of this fund through donations because with the addition of new mentors it will not be able to support the new influx of based on its current allotment.

Mentors are the linchpin of formal mentorship programs, because they are on the front line. Talent acquisition managers can use software platforms and reporting to gauge program participation and measure goal progress, but mentors are the people having the conversations and seeing firsthand how mentees are progressing (Clancy et al., 2017). Mentors must be equipped to assess career developmental needs, collaboratively set appropriate goals, determine assignments or activities to promote learning, handle difficult conversations, and challenge mentees beyond their own perspective (Lortie et al., 2017). These skills are not always natural to mentors, who have usually been selected for their technical expertise and not necessarily their ability to guide others.

Also important for mentors is the ability to communicate with, work with and develop diverse talent. Not every mentor has the right tools and training. Some mentors are comfortable mentoring employees who are different from themselves. Just about every organization has a need for mentors who can contribute to a more inclusive culture (Mack et al., 2014; Zambrana et al., 2015). The only way to make sure Propel, Inc. have mentors who are ready for that work is through the development of mentor skills.

Organizational Support

Propel, Inc. has established a fund to help support both the recruitment and training of new mentors. The leadership team at Propel, Inc. has established a recruitment plan that seeks to recruit mentors by collaborating with local STEM companies and organizations to help recruit new mentors. Propel Inc. has identified several STEM consulting groups that can used to help with the training component of the mentorship program.

Organizational researchers have found that employees with mentors report higher levels of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, compensation and promotions (Xu et al., 2015), showing the potential importance of having a mentor for achieving both subjective and objective career benefits. Despite this robust stream of research demonstrating the importance of mentoring relationships, the mechanism underlying the association between mentoring and protégé outcomes is largely unknown (Diaz-Garcia & Welter, 2013; Eliott et al., 2020). The lack of attention given to examining why mentoring works represents a significant gap in the literature since in the absence of this information it is difficult, if not impossible, to build comprehensive causal models of the mentoring process (Clancy et al., 2017).

Barriers or Resistance

Barriers to effective mentorship include mismatched expectations between mentor and mentee, lack of available STEM mentors, lack of time/compensation for STEM mentors, and geographic separation between mentor and mentee (Blackburn, 2017). An important first step is the acknowledgment that a chief attribute of the mentor/mentee relationship is its inherent imbalance of power. This imbalance results from major differences in key areas between mentor and mentee. These include the level of professional experience, depth of knowledge, professional status, and an established collegial network. By virtue of the mentor's greater authority, the mentee is likely to be the vulnerable party in barriers and conflicts that arise (Hardy & Thompson, 2017; King, 2016).

Mentees are dependent on mentors for providing information critical to success, access to proceeding with instruction, or even locating sources of career opportunities. Because of this dependency, mentees may find it difficult to challenge mentors who may abuse their power. To the mentees, mentors will seem like the ‘all-knowing’ of the information being presented, so they will never question the information that they are getting from the mentor. Competing interests may sometimes compromise a mentor's commitment to protecting the welfare of the mentee, resulting in manipulation, abuse, and exploitation. Alternatively, the source of the barriers and conflicts may originate with the mentee. Failure to honor responsibilities, loss of interest in completing assignments, or unwillingness to communicate can lead to dysfunctional interactions with the mentor (Clancy et al., 2017).

Evaluation

According to Diaz-Garcia and Welter (2013), typically, evaluation is divided into two distinct types:

1. Formative Evaluation: Information that is collected during the course of the mentoring program and will be used to help improve the program.

2. Summative Evaluation: Evidence that is collected upon completion of the program in

order to demonstrate whether the program has achieved its objectives.

The first task is to decide what kinds of information is most interested in at this stage. If the program is in its early stages, one may wish to focus on formative evaluation information, which will help in the revision the program before undertaking a summative evaluation. If the program has been in place for a while and is thought to be relatively stable, then it may be time for a summative evaluation (Clancy et al., 2017). It is important to collect both kinds of information, but the emphasis on one or the other may vary based on the program’s stage of development. In preparing for the second task, summative evaluation, one will want to consider what kind of information would be most useful (King, 2016). For example, knowing what the mentees think of the program overall, what value they place on it, and how it has affected their perceptions of themselves in the workplace? Knowing what the mentors think of the program, its value, and their perceptions about their role in it? Knowing what impact, the mentoring program is having on the organization as a whole. For example, are there more women in leadership positions as a result of the program, fewer racial/ethnic minorities feeling isolated, etc.? Gathering information to answer all of these questions, so the need to prioritize what is feasible based on what stage the program is in and what resources are needed to devote to evaluating it.

Reflection on the Overall Experience

The action plan will aid in the implementation of an organized strategy in mentoring. Through the action plan, tasks were listed during stages and practical resources could be prioritized as to when they should be used during those stages. The dependability and relationships of mentors and mentees is critical to the changes needed throughout the program. The action plan must be followed to meet the goals of supporting the mentoring network model. Evaluating the mentoring method of the organization, guided the organization back to the impact it can have on students who are interested in STEM careers (Propel, 2020, Propel America, 2021).