The Process of Mentoring - Assignment Example

Competency 1c Mentoring There are many perceptions on the idea of mentoring. A mentor is sometimes called an advisor, counselor, guide, or teacher. The dictionary defines a mentor as a wise and trusted guide or advisor who serves as a teacher or trusted counselor. The process of mentoring involves a close relationship between the mentor and the mentee or protégé. In a skilled nursing facility, there are many opportunities for management and staff alike to find relationships that foster mentorship. The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI) states that nursing assistant and home health aid positions are two of the fastest-growing occupations. With this in mind, peer mentoring has become very important to institute. PHI suggests that the primary role of the mentor is helping new employees find comfort in their job responsibilities and to help them learn the culture of the workplace. In other words, mentors are responsible for making sure their employees understand their responsibilities and are comfortable doing them. These actions help employees state with an organization. Politics and Mentoring Gibson (2006) studied the role of organizational politics and culture at an educational institution. The goal of mentoring in her study was to improve both individual and organizational performance. The challenge for some mentor relationships is that the politics in the organization and the organizational culture can become a barrier for some employees who are not in a mentor relationship. There are many informational networks and other systems that work within an organization that some employees are left out of or they do not know how to access them. As an example, women are often left out of these important networks and they can feel left out of the major aspects of their jobs (Gibson, 2006). Gibson suggests that networking works for women better than men sometimes because women are more rooted in relationships. Politics and culture play a large role in many organizations so initiatives to integrate employees at all levels must be in place. There must be structures in place that also help minorities enter into mentoring relationships when the culture is difficult to maneuver. Mentoring and Career Development Career development is a very important aspect of an individuals career and one of the many ways professionals gain more experience in their career development is through mentoring. Mentoring is also one of the most important ways to advance a reputation is to continue education after obtaining a position in some organizations. Managers have a challenge because they must find ways to promote the continued learning, growth and development for their employees (Parker, Hall and Kram, 2008). Peer mentoring has become more pragmatic in some organizations because of the influence that peers have with each other. Peer coaching allows a more focused opportunity for mentoring because it promotes a "developmental relationship with the clear purpose of supporting individuals within it to achieve their job objectives" (Holbeche, 1996, p. 26 as cited in Parker, Hall and Kram, 2008, p. 490). In thinking about mentoring, it a can be seen that mentoring is important to every aspect of an individuals career development in and outside their organization. The way to move forward in an organization can depend on mentoring relationships. Todays global economy brings a diversity of professionals together in order to grow a strong organization. Mentoring is particularly important for attracting and retaining people with diverse backgrounds who are moving into an environment that may not be used to diversity. Traditionally, employees are encouraged to build relationships with leader so that they can develop their careers (Olson and Jackson, 2009). This is often a way for employees to be seen as "high potential" candidates (Olson and Jackson, p. 48) capable of taking a stronger leadership positions. In other words, in many organizations, mentees who are mentored by senior managers are seen as those who also have the potential to lead. Reflections on Mentoring and My Work In the beginning of my study, I stated that I wanted to gain knowledge of the adult learner. I feel that I have accomplished this and part of my understanding comes from my introduction to the various educational and other theories. I saw evidence of behavioral theories in watching the way students reacted to grades in the classroom. This gave me an understanding of those things that adult students need to help them feel comfortable taking a course. Cognitive theories were also very effective in teaching. Students often talked about their intrinsic needs for going to school and doing well. I was very aware of Gardners 7 Intelligences and I attempted to gear as many lessons as possible to different learning styles so that all students were able to grasp the course. This spoke to my ability to accommodate and adapt learning materials. One example is when I gave an assignment in which I allowed students to express themselves in their own way. Many students said they enjoyed this assignment. I learned about myself as a facilitator. As an example, I found that adults ask many more questions than children. I also found that a facilitator must know the material very well because adults think on their feet. At my job, Ive found informal mentoring groups to be those that come together for a brainstorming session or to answer a particular questions that the business must answer. Often those meet around lunch and they tend to be groups that come together for a short time. They can also come together as social groups. Formal groups usually come together under the direction of the head of the company of a specific supervisors needs. The formal groups must organize larger issues and cerate change within the company. Groups have a variety of dynamics which may be difficult at times and a group can quickly become dysfunctional depending on the circumstances. As an example, when one person within the group becomes dominant in the group and they are not the leader, the group becomes dysfunctional because no one else has a chance to speak. To bring it back to function, the group leader must be able to maintain a balance between all people within the group. Each individual must be able to bring in their point of view during discussions so they can feel heard. The many reading in this area helped me become a better facilitator. As an example, the Kolun (2001) article gave several examples of how to interact with students who are disruptive. These examples gave me ideas that I was able to implement in my classes. In this objective, I learned more about myself and my own style. I could also understand more about how psychology is used in the area of leadership. This information also brought out an even stronger understanding to me as a Constructionist. I see that as Dewey said, it is important for learners to make meaning from their own learning. I have made meaning for myself in my learning and the more I learn, the more meaning my studies hold for me. I still feel that I see education and leadership as an individual center-focusing on unique experiences and that education include the capacities and insights of each person. As I continue through my studies, I saw more clearly how the social identity model took place in training. People are social animals and it was very important for my adult student to feel they were part of the group. Creating group exercises that allowed them to connect with each other brought all of us as a more cohesive group experience. I also believe that a good mentor is one who is open to the possibilities and able to help a mentee continue their learning. As a mentor, I sat with my mentees and talked with them about their short and long-term goals. I helped them establish solid goals that would eventually help them become more motivated in their learning as time went on. I believe that it was easier than I thought to connect my mentees with their social environments. I saw my mentees as part of the full organization and I thought it was important to show them my motivation. I feel I was modeling motivation and as I said in my leadership paper, I want to surround myself with people who are motivated. When people are motivated from the inside, they are more open to change. They know that change is inevitable in any organization and if motivated, they often promote the change. References Gibson, S. (2006). Mentoring of women faculty: The role of organizational politics and culture. Innovative Higher Education, 31 (1). 63-79. doi: 10.1007/s10755-006- 9007-7 Parker, P., Hall, D.T., and Kram, K. E. (2008). Peer coaching: A relational process for accelerating career learning. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 7 (4). 487-503. Retrieved June 18, 2010 from Business Source Complete database. Olson, D.A. and Jackson, D.J. (2009). Expanding leadership diversity through formal mentoring programs. Journal of Leadership Studies. 3 (1), 47-60. doi: 19.1002/jls.20095 The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI). (n.d.). Peer mentoring. Workforce Strategies Newsletter #2. Retrieved June 16, 2010 from http://www.directcareclearinghouse.org/download/WorkforceStrategies2.pdf Read More