TAKE THE HARD WORK OUT OF IT
Lis Merrick and Paul Stokes
In the seventh in a series of columns dedicated to mentoring, we look at the role of the mentoring co-ordinator and the types of support available. This issue: programme facilitation tools
Make sure you employ a manager for your mentoring scheme – it can be a fiddly job!
In the last issue we looked at how to evaluate mentoring programmes. If you have been reading our column regularly you will now have all the tips you need to create an effective programme. The work can still be time-consuming though, so what can you do to make it easier?
8 Supporting the programme
Every programme needs a co-ordinator/manager to manage the entire scheme. Ideally, it should be someone with good experience in mentoring (particularly as a mentor), who has been with the programme right from the start.
Responsibilities must cover all aspects of leading the implementation through to training and matching, although some of this may be outsourced in larger programmes, or if the manager is newer to mentoring or doesn’t have the relevant skills.
In larger programmes a number of co-ordinators should report into an overall manager. All too often, programme management gets left with HR as an extra responsibility, which means that the quality of some of the development and the support get cut.
One danger is that participant mentors may be hoping that the scheme manager will address their supervision needs, whereas the manager may not have the skills or experience to do this. Participants need to be directed to appropriate sources of support up front.
Sometimes it may be useful to use a mentoring software platform to support the scheme. Mentoring platforms help organisations operate and manage larger programmes or where the human co-ordination element is not available. An effective software solution should span the entire programme lifecycle and serve the needs of both programme co-ordinators/managers and the mentors/mentees.
Here are some of the things you should look for when considering software solutions:
Strong programme management tools
One of the biggest potential benefits of mentoring software is improved efficiency through automating/simplifying many of the common tasks associated with running these programmes. Complete solutions will help with:
- Onboarding new members
- Matching
- Facilitation tools, such as sending announcements to participants, monitoring mentoring relationships and providing guidance when needed
- Performance tracking and reporting
E mentoring environment
A private online space for mentors and mentees to engage in mentoring and keep track of progress. Common features include: goal creation and tracking, interactive communication tools such as video conferencing and journals to record learning outcomes.
Social learning resources
Being online, mentoring software solutions should include shared community resources such as forums and knowledge bases that allow participants to tap into the collective knowledge of the entire mentoring programme community.
A good programme needs adequate support to operate well – cutting corners on a well-designed programme is a great shame. Ensure you have an effective manager/co-ordination team or software platform support – it will mean the difference between a good scheme and a really excellent scheme.
In the next issue: Developmental vs sponsorship mentoring
Lis Merrick and Paul Stokes are mentoring consultants and members of the Coaching and Mentoring Research Unit at Sheffield Business School. They welcome correspondence on anything to do with mentoring. Contact: Lismerrick@coachmentoring.co.uk or P.K.Stokes@shu.ac.uk