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This document has been written to support the mentoring initiative for Young Professionals and Leadership Talent. This is a vital part of the Talent Management Programme within Heineken. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, you should express your interest to your local HR director. It is also possible that you have been requested to take up this role by your manager.
CONTENTS
The aims of our mentoring programme ..................................................................................................................... 2 Benefits of mentoring .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Becoming a mentor ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Mentoring vs managing................................................................................................................................................. 3 Roles ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Conflict ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3 The mentoring process ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Concluding a mentoring relationship .......................................................................................................................... 4 Basic mentoring skills .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Listening ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Questioning................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Feedback..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Benefits of mentoring
TO THE MENTOR
Satisfaction gained from contributing to others development Share experience and skills Developing key management and leadership skills Keeping in touch with a wider audience gaining a different perspective of Heineken Recognition by demonstrating an interest in the future of Heineken
TO THE MENTEE
Career opportunities explored Safe learning environment Help and support Access to a broader network An independent sounding board To learn more effectively Acquire a new perspective Sense of value and recognition within the organisation Accelerates their development Observing the skills of the mentor Improved confidence and self-esteem
TO HEINEKEN
Motivates and retains our most talented employees Strengthens our culture of growing our own future leaders Re-enforces values/behaviour alignment Transfers knowledge, best practice and skills Accelerated growth of Young Professionals and Leadership Talent
Becoming a mentor
Only take on the role of mentor if you want to and are prepared to make the necessary time available. Check with your manager you should find that he or she is supportive Be prepared to invest time early on in the relationship to establish a relationship and a mentoring contract (frequency of meetings, agenda etc.) Know your own strengths and development needs. Be able to relate them to those of your mentee, so that you can guide him or her to other sources of help and support where you may not be the best person to help
Keep the relationship on a confidential but professional level be sensitive to gender and cultural differences and potential misinterpretations in language and behaviour Ensure you understand how mentoring differs from other roles you may be asked to undertake at Heineken If you are interested or asked to perform this role, you have to be certified prior to performing the role as a mentor
Mentoring vs managing
Roles A MANAGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
Performance of the mentee in his or her current job Setting objectives related to achieving good performance in their current job Conducting performance appraisals Coaching for increased performance in the job All issues related to compensation and benefits Supporting the concept of mentoring and encouraging the mentee to use the mentor
Conflict
Conflicts between manager and mentee are a common source of discussion that the mentor may become involved in. If the mentee has an issue with his or her manager the role of the mentor is to guide and coach the individual as to how they might handle the issue not to do it for them. The mentors personal opinion of where the blame lies is irrelevant support for both parties must prevail with the mentor guiding the mentee to resolution.
Pre-empting the problem It may be beneficial for the mentor and manager to meet during the very early stages of the relationship to iron out possible boundary issues. This meeting should also be used to get some background on the mentee from the manager but this should not preclude the mentoring relationship being founded on the personal experience of either party. The element of confidentiality must be clearly understood. Establishing trust and confidence with the manager is very important for the ongoing success of the mentoring relationship.
Giving time to listen is difficult in the environment that we work in. However, if we are to take the mentoring relationship seriously then it is important that the mentee is listened to.
TRY TO
Get away from the desk Demonstrate that you are listening (eye contact, nodding etc.) to encourage the mentee to talk Use silence in a conversation it can be a very effective tool to draw out information Suspend judgement until you have heard all the mentee has to say
Questioning
Enabling the mentee to arrive at his or her own solutions is a key role for you as a mentor. The way to do this is by positive open questioning designed to motivate and encourage the mentee.
The first set of questions can be valid but can also be viewed as discouraging. The second set are orientated more towards positive results and continuous improvement. Questions that focus on what is already working and on clarifying objectives or benefits will be motivating. Focusing on what is not working and what is wrong can threaten self-esteem.
Feedback
Feedback is a highly effective way to improve the management and development of our people. While managers have a vital part to play in this as part of the Performance Management Process, mentors too should give their mentees constant developmental feedback. Be open and honest the mentee will benefit far more. You should also seek feedback from your mentee. Giving and receiving feedback
POSITIVE
Catch people doing the right thing and tell them that they are doing so Point out strengths Point out specific behaviours that you are praising and the effect that it has had When receiving positive feedback acknowledge and thank the other person dont disregard it
NEGATIVE
Be behaviourally specific say what was done, how and the outcome Give suggestions for improvement Dont make it too personal concentrate on behaviours not attitudes When receiving negative feedback dont react defensively but ask questions to clarify, how to improve and then decide whether you are going to accept the feedback or not