Purpose of Mentoring

							Zeta Pi Chapter Mentoring Program

Definition

Mentoring is defined as "patterned behaviors or processes whereby one person
acts as the mentor to another or one group acts as the model and facilitator to
another (Nicholls, 2002).

Purpose

  I. Importance of leadership mentoring program to Zeta Pi chapter:

   Excellence in leadership is one key element of Zeta Pi chapter’s commitment
   to its members. Providing leadership program through mentoring is vital for
   Zeta Pi chapter’s goal of developing outstanding leaders. Leadership
   mentoring is supported by various literatures pertaining to nurse mentors
   which also indicate its benefits to all parties involved--mentor, mentee, the
   organization and the nursing profession as a whole.

   II. Zeta Pi chapter leadership mentoring program goals:

      Provide support for leadership development in nursing
      Support scholarship in education, research and clinical areas of nursing
      Help to prepare its members for increasing leadership challenges
      Enlarge chapter nursing professional network
      Provide support, technical advice and networking to other nurses
      Enlarge mentee’s professional network

  III. Impact of leadership mentoring program to Zeta Pi chapter.

      Motivates other members to get more involve and acts as a resource to
       keep an overall view of the effectiveness of the program.
      Provides opportunity to each participating chapter members to share and
       enhance their leadership expertise.
      Promotes and facilitates better networking and communication among its
       members.
      Experiences are beneficial not only to both mentees and mentors
       participants but also to the overall vitality of the Zeta Pi chapter mentoring
       program.
      Provides challenges to chapter by addressing ineffective mentoring
       relationships before conflicts arise, thus keeping both mentees and
       mentors engaged within the program as well as providing the mentor with
       resources to better manage similar situations in the future.

   IV. Methods to track program progress:
      Mentees interact with mentors as detailed by the structure of the
       mentoring program. Mentoring can take place either one-on-one (1:1) or in
       a group setting. Mentoring can occur in person, over the phone, via e-mail
       or online.
      Mentor evaluations use a 360 degree approach, such that a brief survey
       or performance review is completed by the mentor, mentee and the
       mentoring champion.

Mentors Qualifications:

      New member mentors
         o Active chapter members for at least one (1) full year
         o Knowledgeable of member benefits
         o Accustomed to accessing and utilizing chapter resources
      Chapter leader mentors
         o Active chapter members
         o Have served at least one (1) term as a chapter leader
         o Familiar with STTI bylaws, the chapter structure and position
             responsibilities
         o Knowledgeable of chapter operations and growth plans

Mentors Role

Mentors serve as the leader in the mentor-mentee relationship. They encourage
mentees personal and professional growth and development, while supporting
mentees efforts towards achieving goals and meeting the expectations of the
mentoring program.

Mentor’s Responsibilities

      Displays commitment to the chapter, STTI and the nursing profession
      Supports the purpose of the mentoring program
      Demonstrates strong leadership skills
      Communicates effectively
      Is resourceful

Participant Profiles

Regardless of the matching process selected, it is important to track program
participation. A mentoring profile is helpful in collecting participant information,
tracking interest and collecting pertinent information needed to initiate the
mentoring relationship. A mentoring profile could include:

      Name
      Personal contact information
      Credential and educational background
      Place of employment
      Nursing specialty
      Motivations for participating in the mentoring program
      Expected outcomes of participating in the mentoring program
      Copy of current CV or resume

Mentees

Mentees are the target audience around which the mentoring program has been
established. The purpose and the structure of the Zeta Pi chapter leadership
mentoring program are defined based on the needs of the mentees and how the
growth and development of mentees supports the chapter, STTI and the nursing
profession.

      New member mentees
         o Active chapter members
         o Newly inducted within a specified time frame (i.e. 0-3 months from
             induction, within first 3, 6 or 12 months)
         o Voluntary participant seeking mentoring services
      Chapter leader mentees
         o Active members of the chapter
         o Interested in or already selected to become a chapter leader

Mentees Responsibilities
In general mentees should:

      Initiate the development of learning goals and/or activities that meet the
       expectations of the mentoring relationship
      Engage in mentoring-related activities
      Be honest with the mentor regarding the effectiveness of the mentoring
       relationship

How are they engaged?

The structure and purpose of the Zeta Pi chapter leadership mentoring program
will determine the strategies used for engaging mentees. The best mentoring
activities will work towards meeting the needs and learning objectives of the
mentee and the mentoring program. Cost constraints and access to printed or
electronic information may stipulate how profiles are collected, distributed,
shared and stored.

Establishing Mentoring Relationships

The mentor-mentee relationship is crucial to the effectiveness of the mentoring
program. In order for the mentoring program to be successful, both mentor and
mentee must be comfortable communicating, interacting and learning from one
another.

Introductions

The purpose of the introduction is to provide mentors and mentees with the
opportunity to get to know one another for the sake of initiating the mentoring
program agenda. Successful introductions will help both parties feel comfortable
with the other, and begins establishing a level of trust and credibility needed for
successful mentoring relationships.

Manage the Mentoring Relationship

Ensuring that the mentoring program is meeting the expectations of all parties is
important in maintaining a successful program. Formal programs may choose to
identify a person with whom mentors and mentees can check-in. Informal
programs may choose to send surveys, personal e-mails or make follow-up
telephone calls.

Managing Dysfunctional Mentoring Relationships

Dysfunctional mentoring relationships are inevitable in many mentoring
programs. Setting clear boundaries and expectations for both mentors and
mentees is the first step in preventing dysfunctional relationships.

      Be respectful of differing opinions
      Be timely (to meetings and with correspondence)
      Be honest and open
      Communicate frequently

If there are personality conflicts or other issues that arise beyond the scope of
the mentor or mentee role, then those issues should be taken to the mentoring
champion for resolutions and/or alternatives.
Mentoring Partnership Agreement
As a mentor and mentee in the Zeta Pi Chapter Mentoring Program, we agree to
abide by the following set of guidelines:
1. Commit to making the time to meet on a regular basis,
2. Keep the content of our conversations confidential.
3. Practice active listening.
4. Provide each other with honest, direct and respectful feedback.
5. Other:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
___________________________ _______________________




Mentee’s signature:

Mentor’s signature:


Date:
Individual Development Plan (IDP)

Zeta Pi Chapter Leadership Mentoring Program

Instructions to Mentees:
Please complete this form yearly and give a copy to your mentor before your
mentoring session. Attach an updated CV.

Instructions to Mentors:
Please review the mentee’s CV and this form prior to meeting your mentee.

Date:

Mentee Name:

Mentor Name:
Time Allocation as Estimated by Mentee:
___ % Administration/Other Services
___ %
___ %
___ %

How (if at all) would you like to change this time distribution?
Classification
Do you understand the classification to which you are appointed and the
expectations for advancement?
___ Yes
___ No
Explain:




Current Professional Responsibilities
List your major professional responsibilities and if you anticipate significant
changes in the coming year:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Future Professional Goals
Short Term Goals
List your professional goals for the coming year. Be as specific as possible, and
indicate how you will assess if the goal was accomplished (expected outcome).

                 1. Goal:

Expected outcome:

                 2. Goal:

Expected outcome:

                 3. Goal:

Expected outcome:
Long Term Goals
List your professional goals for the next 3-5 years. Again, be specific, and
indicate how you will assess if the goal was accomplished.

          1. Goal:

Expected outcome:

          2. Goal:

Expected outcome:

          3. Goal:


Expected outcome:
Mentor’s Meeting Checklist
�� Set aside adequate time for meetings
�� Obtain and review mentee’s CV and IDP prior to meeting
�� Be sure to review contact information and other meeting
arrangements
�� Clarify what mentee expects from you--and what you expect
from mentee
�� Review mentee’s short/long term goals
�� Be sure that you have accurate, up to date information on
advancement and promotion policies for your mentee’s series
and rank
�� Be aware of potential conflicts of interest if you are both a
supervisor and mentor for the mentee
�� Be sure that mentee has joined committees and professional
organizations helpful for career development
�� Assist your mentee to find other mentors within and outside

Mentoring Meeting Journal
Use this page to record the discussion points in each of your mentoring
meetings.
Date:
Check In (e.g. urgent issues, work-life balance, personal issues):
Goal Discussion:
Action Items:
Next meeting date: ______________________
Initiation:
First Meeting Checklist

Get to Know Each Other
Share information about your professional and personal life
Learn something new about your mentee/mentor

Establish Guidelines
When and where will we meet?
How will we schedule meetings?
How will we communicate between meetings?
Will there be any fixed agenda items to be discussed at every meeting?
How will we exchange feedback?
How will we measure success?

Partnership Agreement
Review partnership agreement, modify if desired, sign and exchange
Review goals for the mentoring relationship

Confirm Next Steps
Schedule date, time and place of future meetings

Structuring Meeting Time
Determine how to use your time together. One suggestion is the “10/20/60 Rule”
that will help you to establish a solid partnership and address mentoring goals
and everyday issues. For a meeting of about 1½ hours split the time roughly as
follows:
First 10 Minutes
Engage in personal/professional—“check-in”
Next 20 Minutes
Focus on ‘front burner’ issues (upcoming presentation, manuscript revision, etc.)
Last 60 Minutes
Discuss current and long term goals and priorities

Expectations
A critical component of a successful mentoring relationship is clarity
of commitment and expectations.

Mentors and mentees need to agree on:
�� Scheduling and logistics of meeting
�� Frequency and mode of communicating between meetings
�� Responsibility for rescheduling any missed meetings
�� Confidentiality
�� “Off-limits” conversations
�� Giving and receiving feedback
�� Working with formalized mentee goals
Cultivating the Relationship:
Building Trust
When people trust each other, they allow their most authentic self to emerge.
They feel free to share concerns, insecurities and doubts. Listening to each other
builds trust. Sharing reservations and uncertainties builds trust. Most importantly,
demonstrating by our acts that we are trustworthy builds trust.

Behaviors That Build Trust Behaviors That Destroy Trust
Being a proactive listener Not paying attention to what is being said
Cooperating with others being competitive
Openly sharing and being vulnerable Withholding and keeping people out
Actions are parallel to words Acting contrary to words
Accepting and non-judgmental Criticizing and disapproving
Authentic and true-to-self Acting with a hidden agenda
Freely admitting mistakes and errors Blaming others for mistakes
Actively seeking out difference perspectives Keeping a closed mind to new ideas
Encouraging others to succeed Discouraging others from taking risks
Having a positive, upbeat outlook Projecting a negative perspective
Honoring and respecting confidentiality Breaking confidence

Cultivating the Relationship:

Giving (and Receiving) Feedback
Mentees want to receive honest, candid feedback from their mentor. Equally
important is the feedback mentees can offer to mentors. Engaging in reciprocal
and on-going feedback is a vital component of the partnership.

Effective feedback:
�� Is offered in a timely manner
�� Focuses on specific behaviors
�� Acknowledges outside factors that may contribute
�� Emphasizes actions, solutions or strategies

Effective Feedback from Mentee:
�� Whether the advice or guidance you offered was beneficial and solved an
issue
�� Whether the mentor communication style and/or actions facilitate a
positive mentoring experience
�� Whether the mentor communication style and/or actions create challenges
to a positive mentoring experience

Effective Feedback to Mentee:
�� Mentee strengths and assets
�� Areas for growth, development and enhancement
�� Harmful behaviors or attitudes
�� Observations on how your mentee may be perceived by others
Separation and Redefinition
Participating in a mentoring program brings the opportunity for planning and
implementing closure that is unlike most other types of relationships. Whether
you determine to continue meeting on a regular basis or not, it is essential to
discuss and plan the process by which your formal partnership will come to a
close.
If appropriate, you will want to think about how you would like to transition from a
formal to an informal mentoring partnership or to more of a peer relationship. It is
recommended to instill some structure to even an informal partnership so as to
yield the most benefit from the time you spend together.

Closure Checklist:
Discuss how to use the remaining time together.
Make sure an important goal has not been overlooked.
Plan a formal acknowledgement or celebration of the mentoring
relationship.

Questions to Discuss:
�� Have the goals been achieved?
�� Have the important issues been discussed?
�� How should the separation/redefinition be acknowledged?
�� What will the agenda be for the last meeting?
�� What would be the ideal interaction going forward?




References:
Mentoring Tool Kit, Adapted from the Faculty Mentoring Facilitator Toolkit July
2007
STTI website: http://www.nursingsociety.org/Chapters/Pages/Mentoring.aspx