ALIA WA Mentoring Program

Information kit for mentoring partnerships

Introduction

On behalf of ALIA (WA) and the Mentoring Committee, welcome to the Mentoring Program. We sincerely hope your involvement in the program is a rewarding professional development experience.

This Information Package has been compiled to provide mentors and mentorees with assistance and information relevant to the Mentoring Program.

Included in the package you will find:
Introduction (and The Story of Mentor)

1. Vision and mission for the mentoring program.
2. Guidelines for mentoring relationships.
3. Benefits and outcomes of mentoring.
4. The 7 stage mentoring process.
5. NICE analysis for mentorees.
6. FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) about mentoring.
7. Mentoring: personal view.
8. Mentoring: a selected reading list and website references.
9. ALIA Statement on and Guidelines for Volunteer Workers in Libraries.
10. Form for change of address or personal details.
11. Mentoring committee members 2001.

1. Vision and mission for the mentoring program
2. Guidelines for mentoring relationships
3. Benefits and outcomes of mentoring
4. The seven stage mentoring process
5. NICE analysis for mentorees
6. FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) about mentoring
7. Mentoring: a personal view
8. Mentoring: a selected, annotated reading list
9. ALIA Statement on and Guidelines for Volunteer Workers in Libraries
10. Form for change of address or personal details
11. Mentoring committee members 2001

1. Vision and mission for the mentoring program

The Mentoring Scheme is provided by the ALIA (WA) Forum as a strategy devised to help meet Goal 3 of the Branch Strategic Plan 1995.

Goal 3 of the Branch Strategic Plan 1995, states the aim:

• To provide the organisational framework to foster individual and mutual professional interests and aspirations.

The four Objectives of the Mentoring Program are:

• To offer a facilitated mentoring program to all ALIA (WA) members
• To support program participants by means of an information package and by offering training
• To evaluate the program annually
• To explore other ways of developing the mentoring program.

2. Guidelines for mentoring relationships

• The relationship between the mentor and mentoree is a partnership based on trust, and confidentiality must therefore be respected. Any communication in the context of, or regarding the mentoring relationship, between the mentor, mentoree and the Mentoring Committee is strictly confidential.
  
  
• Both mentors and mentorees are recommended to read and apply the information contained in the Information Package to initiate, maintain and conclude their relationships.
  
  
• Times of meetings between the mentor and mentoree may occur outside work hours as the agreement is between the mentor and the mentoree, and not associated with the employers of either person.
  
  
• Neither the mentor nor the mentoree is obliged to continue with the partnership if the relationship proves to be unsatisfactory for either party. (The Mentoring Committee should be contacted if the relationship is unsatisfactory.)
  
  
• The mentor's role is a voluntary one, and the mentor should not expect or receive monies for guidance and advice provided to the mentoree.
  
  
• The Mentoring Program does not guarantee employment for the mentoree.
  
  
• The Mentoring Program supports the ALIA Statement and Guidelines for Volunteer Workers in Libraries.

3. Benefits and outcomes of mentoring

For mentorees:

• Expanded knowledge of skills and practices
• Increased access to challenging opportunities and responsibilities
• Association with a successful role model
• Opportunity to discuss issues with a respected practitioner/professional
• Ongoing support and encouragement
• Honest and constructive feedback
• Access to inside information and organisational dynamics
• Help in building professional networks
• Increased self confidence and heightened career aspirations

For mentors:

• Opportunity to reflect on own skills and work practices
• Exposure to fresh ideas
• Added incentive for staying aware of current issues in the field
• Personal satisfaction in sharing experiences
• Pride in mentorees' accomplishments
• Recognition
• Increased self worth with contributions to the profession and organisation

for the profession:

• Enhanced professional growth and development of individuals
• Facilitates socialisation of new library and information workers in the profession
• Increased morale of library and information workers
• Provides processes for passing on skills and knowledge
• Fosters increased productivity and effectiveness
• Increased talent pool

4. The seven stage mentoring process

1. Creation of rapport: this foundation will affect the whole relationship.
   
   
2. Loosely formulate the objectives, ie. discuss in very general terms:
   • what you hope to achieve (purpose),
   • what activities you will do to achieve this outcome (strategies or process),
   • when, where and how often you will meet (logistics or methods).

   It may be too early to make any firm decisions about goals, as you may not have had time to assess the current situation. However, you can probably make some agreements on the process and methods, and find out enough about the other person to decide whether or not you want to continue with the mentoring relationship.

3. Assess the 'here and now': the mentoree's point of departure. This defines the parameters of the mentoring relationship, and should be set by both the mentor and the mentoree, with the mentorees providing a self assessment of their current situation. It is useful if the mentoree has done some preparation which can be discussed at this stage eg. the NICE analysis (see next page).
   
   
4. Decide on the 'there and then' ie. the mentor helps the mentoree to set objectives and decide on an end point (in terms of outcome and time frame).
   
   
5. Choose a way of getting from the 'here and now' to the 'there and then': discuss options, and turn these into an achievement plan.

   Some of the factors to be considered are:

   • what are the mentoree's developmental needs, and preferred learning style?
   • what support is needed and available, and how and when can it be accessed?
   • what are the obstacles?
   • what is the mentoree's level of certainty that the plan will be implemented?
   • how can this be increased?
6. Do it - the mentoree implements the plan, with assistance from the mentor when requested eg. by enhancing focus on and observation of relevant factors, giving coaching and feedback.
   
   
7. Assess the progress to the other side. The mentor helps the mentoree to overcome obstacles to success, helps decide whether goals need fine tuning or the method of achieving them needs adapting.

Adapted from: Coaching and Mentoring Nigel MacLennan, Gower, 1995

5. NICE analysis for mentorees

1. Needs: What do you need at the present time with regard to mentoring?
   
   

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2. Interests: What are your main areas of professional interest?
   
   

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3. Concerns: What are the main issues that you are concerned about?
   
   

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4. Expectations: What do you expect form your job or career? And what do you expect a mentor to be able to do for you in this respect?
   
   

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Adapted from: Friends in High Places Bonnie C McKenzie, Business and Professional Publishing, 1995.

6. FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) about mentoring

Q. Are there guidelines for initiating and sustaining mentoring relationships?
A. Just read these frequently asked questions!

Q. How do we start?
A. A member of the Mentoring Committee will contact the prospective mentor and mentoree with details of their proposed partner. The mentor then initiates the contact.

Q. What do we do?
A. It is important to clarify where you will meet, when, for how long and why. It is important to get to know each other a little and negotiate how you will relate and what you want the outcomes of the relationship to be. (See 4. The 7-stage Mentoring Process for a general outline.)

Q. How often should we be in contact?
A. This varies with the needs of the mentoree and the extent of the mentor's input. Initially you could set up short meetings or conversations quite frequently to get off to a good start and later meet less regularly or more frequently as required. Mentors, especially, should remember the importance of follow-up meetings.

Q. Is the relationship based on the mentoree asking for help?
A. Yes, but not totally! Mentors need to take their commitment seriously and be prepared to initiate meetings in the absence of particular problems. The mentoring relationship should not be just emergency support (although it can be this).

Q. What if the relationship is non-productive?
A. For a variety of personal and professional reasons a mentoring partnership may not seem to be productive. The relationship depends on trust and honesty so both parties need to be honest and acknowledge that the relationship isn't what they expected. If either or both parties feel this to be the case they should contact the Mentoring Committee in order that other arrangements can be made.

Q. How long does the relationship last?
A. The relationship lasts as long as it is agreed by both parties. The ALIA Mentoring Committee will cease to assume any involvement in the relationship after 12 months.

Q. How do I learn more about the responsibilities and role of individuals engaged in a mentoring relationship?
A. Training sessions in mentoring and coaching skills will be available. A bibliography has been provided which includes articles and books aimed at skilling people for the task. Some of these items have been written with the information profession in mind. Research will reveal many other relevant items. Members of the Mentoring Committee are a resource that you can use for support, ideas and feedback.

Q. Will I have further contact with the Mentoring Committee?
A. Yes. The Committee intends to conduct annual meetings for all those involved in the scheme. We will also contact you in order to evaluate the program.

7. Mentoring: a personal view

Janet Beattie
(This article first appeared in the June 1996 issue of Biblia)

'Why is mentoring the buzz word of management in the 1990s? Is it merely a cheap alternative to continuing professional development and staff development? What's the big deal?'

These are some of the sentiments expressed to me when I talk to colleagues about my involvement with the (ALIA) WA Mentoring Program and Committee. People assume mentoring is about close relationships between two professionals and involves the mentoree taking all while the mentor gives all. My experience is that mentoring can involve more than a one-to-one relationship, in that people can have more than one mentor at a time. Both mentors and mentorees benefit in different ways from forming professional mentoring relationships and mentoring is an important practice in the library and information profession.

As a new graduate, I see one of the most admirable aspects of the library and information profession is people's willingness to share information and co-operate, even in a competitive corporate world!

You may not be aware that the W.A. Branch of the Australian Library and Information Association began to develop a Mentoring Program in 1991: the earliest in Australia. Subsequently, other state branches have followed our lead. The Mentoring Program originated from the WA Special Library Section who felt that members of the library and information profession were often placed at an early stage of their careers in situations where they lacked advice and support from senior colleagues.

The program itself involves ALIA members volunteering to be either a mentor or mentoree. People indicate their professional interests and other relevant information in order to assist the committee in matching partners with useful skills and experience.

My experience confirms the importance of the Mentoring Program in assisting new graduates in making the transition from student to professional librarian and in assisting established professionals to move from one type of library to another. Although I undertook voluntary work in a library before graduation, I started a full time special library job without a support network of experienced librarians and relied on peers (ex-class members) with whom to compare employment experiences. I had my family and friend's support but I needed someone who was an experienced practitioner of the library and information profession to inspire and support me, as I found adjusting to working full time difficult and negotiating ways of relating with other colleagues a steep learning curve.

When I changed jobs to work in a tertiary library, my special library network and knowledge was not wasted. In a different work environment with new stresses and situations I needed support and encouragement. Being mentored helped me to make sense of my professional experiences and my mentor could take legitimate pride in my accomplishments and derive personal satisfaction in sharing my successes. My mentor could contribute to my career because we had an established personal and professional relationship.

The benefits were not all on my side as I think that my mentor felt good about giving something back to her profession and was encouraged by my enthusiasm and fresh ideas. I know that she reflected on her own skills and work practices and identified areas that she wanted to develop and bone up on as a direct result of our conversations.

My responsibility in our mentoring relationship was to communicate honestly and maintain confidentiality about the things we discussed. My mentor and I set our priorities, based on my needs and what was important for me at the time. (Obviously these needs changed over time.) I learned to reflect on good and bad experiences and plan to make positive changes for the future. It was really important to communicate clearly.

I benefited from being involved in the mentoring program because I had someone outside of my immediate workplace and line supervision with whom I could discuss issues and from whom I could get another point of view. I was able to tap into a greater knowledge of skills and practices and received honest and constructive feedback.. I found I was able to adjust my expectations and increase my self: confidence by undertaking small achievements. Goal setting and regular accountability helped me to see the progress I was making. Talking things out helped me to make sense of events and occurrences and triggered increased self awareness. Just knowing that there was someone I could turn to and who cared was reassuring.

It may be that you have recently completed studying and would benefit from some advice about applying for jobs or have decided to change workplaces (for any number of reasons) and would like to get to know someone who works in the type of library you are interested in. Or you may be looking for someone to act as a professional sounding board, someone with whom to discuss professional issues. All Mentoring Committee members are happy to supply you with information about the program if you are interested in being a mentor or require a mentor. The current Mentoring Committee members are listed at the end of this package.

8. Mentoring: a selected, annotated reading list

Much has been written about mentoring in the past few years, particularly in the education, management and organisational psychology literature. This tends to focus on mentoring and coaching in organisations from the individual's point of view, as mechanisms for orientation, on-the-job training, in-service, and management and leadership development. A second theme of the literature explores mentoring in the context of organisational culture, either as a strategy for socialisation (or acculturation) or for the purpose of cultural change.

Many of the journal articles are purely anecdotal, particularly those from the management and training literature. They are of interest for obtaining an overview of the issues involved eg. the roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentorees. Some of the most current articles which have appeared in the Library and Information Science literature are included in this list. Most of the books are easy-to-read guides, which will provide practical tips on how to get the most from a mentoring partnership.

The following selected bibliography has been prepared to serve as an introduction only.

William E Studwell, 'Long-Range librarianship, No. 3: Mentoring and the future of library and information science' Technicalities, Kansas City, Jul/Aug 2002; Vol. 22, Iss. 4; pg. 3, 2 pgs - Available via Proquest

Studwell comments on mentoring as it applies to librarians, library students and information science. He suggests that mentoring is of broad long-term importance to any organisation, movement or profession.

Lois Kuyper-Rushing, 'A formal mentoring program in a university library: Components of a successful experiment'. Journal of Academic Librarianship, Ann Arbor; Nov 2001; Vol. 27, Iss. 6; pg. 440 - available via Proquest

The Louisiana State University (LSU) Libraries adopted a mentoring program in 1998 to help tenure-track librarians successfully meet tenure requirements. The six basic components of the program are discussed.

Anne Brice, 'HeLIN pilot mentoring scheme'. Library Trends, Urbana; Spring 2002; Vol. 50, Iss. 4; pg. 651, 14 pgs - Available via Proquest

The Health Care Libraries Unit co-ordinates, facilitates, and promotes continuing personal development for all staff in the Health Libraries and Information Network (HeLIN) of the Oxford (UK) Deanery. Brice examines whether HeLIN's pilot mentoring program is reaching its target population and whether the progam meets the individual objectives of participants.

Green-P; Nekrews-K; Vautier-L, 'Mentoring, a partnership for growth: learning' In The Vital Link: library staffing in the 21st century. Proceedings of the second national library staffing conference held by the University of South Australia, Adelaide 22-23 July 1999, p.72-82

This article surveys some of the mentoring programs available at Curtin University for university staff. The paper also describes the situation at Curtin University Library and Information Service that led to the development of an in-house mentoring program.

Fisher-B, 'Mentoring at work: formal, informal and professional'. In The Vital Link: library staffing in the 21st century. Proceedings of the second national library staffing conference held by the University of South Australia, Adelaide, 22-23 July 1999, p.11-19

This conference paper describes the use of mentoring as a powerful staff development tool to best effect in aspects of the employment of librarians. The author examines three applications of mentoring within the workplace - the developments, the interpersonal and the organisational.

Henderson-J; Jackson-Bowers-E; O'Connor-M, 'Evaluation of the ALIA (SA) Mentoring Group 1999: a grounded theory approach'. Australian Library Journal v.50 n.1 p.23-30 Publication Year: 2001

An evaluation of the inaugural ALIA (SA) Mentoring Group was carried out in August 1999. The evaluation was qualitative in nature, using grounded theory methods. Focus group discussions were held, using a set of discussion guidelines, which consisted of open-ended questions about participants' expectations and experiences of the group-mentoring program. The main findings were that employment (or lack of it) remained a major preoccupation of members, that the group was very effective in providing social support, career development and a sense of professional identity, and that the group did not provide specific skill development. Recommendations for future groups included considering whether to provide skill development opportunities, providing a greater variety of meeting topics and allowing for more socialisation time.

Max Messmer, 'Building an effective mentoring program'. Strategic Finance, Montvale; Feb 2003; Vol. 84, Iss. 8; pg. 17, 2 pgs

In a typical mentoring program, new or junior employees are paired with experienced accountants who can serve as career advisors, providing guidance on everything from the subtleties of office protocol to getting ahead in the profession. Mentors can foster teamwork and improve staff motivation, and - by sharing their expertise - can also increase employee competency levels. At the same time, mentors enhance their value to the organisation. Serving as advisors allows them to build supervisory, leadership, and training abilities - skills that are valuable for any accountant. In addition, being asked to serve in this capacity shows the company respects their work, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and retention. It is important to clearly define the objectives before beginning a mentoring program.

Steven J Armstrong, 'Formal mentoring systems: An examination of the effects of mentor/protege cognitive styles on the mentoring process'. The Journal of Management Studies, Oxford; Dec 2002; Vol. 39, Iss. 8; pg. 1111

Due to the apparent benefits for both employee and organisation, many human resource managers now attempt to establish formal mentoring systems in which mentors and proteges are brought together systematically. It is recognised, however, that assigned mentoring relationships are not usually as beneficial as those that develop informally. This study, involving 53 mentor-protege dyads, examines the effects of the cognitive style of mentors and proteges on the process of formal mentoring. Data were collected from both partners in each dyadic relationship, and findings suggest that in dyads whose mentor is more analytic, congruence between the partners' cognitive styles enhances the quality of their mentoring relationships. Cognitive style was also found to work indirectly through its influence on other variables to enhance mutual liking and psychosocial and career mentoring functions. Gender composition was also found to have a significant impact on the mentoring process. Dyads with female mentors and male proteges were found to be the least favorable combination.

Chandrasekhar, R. 'Case study: The case of mentoring management'. Business Today, (March 22, 2000): 141.

This article provides good guidelines, measures and success factors for mentoring programs. It is recommended for organisations that are considering starting a mentoring initiative, and especially for those that may be experiencing problems with a current mentoring program.

Godshalk, Veronica M and John J Sosik, 'Does mentor-protege agreement on mentor/leadership behavior influence the quality of a mentoring relationship?'. Group and Organisation Management, (September 1, 2000): 291-317.

The authors have completed an excellent study on mentor effectiveness focusing on the self-perceptions of the mentor and his or her transformation leadership skills. Highlighted are good checkpoints for mentors to evaluate themselves. A thorough piece containing research methodology, hypothesis and discussion, this article will be especially useful to experienced mentors, some of whom may never have taken a close look at their own mentor effectiveness. [Available full text on Proquest5000]

Jones-Quartey, Theo. 'Mentoring - personal reflections of a special librarian'. Information Outlook, (July 1, 2000): 24.

This article describes the personal experience in mentoring of the author. She suggests that there are three sorts of mentors: zap, tutor and vision and that we need all three types at different stages of our careers. Mentoring is considered especially important for ethnic minorities.[Available full text on Proquest5000]

Ritchie, A. and Genoni, P. (1999). How to set up a facilitated Group Mentoring Program. Australian Library and Information Association Fifth Biennial Conference: Pathways to Knowledge: 25-28 October 1998: Adelaide, 569-573.

The paper is based on a workshop run by the authors at the 1998 ALIA conference. Three forms of mentoring within the small group context are described: individual mentoring, peer mentoring and comentoring. It is suggested that there are 15 steps necessary to develop and implement a facilitated group mentoring program and these steps are outlined in detail.

Zachary, Lois J. (2000) Mentor's guide: facilitating effective learning relationships. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

The Mentor's Guide combines discussion and workbook-like elements to support those who are in the process of facilitating learning in mentoring relationships. The practical excercises cane be used by mentors to prepare for mentoring sessions. I found the section on the learning process particularly useful. The changes were articulated that a mentor could expect to see in the mentoree as the relationship developed. [Available at Curtin Library - Robertson Level 5: 371.02 ZAC]

Website references
ALIA (WA) Mentoring Program

Center for Coaching and Mentoring

An informative website for the Center for Coaching and Mentoring, a company founded in 1979. Website includes links to documents such as assessment instruments to facilitate the mentoring partnership (Test your readiness to be mentored), free leadership quizzes ('How In Step Are You With Generation X?' and 'What's Your Commitment To Yourself?') and a Mentoring contract. A good place to visit for anybody who is beginning a new mentoring relationship, or starting a mentoring program.

International Mentoring Association

The International Mentoring Association, a world wide organisation established by the University of Western Michigan in 1988. The site includes links to its newsletter, The Mentoring Connection, with full text articles on mentoring programs and strategies. Focus is on organisation based programs.

9. ALIA Statement on and Guidelines for Volunteer Workers in Libraries

1. Statement on Volunteer Workers in Libraries

10. Form for change of address or personal details

Should you have any change in your personal or professional details, the Mentoring Committee would appreciate it if you could complete the form below and return it to the address supplied. Thank you!

11. Mentoring committee members

Use the button below to find current WA mentoring committee members: