TOPICS

MENTORING SPECIALTY AREAS MAY BE MISSING MENTORING

ORetrospective analysis has been considered the primary reason for the considerable increase in attention to mentoring. That is, when successful adults review their lives and consider the factors that enabled them to become who they are or what they can do today, they often identify a person or persons from their past who played a significant role. More often than not, this person is referred to as a mentor.

Mentoring programs reverse engineer this analysis and hypothesize that if mentors contributed so much to the successful growth and development of adults throughout history, why not increase the number of mentors available to people at younger ages? Why not increase the deliberate and purposeful connections between young people and mentors?

While some people might call this reverse engineering a "leap of faith," others have rushed into providing mentors to an exceptionally wide variety of young people. In the United States, for example, mentoring programs have been established for young offenders, children whose parents are in jail, single-parent families, children of divorce, children with eating disorders, children with a variety of health issues, and the general category of "children or youth at-risk."

Bringing volunteer compassion and skill into the life of any child or youth is a noble goal and clearly the right thing to do. But many of the programs created to make these goals a reality seem to have missed the point of mentoring while at the same time working diligently to obtain funding from (in the US) state and federal sources. (In Canada almost all mentoring programs are funded through local donations or community organizations. Very little funding is provided by federal or provincial jurisdictions.)

In creating these specialty or niche focus areas for mentoring, it may be that program leaders have abandoned the spirit of mentoring and replaced it with regulations, policies, and guidelines. Here's one example.

Approximately one million women aged 15 to 19 become pregnant each year in the US (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) and this number represents about 10 percent of all women in this age group. Rates for this teen group in Canada are about half of the US rate, but the rates in both countries are showing strong declines over the last decade.

It is likely that mentors, particularly those associated with high-risk young people, will be mentoring a boy or girl involved in pregnancy. A recent online discussion among youth-based mentor program leaders offered a number of suggestions about what to do when a mentor learns that his/her mentoring partner becomes pregnant.

The majority of the members involved in the discussion favored staying in the mentoring relationship with the partner and have indicated that to "abandon" her during this period of her life could lead to harmful consequences for her. Suggestions about how to handle the "staying in" focused on setting boundaries or limits and clarifying the mentor's role. At the same time several discussion participants cautioned against mentors engaging in counseling and urged mentor program leaders to provide support or "education" for the mentor involved to help him/her deal with the young person.

Since I've had considerable experience working with young people and pregnancy, and I'm concerned that mentor program leaders may be missing key mentoring relationship activities, I've prepared the following perspectives:

1. A mentor isn't mentoring a pregnant teen. A mentor is mentoring a teen that is pregnant. In other words, it's the mentoring relationship that is paramount. If a mentoring program did not recruit for this, train for this, and support this philosophy, then whatever the connection is that was created, it isn't mentoring. Relationship building ought to be the number one priority of any mentoring program with young people.

2. But this does not mean that a mentor ought to be able to continue the relationship when the behavior or actions of the partner conflict with the mentor's own values and beliefs. That is, unless the mentoring program specifically and deliberately recruited for, trained for, and supported working out relationships with partners when values and beliefs clash or conflict. Working on tough issues and difficult decisions ought to be the number one priority of any mentoring program with young people.

3. Mentors are not counselors or therapists. And that's an important distinction. Mentors, unlike professional helpers, must be able to express their own viewpoints and let their partners know how their mentoring interactions or the actions of the partner impact them. But this does not mean directing or commanding the partner or telling the partner what to do; it does mean that the mentor must be willing to share examples from his or her own life, what action the mentor took to deal with it, how that action worked out, and what they might do differently today. Finding out the partner's viewpoint with regard to the mentor's actions and the degree to which what the mentor did/said fits with the partners experience ought to be the number one priority of any mentoring program with young people.

4. When a young person becomes pregnant it isn't necessarily a "problem." A mentor may wind up being the only person who can actually help the young person explore relevant options, find necessary support, and be respected for making tough decisions under pressure. The experience of being pregnant is filled with many physical, psychological, social and personal challenges. The number one priority of any youth mentoring program ought to be assisting partners to deal with those challenges.

As mentoring continues to be applied as a solution to a variety of issues experienced by youth, program leaders are themselves at-risk for recruiting, training and supervising mentors in appropriate ways. What we must guard against is that volunteer mentors are not inadvertently used as substitutes for the kind of professional assistance and other types of helping interventions that ought to be available in all communities. Mentors cannot be replacements for comprehensive youth service workers and agencies whose funding has seen significant reductions over the last decade.

Mentors can make a difference in the lives of children and youth. But to make sure we are not having delusions about what mentoring can do, we need to ensure that youth mentoring program leaders critically examine their policies and practices, continue to submit their ideas to their peers for review, and establish a relationship with their own mentor.

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Andrea del Verrocchio was a mentor to Leonardo da Vinci.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~

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FIND A WAY WITH THE LATEST ISSUE OF COMPASS

The next issue of our premier publication, Compass: A Magazine for Peer Assistance, Mentorship and Coaching is ready for distribution to members of the Peer Resources Network. Members can download the latest copy at www.peer.ca/Projects/Compass18.pdf. (The download requires a PRN member's userid and password. Contact Rey Carr at rcarr@peer.ca or call 1.800.567.3700, if access information is required. To view or print a copy of this issue requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available at no cost from Adobe.)

The Spring, 2006 issue contains the following articles:

Editorial: A TV-Reality Show Provides Good Examples of the Worst Business Practices by Rey Carr (Canada)
Images of mentoring, coaching and peer support as portrayed on a US prime-time television show contradict how businesses progress from good to great.

Peer Helping in Higher Education: The South Africa-Sweden Higher Education Peer Helper Training Project by Marina de Jager (South Africa) and Catherine Gillo (Sweden)
Expanding higher education to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds is a priority for universities around the world. An expert describes how the peer success model at one university was adapted and integrated into the culture of a university in another country.

Making Use of Humour in Coaching and Mentoring by David Clutterbuck (United Kingdom)
While laughter and humour are considered to be essential aspects of healthy living, they are often missing in coaching and mentoring. Timing, relevance, and learning potential dictate their effective use.

Coaching Opportunities in China by Sally Glover (Canada)
Readiness for coaching is considered an essential factor for the success of any coaching engagement; but what happens when demand for coaching exceeds one billion requests?

A Coach Approach for Conflict Management Training by Cinnie Nobel (Canada)
The high cost of litigation can be avoided if managers use a coach-like approach to dispute resolution.

The Spiritual Journey: A Path to Self Awareness for Mentors by Wayne Stewart (Canada)
Developing and maintaining a servant attitude is not just the key to being an effective mentor, but it also includes a focus on continuous self-assessment.

Peer Mentor Roles in a Collaborative On-line Research and Learning (CORAL) Course by Thomas Treadwell, Donna Ashcraft, Troy Teeter, and Karyn Ritchie (USA)
A peer support strategy that ensures maximum benefits for all students requires deliberate and persistent attention to a variety of factors.

Coaching Enriches Lives at Butterball Farms by Joseph Begalla (USA)
The credibility of coaching in the workplace relies exclusively on the value it has for each employee. In this case example at a world famous workplace, employees report on how coaching makes a difference in what they can do.

Narrative Mediation: An Exercise In Question Asking by Angela Nagao and Norman Page (USA)
Asking powerful questions is a common theme in mentoring, peer assistance and coaching. Mediators show how this skill can be applied to resolving disputes successfully.

Peer Mediation: Standards that Can Save a Life by Rey Carr (Canada)
Tragic outcomes are possible unless peer leaders attend to well-researched standards for effective peer mentor programs.

The Mentor's Spirit by Rey Carr (Canada)
Being exiled to Canada became the source for a mentor to bring an end to the Cold War. This true story reveals the role that mentorship played in bringing down the Berlin Wall.

Plus a book review and a list of Nationally Certified Peer Coach Trainers.

Compass: A Magazine for Peer Assistance, Mentorship and Coaching is the only peer-reviewed publication that is advertising-free and includes articles on peer assistance, mentorship and coaching. This online issue also include active links to all sources mentioned in the articles as well active links to contact all authors.

Persons who are not members of the Peer Resources Network can apply for membership at http://www.mentors.ca/PRN.html

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Jack Lemmon, Jason Robards, Robert Carrelli, and John Graham Spacey were all mentors to two-time Academy Award winner, Kevin Spacey.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~

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MENTORING CONFERENCES and EVENTS

National Mentoring Month in the USA
January, 2006
www.WhoMentoredyou.org

7th Annual Friends for Youth Mentoring Institute Conference
January 19-20, 2006
Oracle Conference Center, Redwood Shores, California
www.homestead.com/prosites-ffy/conference2006newest.html
(650) 368-4444
sarah@mentoringinstitute.org

Setting Up a Mentoring System in an Organization
February 2, 2006
Perrone-Ambrose, 161 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentor Leadership Training
February 15-16, 2006
The Club Willow Wells, Waterloo, Ontario
www.mentors.ca/trng.html
(800) 567-3700 or (250) 595-3503

National Conference of Business Mentoring
March 14-15, 2006
Orebro, Sweden
0046 19 17 48 00
www.almimentor.se
jimmy.wikholm@almi.se

19th Annual International Mentoring Association Conference
March 15-18, 2006
Chicago Marriott Downtown, Chicago, Illinois
www.mentoring-association.org/Confr.html

Setting Up a Mentoring System in an Organization
March 16, 2006
Holiday Inn Select, Alexandria, Virginia
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentoring System and Coaching Skills for Managers
March 17, 2006
Holiday Inn Select, Alexandria, Virginia
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentoring: Building Employee Relationships and Increasing Productivity
March 23-24, 2006
Canadian Management Centre, Toronto, Canada
www.cmctraining.org
(877) 262-2519

Setting Up a Mentoring System in an Organization
April 20, 2006
Courtyard by Marriott, Jersey City, New Jersey
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentoring System and Coaching Skills for Managers
April 21, 2006
Courtyard by Marriott, Jersey City, New Jersey
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentors Train-the-Trainer Program
May 3-5, 2006
Perrone-Ambrose, 161 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Setting Up a Mentoring System in an Organization
June 6, 2006
Perrone-Ambrose, 161 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentoring System and Coaching Skills for Managers
June 7, 2006
Perrone-Ambrose, 161 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
www.perrone-ambrose.com
(800) 648-0543 ext 551
ngorman@paamentoring.com

Mentoring: Building Employee Relationships
September 11-12, 2006
Canadian Management Centre, 150 York Street, Toronto, Ontario
www.cmctraining.org
(877) 262-2560
cmcinfo@cmctraining.org

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Ralph Waldo Emerson was a mentor to Henry David Thoreau and Charles Ives.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~

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USE MENTORING LITERATURE TO GUIDE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Peer Resources continually scans the professional and popular literature for articles, books, videos and other useful reference materials. They provide a brief synopsis of the work as well as citation details and summaries in a searchable format on their site at http://www.peer.ca/SearchB.html. Each issue of The Mentor News includes some of the many citations added every week.

Immen, W. (November 16, 2005). Rising stars get a chance to shine: A growing number of companies are tagging talented employees, and grooming them for leadership. Globe and Mail, C1+.

More and more companies are hoping to identify top talent and then provide them with mentors and other leadership development opportunities. Leadership development has become the number one priority of Canadian companies, according to a survey quoted in this article. Examples of the variety of ways this tagging has been put into practice are described. The only downside to this identification of top talent, according to this report, is the creation of a "spoiled child syndrome." A side-bar included with the article provides ideas about what employees can do to take advantage of these programs.

LeComu, R. (December, 2005). Peer mentoring: Engaging pre-service teachers in mentoring one another. Mentoring and Tutoring, 13, 3, 355-366.

The author discusses an initiative that aims at developing pre-service teachers’ capacities to participate successfully in learning communities, both during their initial teacher education and throughout their teaching careers. Peer mentoring uses the latest conceptualization of mentoring, that of co-mentoring, where all teachers give and receive support. Such a conceptualization challenges the traditional assumption that the mentor knows best and is consistent with the latest approaches to teacher professional development, where teachers are encouraged to participate in learning communities. A peer mentoring teacher education initiative is described and three essential elements are highlighted.

McConnell, C.R. (November 10, 2005). Mentoring: Worthwhile activity or hollow exercise? NFIB: The Voice of Small Business. [Online.] Retrieved November 17, 2005 from www.nfib.com/object/IO_25409.html

A mentor is a valuable way to shape an employee's career and mentoring can also have benefits for the mentor and the organization. But for mentoring to be successful a mentor needs certain characteristics and so does the partner. If the wrong participants are chosen and not fully committed to the process, mentoring will be a futile activity.

Mullen, C.A. (2006). A graduate student guide: Making the most of mentoring. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Education.

This book, written by University of South Florida professor of leadership and expert in mentoring, provides a doorway through which readers will sneak a peak at the academy -- its exterior and interior spaces. Each chapter describes vital mentoring issues (such as fostering productive learning within groups, developing effective marketing and networking strategies, and creating successful student-centered programs) that, together, provides a broader perspective on faculty. The mentoring concepts and practices narrated have all been tested in real-life settings. Further, the chapters' case scenarios and analyses are supported with data collected from multiple sources -- documents, surveys, and interviews. Dozens of graduate students in education in particular, as well as faculty and administrators have contributed to this work (CM).

Shaw, G. (November 12, 2005). Help is just around the corner. The Minerva Foundation eases women back into productivity. Vancouver Sun, E1-E2. Retrieved November 29, 2005 from www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.html

While women don't have to be desperate to use the Helping Women Work program of the Minerva Foundation, the organization provides considerable support to assist women experiencing transitions. Their mentors help clients to identify and build on strengths, clarify goals, generate confidence, and build their own pathways to success. This article briefly describes some of the stories that helped move women from doubt and hopelessness to higher levels of personal satisfaction and career development.

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Eddy Merckx was a mentor to seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, who, in turn, is a mentor to cyclist, Tyler Hamilton.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~

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CHAMPIONS OF MENTORING

Sustainability Mentoring NW in Manchester (United Kingdom) provides experienced professionals to act as mentors to students and graduates in the local area who are interested in a future role in a variety of fields associated with environmental studies. Mentors commit to a minimum of 12 hours over a six-month period.

VIP Mentors, located in San Francisco, California, is a mentoring organization that provides mentors to parolees when they leave prison and return to the community. Founded in 1972 with a grant from the American Bar Association and is now active in 13 counties throughout California. It pairs parolees with lawyers who volunteer to serve as mentors. The purpose of this mentoring program is to help parolees build a better future for themselves, which in turn leads to better and safer communities. Mentors serve as "guides, advisors, friends and role models for parolees as they struggle to turn their lives around." Mentors do not provide legal representation or money to parolees. VIP Mentors says that parolees in its program "consistently attain success rates of more than 70%, measured in terms of living crime-free, meeting educational goals, stable jobs and improved family relationships." And while on average, 41% of California parolees violate their parole and return to custody within a year, only 6% of the parolees with VIP mentors were re-incarcerated last year.

The Women's Enterprise Centre Peer Mentoring Service in British Columbia provides women with opportunities to participate in facilitated and structured discussions in order to address complex business challenges, develop strategies, and find solutions. Group size is maintained at no more than six participants. Confidentiality is required. Expectations are clearly defined and guidelines are provided as to the process and outcomes for each meeting. Groups have been established in five major locations in the Province of British Columbia. In 2005 a fee of $125.00 was stated as required for eight sessions.

Tomorrow's Leaders Club, based in Covina, California is a state approved Supplemental Educational Service Provider that delivers free, after-school tutoring services to qualifying students in several school districts. Their program model calls for a 30-min. one-on-one session, 30-min. small group instruction and 30-min. homework support. Their mentors specifically work with one student during the one-on-one session and assist the teacher and paraprofessionals in other sessions. Their primary goal is to help under-performing students catch up and succeed one student at a time. Upon completion of mentor orientation and training, mentors are matched students. Each school site (Academy) is staffed with one Site Coordinator who oversees all activities of the Academy with a minimum of two teachers and three paraprofessionals. Each Academy enrolls anywhere from 70-100 students and works in three groups, of which they each rotate to go through all 3 sessions (one-on-one, small group and homework support). The Club provides a 15-minute snack time at the beginning of the session. There is no charge for students.

Powersport Lifeskills in Perth, Australia, has been established to help young athletes achieve world class performance levels, this organization matches mentors to each client using a profiling system. They build their mentoring matches on advanced NLP training and offer clients workshops in areas such as mind control, confidence-building, and goal setting. The organization charges a fee for their mentoring service.

The Governor of the State of Michigan is seeking nominations for outstanding mentors and outstanding mentoring programs. Nomination forms are available at www.michigan.gov/mcsc or call Kathie Vasilion at (517) 373-4200 or email: vasilionk@michigan.gov

The SafetyNET background check pilot program has been extended through June 2008 by the US Congress. The extension of SafetyNET make nationwide fingerprint checks accessible, affordable and timely. The National Mentoring Partnership (www.mentoring.org) advocated for the creation of SafetyNET to provide mentoring programs with the tools they need to better ensure the safety of the young people they serve. Without the extension to SafetyNET, mentoring programs would have been forced to return to using less comprehensive and often more expensive background searches. Since Congress first created the pilot in 2003, nationwide background checks have been processed at a cost of $18, with a three to five day turnaround. The new legislation will allow SafetyNET to process up to 200,000 background checks. In addition, the new legislation opens eligibility to youth-serving organizations of all kinds.

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Perdita Felicien, Canadian and world champion hurdler, was mentored by her grade four teacher, Miss Arthurs, who talked her into coming out for track.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

(1) The Talent Search Program (TSP) is a US-based initiative to identify qualified youths with potential for education at the post-secondary level, and encourage them to complete secondary school and undertake a program of post-secondary education. TSP projects also publicize the availability of student financial assistance for persons who seek to pursue post-secondary education, and encourage persons who have not completed programs at the secondary or post-secondary level to re-enter these programs. Students involved in peer mentoring programs may benefit from this initiative. Eligible applicants for the funding include: institutions of higher education; public or private agencies or organizations; combinations of institutions, agencies, and organizations; and secondary schools under exceptional circumstances, such as if there is no institution, agency, or organization capable of carrying out a TSP project in the proposed target area. The estimated average size of an award is $309,000. Approximately 469 awards will be distributed. The deadline for applications is January 6, 2006. Additional information is available online.

(2) AmeriCorps State and National Grant Program is now available for 2006 to initiate, improve, or expand the ability of organizations and communities to provide services to address local unmet environmental, educational, public safety (including disaster preparedness and response), or other human needs. AmeriCorps awards member positions and program operating funds to public and private nonprofit organizations with goals that are in accord with this mission. Grants support organizations that use volunteer service such as mentoring as a strategy for addressing national and community needs, while fostering an ethic of civic responsibility, and connecting Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to serve their communities and country. More than one million dollars is being made available. The deadline for most applications is February 14, 2006. Instructions, regulations and other relevant details are available online.

(3) The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) is providing Research Fellowships for eligible persons to conduct research about the rehabilitation of individuals. One of the various ways the Fellowship can be implemented is through determining the best strategies, such as mentoring, to improve rehabilitation outcomes for under-served populations. Fellowships are valued at approximately $75,000US. The deadline for applications is January 30, 2006. Details are available online.

(4) NIDRR is also providing funding for methods, procedures, and rehabilitation technology such as mentoring that maximize full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe disabilities. Twenty-five projects are expected to be funded averaging about $147,500 per project. The deadline for applications is February 6, 2006. Details are available online.

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"The late Shirley Horn (jazz pianist and singer) was mentored by Miles Davis.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~

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JOIN THE PEER RESOURCES NETWORK

Do you know someone who could benefit from becoming a member of the Peer Resources Network? Although you are receiving this free newsletter every 45-60 days, members of the Peer Resources Network receive a monthly newsletter with additional information, practical tips, announcements, mentor program descriptions, funding opportunities and job openings in mentoring and mentoring research summaries every month.

In addition Peer Resources Network members receive toll-free coaching and consultation for all mentor program development issues as an additional benefit of membership. Members also receive print versions of Compass: A Magazine for Peer Assistance, Mentorship and Coaching. This magazine has become the only advertising-free, professional, peer-reviewed publication on mentoring, and is filled with timely articles and practical suggestions from experienced mentor program leaders.

The Peer Resources Network is a non-profit organization and is sustained through memberships. The low fee for a one-year individual membership is $75.00 and the fee for an institutional membership, which allows up to five people to share a full membership, is $140.00 for a year. We even have a student rate of $32.10/year. For more details on the benefits as well as a secure online form to sign-up, go to http://www.mentors.ca/PRN.html.

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Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky was a mentor to Sergey Vasilyevich Racmaninoff.

~ From Famous Mentor Pairings ~