| |
 
Mentor
Roles & Responsibilities
Who is a
Mentor?
A mentor is
a trusted and experienced advisor who has a direct interest in the
development and education of a younger or less experienced individual.
The relationship between the mentor and mentee is unique. The mentor
assumes numerous roles while contributing to a sustaining relationship
of shared interests and goals. The mentor role is totally voluntary
and is carried out in addition to other work responsibilities.
A mentor makes a commitment to an assigned mentee to help her or
him grow into the organization’s culture and become a productive
and effective organization member.
Mentor Criteria:
- considered
a role model in their position or area
- be committed
to the mentoring process
- ability
to respond to individual circumstances
- ability
to encourage and motivate others
- create
a continuous learning environment
- has obtained
the respect of others at the university
- has and
is willing to commit time to be a mentor
- possesses
the knowledge and influence needed to be a mentor
- willingness
to share knowledge
- possesses
good interpersonal communication skills
- willingness
to make a commitment
A mentor’s
role may include, but is not limited to:
Advisor:
Provide mentee with useful information about the university that
is not provided during orientation to campus; offer mentee an avenue
for social and emotional support during their transition into the
university; familiarize mentee with the numerous sources and resources
located throughout the university community.
Positive
role model: Mentee can learn what it takes to succeed in the
university by watching how individuals in senior positions conduct
themselves and interact with others.
Coach:
Advise mentee on how to accomplish their goals; provide feedback
above and beyond what typical supervisors provide. Help the mentee
develop alternatives to address work-related problems or create
learning opportunities. Teach the mentee organizational and professional
skills and help "decode" the university culture; create an atmosphere
where mentees can learn from their own and each other’s experience,
mistakes, and successes as well as from their mentor’s experiences.
Supporter:
Encourage the participation of the mentee on committees to increase
visibility; enhance the mentee’s self-esteem through supportive,
nonjudgmental discussions and "pep talks." The sense of trust that
often develops can reduce personal stress for the mentee.
Mentor Responsibilities:
- Meet regularly
with the mentee - preferably 2-3 times per month
- Maintain
strict confidentiality (The mentor will not provide input to
a performance review, nor coach on performance issues.)
- Listen
and give feedback/guidance
- Monitor,
review, critique, and discuss potential actions; do not just
expect performance or give answers
- Refer
mentee to appropriate office for specific information when appropriate
- Reinforce
relationship between employee and supervisor
Benefits
of participating in the program for a Mentor:
- Increased
communication about what is happening in other areas of the
university
- Gain increased
respect and recognition from others in the organization as individuals
who have the ability to identify, encourage and promote other
employees
- Extend
their network to other mentors and mentees
- Contribute
to the development of employees
- Contribute
towards more excitement about being an employee of UW Oshkosh
- Use or
develop additional skills not required in current position
- Keeps
you sharp and encourages creativity
- Improves
your job satisfaction
- Provides
a window to "get by giving"
- Enhances
your value to others
- Forces
you to set an example, thereby enhancing performance
return
to top
Mentee
Roles & Responsibilities
Who is a
Mentee?
All new classified
and academic staff and those who transfer within UW Oshkosh can
be part of the Mentoring Program on a voluntary basis. Although
all new and relocating employees have primary responsibility for
their own growth and success, the mentoring program offers an avenue
to become acclimated more quickly to the UW Oshkosh culture. The
effectiveness of the Mentoring Program depends on the active participation
of both the mentee and the mentor.
Responsibilities:
- Meet regularly
with the mentor - preferably 2-3 times per month
- Maintain
strict confidentiality (The mentor will not provide input to
a performance review, nor coach on performance issues.)
- Ask for
and give feedback
- Take responsibility
for own growth and success
- Follow
through on referrals from mentor to appropriate office for specific
information when appropriate
- Obtain
permission from supervisor before leaving work location during
work hours to participate in Mentoring Program activities
Benefits
of Participating in the Mentoring Program for a Mentee:
- expand
their view of the university
- connect
employees closer to the university and to each other
- increase
communication about what is happening in other areas of the
university
- career
benefits including professional advice, managerial training,
insight into the organizational culture, networking opportunities,
and career exploration
- growth
in their sense of competence, identity, and effectiveness as
a professional
- provides
an outlet to discuss fears and concerns
- setting
of high performance standards and goals that stimulate personal
motivation
- increase
their value to the university
- learn
to cope with the formal and informal structure of the university
- provide
a successful and productive integration of new classified and
academic staff to the university
Mentee-Specific
Skills:
- acquiring
mentors
- learning
quickly
- showing
the right amount of initiative
- following
through, willingness to apply what mentors offer
- managing
the relationship
- listening
actively
- presenting
needs in an articulate way
- asking
for feedback and receiving it nondefensively
- proving
trustable
- doing
something for the mentors
return
to top
Potential
Mentoring Activities
- Engage
in regular meetings at lunch to talk and share information about
the university; discuss each others’ career paths
- Meet
employees in other colleges or divisions within UW Oshkosh
- Share
teaching expertise*
- Obtain
information about various offices, committee assignments, positions,
governance groups, and other entities that function in the department,
college and university, including the key personnel who are a
part of these functions
- Create
a personal mission statement
- Learn
more about the Fox Valley or Oshkosh community
- Learn
about the resources available to employees by UW Oshkosh
- Locate
and learn procedures for using Document Services
- Locate
and use services offered by Polk Library
- Obtain
information about the political structure of the UW System
- Review
the location and services provided by the Testing Center
- Tour
the campus to locate key facilities and services
- Attend
university events
- Become
familiar with the faculty/staff and student handbooks
- Determine
career perspective with UW Oshkosh
- Improve
time management skills
- Improve
networking skills
- Improve
negotiation skills
- Improve
meeting management skills
- Improve
conflict management skills
- Develop
future goals and action plans
- How
to use behavioral interviewing techniques when interviewing for
another position within UW Oshkosh
- Keep
a journal about mentoring. No one will ask to see it, but it will
be a useful referral source for you later as you think about the
mentoring experience.
*Check
out the following web site for suggestions on how to share teaching
expertise on evaluation, instruction, management, and planning:
http://apollo.gse.uci.edu/MentorTeacher/Chapter
5.1.html
return
to top
|