How to make mentoring effective. How to build a mentoring system in a company Implementation of a mentoring system in an organization

Currently, when describing the mentoring system, they rely on one of the definitions. Yes, David Meister believes that mentoring is an investment in the long-term development of the organization, its “health”.

According to Gareth Lewis, mentoring is a system of relationships and a series of processes where one person offers help, guidance, advice and support to another.

In general, mentoring can be defined as the process of transferring knowledge and skills from a more experienced person to a less experienced person.

We are mentoring We will understand assistance to young specialists in adaptation and / or assistance to experienced company employees in changing their job responsibilities in the event of appointment to a new position as a result of career growth or rotation . Let’s call these categories of company personnel “ wards ”.

Elements of a mentoring system

The entire mentoring system in the company can be roughly divided into three components: mentors to the external and internal conditions of the business environment, them and subsequent support.

All of these processes can occur simultaneously and/or overlap each other. Even if the mentees have mastered a certain set of operations, when moving to another position or mastering a new area of ​​work, the entire process is repeated from the beginning, developing in a spiral. In general, the entire mentoring system is a tool for including employees in the company’s business processes.

Contents of mentoring system elements

A study conducted by Grant Thornton shows how relevant the issue of introducing a mentoring system is in Russian companies.in 2016. It showed that Russian entrepreneurs began to think more often about finding qualified employees and personnel development. 35% of respondents said they plan to invest money in development, and 23% are thinking of introducing a system for identifying talent in the early stages of their careers.

As experts note, in recent years, Russian enterprises have changed their attitude towards employees. This is explained by the fact that many former managers of large companies, including international ones, came to small and medium-sized businesses and transferred the culture of running large businesses there. Management concepts borrowed by small and medium-sized businesses from large ones will only contribute to the growth of small businesses.

Company executives and owners agree that recreating and developing a mentoring culture within an individual enterprise does not require huge investments. And given the shortage of qualified specialists that medium-sized businesses have been facing for many years, this is also a good way to train and develop staff.

Case studies

All of the above is confirmed by our many years of experience in business consulting. At many Russian enterprises, mentoring has already become an integral part of corporate culture. Constantly working with companies from different sectors of the economy, we are convinced that there are enough examples of the development and implementation of effective mentoring systems. Here are some of them:

Example No. 1.

In a regional restaurant holding with a staff of 750 people, up to 70% of the staff are line employees, namely: waiters, cooks, bartenders. These are young people, mostly students who have never worked anywhere, who came to learn a profession and work in the company for two to three years at most. There are only a few people with real practical experience. Therefore, one of the main tasks set by the holding’s management is to train employees in the shortest possible time so that they can solve the tasks necessary for the company.

After an adaptation period, two paths are open to young specialists. The first is to remain, for example, waiters, be good sellers and receive decent remuneration for your work. And the second is to develop further and become mentors. It is the mentors who are included in the personnel reserve, provided that they have successfully trained a certain number of trainee waiters, completed the appropriate corporate training program and have high levels of personal effectiveness.

Then the development of mentors occurs in a spiral: they are included in the personnel reserve for managerial positions, then transferred to the “novice manager” level, where they have mentors of a different, higher level, etc. Thus, they can reach the position of manager of a cafe or restaurant.

Example No. 2.

There is also a view on the mentoring system in interregional development company with a staff of 130 people. This company is truly socially oriented and one of the main values ​​it promotes is caring for its employees. A practice that has proven itself is that from the very first days they strive to surround newcomers with attention, support, a warm atmosphere and give them effective tools so that they can quickly join the team and get comfortable with business processes.

The personnel management system is structured in such a way that middle managers are interested in the further development of employees and are responsible for their subsequent personal, professional and career growth. They are the ones who form and train the company’s personnel reserve, including for their positions.

According to the HR service, up to 80% of top positions are occupied by employees who grew up within the company. In the “Project Managers” category, 100% of managers began their careers in engineering positions.

Thus, the company operates on the principle of a self-learning organization, which allows it to effectively respond to changes in the business environment through the creation of innovative construction technologies and the acquisition of new knowledge and skills.

Example No. 3.

At a large production enterprise of the military-industrial complex employs more than 8,000 people. After the hard times of the 90s of the last century, they recreated the Soviet mentoring system almost piece by piece, taking the best from it and adapting it to the laws of the market.

Today, work with personnel is carried out in three directions:

1. • Accelerated adaptation of newcomers to the production process. This work is built according to individual development plans and under the guidance of specially assigned mentors. Mentors participate in assessing the success of their mentees in completing the probationary period. They express their opinion, which is decisive, on the advisability of further work for new employees at the enterprise;
   • Conducting regular advanced training in the form of trainings and internships for existing employees. This allows the company to effectively develop a new generation of engineering and technical specialists;
   • Systematic formation and development of the personnel reserve. It includes the most motivated and loyal employees of the enterprise who have the necessary set of competencies to occupy management positions in the future. As a rule, the period of stay of specialists in the personnel reserve is no more than 2–3 years.

To prevent staffing gaps, the enterprise successfully implements the following practice. At least 2 years before reaching retirement age, each manager is obliged to select a specialist capable of taking his position and begin to immerse him in the specifics of his activities. If the manager cannot decide on a successor, the HR service offers candidates from the personnel reserve. She also carries out all subsequent coordination and control over the mentoring process.

Also at this enterprise there is a system for replacing old specialists with new ones, in which the former employee becomes an expert or advisor. At the same time, he retains his full salary, and his place is taken by a new employee, trained by the old one for additional remuneration. This system allows the older generation to painlessly give way to their younger colleagues.

From the above examples it is clear that Russian companies, different in their specificity and scale, use a systematic approach to mentoring. This allows them to develop in employees the ability to independently and efficiently perform the functions assigned to them. And also quickly adapt to working conditions and the corporate culture of the enterprise.

When is a probationary period assigned?- According to Russian labor legislation, the procedure for dismissing an employee is very difficult. Therefore, with the help of a probationary period, the employer is reinsured - in case the recruiter makes a mistake and the newcomer turns out to be, as they say, out of place. Theoretically, a specialist has legal grounds for refusing tests, but such a candidate, in the eyes of the employer, instantly moves from the category of promising to the category of problem. This hardly promises you further successful work in the company. However, there are certain categories of workers for whom, according to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a probationary period is not established. These are pregnant women, women with children under the age of one and a half years, candidates under 18 years of age, young specialists, those hired for positions through competition, etc. (see Article 70 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).

• How to overcome fear of a new job?
• What is the optimal course of action during the first months of work?
• How to quickly get used to a new team and establish relationships with colleagues?
• What can help you effectively and comfortably go through the adaptation period at a new job?

Probationary Period 2.0 Program – Your reliable assistant in your new job

A modern specialized program called “Probationary Period 2.0” is an excellent tool for comfortable adaptation to a new place. Every beginner receives gigantic amounts of information in the first days, so the chance of getting lost in it and making the simplest and stupid mistake is very high. This can cause the new employee to appear incompetent. A specialized program allows you to save information and subsequently consult the completed notes when performing various daily tasks. You can get acquainted with the functionality in detail and download the program for free on the website of the project "TEST-TERM.RF" (sections: "About the system" and "Download").

Mentoring in an organization: effectiveness and mistakes

What is mentoring and how does it differ from coaching and mentoring? In the modern business environment, the concepts of mentoring, coaching and mentoring are often equated. This is a fundamental mistake. Before talking about mentoring, according to established tradition, let’s understand the terminology.

The term “coaching” was first introduced into the business lexicon in the early 90s by John Whitmore; it is literally translated into Russian as “to instruct, prepare, train,” but has a broader understanding.

The coaching method is based on behavioral feedback, this is its key difference from mentoring. The coach’s task is not to directly transfer knowledge to the person being coached and develop a certain list of skills, but to activate the processes of self-learning and self-development. This occurs by providing continuous feedback during joint analysis of situations or problems.

We can say that the effectiveness of coaching is achieved through the use of the effect of defamiliarization, when a person who is “inside” a certain situation or problem gets the opportunity to look at it from the outside, through the eyes of another person - the coach. Due to the capabilities of the method, coaching allows you to find solutions to complex problems of an interdisciplinary and interpersonal nature, therefore it is most effective when working with middle and senior management.

Mentoring

It combines features of both coaching and teaching. The teacher teaches, and the coach gives effective feedback. Together, these two processes contribute to both the professional and personal development of the student. Mentoring can be used to identify and develop a person's core values ​​and beliefs. Thus, with the help of mentors, it is possible to adjust the system of internal motivation and human behavior model. Within the organization, mentoring is seen as mentoring mentors. That is, mentors are the same mentors, but of a higher level who can

Mentoring

This is a form of on-the-job training that emphasizes practicality. In the process of mentoring, a more experienced and qualified employee of the organization transfers to his mentee (mentee, trainee) the knowledge and skills necessary for him to effectively perform his professional duties. In other words, mentoring is aimed at developing a person’s applied professional competencies and, unlike coaching, is addressed to line-level specialists.

On-the-job training of personnel is an important part of the corporate personnel development system. It deserves special attention because it is one of the most effective methods today, time-tested and proven over many generations. Understanding mentoring as a procedure for adapting new employees is wrong. Mentoring involves solving a narrow, purely professional range of tasks, while adaptation implies inclusion in the corporate system of relations. Duration of adaptation and mentoring also have an indirect relationship with each other. You can easily imagine areas of activity in which the process of developing the necessary skills can take one or two weeks, but there are others in which you can study for a long time or even permanently.

Ideally, mentoring should be ongoing, ensuring employees' ongoing development. However, there are two limitations here.

First: The knowledge and skills of a mentor are not unlimited; sooner or later the student may “outgrow” his mentor. In this case, the mentoring process loses practical meaning. To ensure continuity of the process, if required by the specifics of the field of activity (for example, the high-tech sector), it is necessary that the mentor is always one step ahead of the mentee, either through external training or through self-development during an intensive exchange of information with the mentee.

Here lies second limitation: mentoring in this case is no longer just a process of developing practical skills, but a component of a knowledge system that requires a fundamentally different approach to management, the so-called “knowledge management”. The mentor is integrated into the information flow between the manager and the employee, ensuring effective vertical and horizontal exchange of information and management of transferred knowledge, skills, and technologies.

In a global understanding, it is logical to perceive mentoring as one of the key elements of the concept of a self-learning organization.

Flexible, practical and cost-effective, mentoring can work equally well in companies of any size, in any industry and at any stage of organizational development. Its use is especially effective in the following cases:

• with high staff turnover, when prompt training of a large number of new employees is necessary;
• in areas of activity with a high degree of professional risk, when in order to fully enter a position and minimize professional errors, time is required to develop the necessary skills;
• in some start-up and actively developing projects, the success of which depends on the presence of a number of unique skills among line-level employees, inherent only in a given field of activity or even a separate enterprise (here it is necessary to make a reservation that the organization must have a master with an expert level of proficiency skills, who is ready and able to carry out mentoring work, and has no more than 2-3 people being trained);
• in areas of activity and enterprises where technological and technical platforms develop faster and change more often than the knowledge system is updated.

Mentor by vocation

A well-structured and properly functioning mentoring system allows an organization to achieve the following effects:

• reducing the time required to reach the planned level of labor productivity and achieve compliance with corporate standards;
• increasing the professional level and skills of all employees without exception involved in the mentoring system, including the mentor himself;
• reducing staff turnover by strengthening the professional component of motivation and providing additional opportunities to improve professional status;
• reducing the risk of professional burnout of key, most experienced employees, carriers of knowledge, skills and a system of corporate values;
• providing experienced employees with opportunities for career growth both horizontally and vertically;
• increasing the economic efficiency of the personnel training system;
• strengthening team spirit, increasing the loyalty of company employees to its value system.

The main challenge of mentoring lies in the dual role of the mentor. It does not apply to management personnel, whose official status is formally enshrined in the hierarchy of the organization. At the same time, his professional status and authority in the team is a priori higher than that of his ward.

A mentor is a role that can be played by any employee of the company who has the necessary competencies, as well as knowledge and skills that need to be transferred to the mentee. Who exactly will take on the role of mentor depends on the specifics of the tasks. This could be the employee’s immediate supervisor, a colleague, an HR employee, a specially trained mentor from among the company’s employees, or an external invited specialist.

Each method has its own pros and cons, so their choice should be approached carefully, clearly correlating the scope of tasks with the possibilities and risks of using one or another method.

Interconnection system

The effectiveness of a mentor’s work is directly related to how well the system of relationships is built between him, his mentee, other employees and managers. They must establish a unified vision both in the perception of reality and in behavior in situations requiring solutions. Only in this case the transferred knowledge and skills will have a practical implementation.

A shared vision of the situation is achieved when both parties have a system of motives that encourage them to act together, for example:

A candidate for the role of mentor must have three basic competencies:

• expert knowledge of transferable professional skills (technical, manual, etc.);
• excellent communication skills – the ability to find a common language with people, build vertical and horizontal connections;
• good administrative skills - the ability to formulate and set tasks, organize and monitor the implementation of work, analyze results and make adjustments.

In the context of the possible application of the concept of a self-learning organization and a more comprehensive understanding of the role of the mentor, two more competencies can be added:

• self-learning, allowing the mentor to draw new knowledge, skills and experience from mentoring work; the mentee should not be perceived as a blank sheet of paper on which you can only write a new text; each person is a bearer of certain experience and knowledge that can be useful for the organization as a whole and for the mentor in particular, they need to be able to be discerned in time and used correctly;
• ability to work with information; all information that the mentor accumulates during his work must be analyzed and correctly interpreted by him.

Ideal candidate

Compiling a detailed mentor position profile that describes the ideal candidate for this role requires the development of a system of formalized criteria, which subsequently serve as a metric for selecting candidates. Unlike the competencies mentioned above, these can be specific to each organization.
When creating a mentoring system, you should remember that this is a systematic type of activity that is subject to the same principles as any business process. It works most effectively only if there is feedback between the design task at the input and the result at the output. In other words, to achieve maximum impact, all stages of the process must form a closed loop corresponding to the Deming quality cycle.

The fulfillment of this condition is necessary if we are talking about a self-developing organization, since it is the analysis of the results and actions to adjust the system that allow it to develop in a spiral, and not move in a closed ring.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the mentoring system is a multifactorial process. It may not be effective enough and may not bring the expected results if errors were made during preparation and implementation.
Method inconsistency. Mentoring as a training method is not suitable for a given organization or for a given employee, for example, in the field of creative activities.
Incorrect goals and objectives of mentoring . Mentoring, like any process, must have specific, achievable and measurable goals and objectives, otherwise it will have a destructive function and contribute to the rapid development of emotional “burnout” syndrome in all participants.

Organizational and methodological errors

Naturally, we can highlight methodological errors that may occur when developing a mentoring system:

• an incorrectly formed pool of mentors (an erroneous system of mentor selection criteria, competency requirements, errors in the selection procedure itself);
• lack of necessary training for mentors;
• incorrect implementation of the mentoring system (incorrect positioning of the system, lack of understanding by employees of its tasks, lack of positive perception and shared vision, resistance to change);
• incorrect positioning of the mentor (there should be no relationship between the mentor and the student in the “superior-subordinate” format, only relationships on the principles of equality and mutual interest in the result);
• improper motivation of mentors (there is no consensus on how and in what form to motivate mentors, and whether it is worth doing at all; obviously, this issue must be carefully considered at the preparation stage, taking into account corporate principles of motivation).

Errors in the mentoring process can be a consequence of improper training and motivation of mentors, lack of a clear plan, regulations and standards, as well as:

• lack of feedback between mentor and mentee;
• “teaching” theory that is not supported by practical skills;
• “do as I do” (the mentor forces you to simply copy your actions without explaining the reasons why this or that action should be done one way and not another; in this case, any emergency situation that goes beyond the template can lead to a failure of the main process);
• professional burnout of a mentor;
• lack of interest in the fate of the mentee and in the results of one’s work as a mentor, formal performance of duties;
• excessive switching to mentoring activities at the expense of core production responsibilities.

Final stage errors:

• incorrectness or lack of criteria for analyzing the results of the work being carried out;
• irregularity or complete lack of control;
• there is no possibility to adjust significant project parameters.

Common mistakes

The most typical and common errors are the following:

• underestimation of the degree of discomfort of the conditions in which the mentor’s mentee has to work. This mistake can be avoided by creating a trusting environment and attentive attitude towards the student;
• imposing one's opinion on the student. You can avoid mistakes by asking questions about assessing the results of a particular action, without first expressing your own value judgments. That is, the analysis of the situation must begin with feedback, and not with expressing one’s own opinion;
• overloading the mentee with comments and recommendations on a wide range of issues. You can avoid mistakes if you highlight key issues and focus on them, without overloading the ward with an abundance of heterogeneous information;
• insufficient attention to setting tasks and subsequent monitoring of their implementation. You can avoid mistakes by following two rules. Tasks for the mentee should be formulated according to S.M.A.R.T, that is, they should be (S) specific, (M) measurable, (A) achievable, (R) relevant or relevant to the activity, (T) with a clear time frame. Control should be systematic and not carried out in the form of random checks. Based on its results, it is necessary to analyze the situation with the ward and, if necessary, adjust the initial tasks in accordance with the changing situation.

I win - you win

Before implementing a mentoring system in a company, you need to weigh the pros and cons, carefully assess how much the organization needs it, whether it can be effective and whether the organization is able to implement and support it. Most of the difficulties described above can be avoided if the formation of a mentoring system in an organization is actively supported by the company’s management, and the personnel service and line management are involved in it and take a proactive position.

And, perhaps, one of the main factors of success is the paradigm based on the philosophy “I win - you win.” A small personal victory for the student is the success of the mentor and, ultimately, the success of the entire team as a whole.

It is well known that if more experienced employees take patronage over newcomers, problems of adaptation of the latter in the team do not arise. How to make the process of transferring valuable knowledge and skills more effective and manageable, what mentoring tools are used in our time, what mistakes lie in wait for those who have begun to implement them?

FEATURES OF TRAINING ADULTS

How to teach something to an adult, how to transfer knowledge to him? People learn from their experiences and their own experiences, which is directly related to motivation.

The problem with many new employees is that they want the job but don't have the skills. The purpose of mentoring is to help a young specialist “move” into the “I can, I want” square, that is, to allow him, in addition to the desire to acquire, the opportunity for productive activity.

Rice. 1. The young specialist's readiness to work. (Based on the Hersey-Blanchard model of situational leadership)

Let's look at Fig. 1 The readiness of a young specialist to work.

1 situation “I can’t - I don’t want to.” The person does not have the skills, and moreover, is not motivated. In order to include him in an activity, you must first motivate him. Otherwise, you will face an insurmountable barrier of protection.

2 situation “I can’t - I want.” A person is motivated, therefore he is open to acquiring new knowledge; he is in a state of learning. Here it is important to build a step-by-step scheme for working with an employee. How and what will you teach him. Also remember that it takes 21 days to develop any skill.

3 situation “I can - I want.” A situation in which it is reasonable to develop a horizontal career of an employee. He already has the necessary knowledge and skills. He needs to raise the “goal bar” and expand his areas of mastery.

4 situation “I can - I don’t want.” The person is in a state of protest, some kind of sabotage. It is necessary to find out what is the reason for demotivation. Perhaps it is necessary to give work a new meaning.

Learning for a new employee can happen spontaneously (if he, for example, observes the work of his colleague) or intentionally (if he enrolls in a course and gains new knowledge). Gaining experience, the employee consciously or unconsciously reflects, draws conclusions, and when performing a new task, plans and performs other actions. This in turn leads to new experiences and the cycle begins again. Thus, training is a process of acquiring and assimilating new knowledge and skills, going through four stages, which must be taken into account when preparing mentors.

This four-step process represents the transition from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence.

1. Unconscious Incompetence

In unconscious incompetence, you are unaware that you don't know or can't do something (“I don't know that I don't know”). In our case, the new employee has not yet realized the lack of his own competence. Thus, a child traveling with his parents in a car is aware of the fact of travel, but does not understand that he does not know how to drive, that is, he remains in the dark about his own incompetence.

2.Conscious incompetence

With conscious incompetence, the employee acquires “knowledge of his ignorance.” This usually happens when a desire appears to take a new action. Thus, a teenager who does not know how to drive a car is constantly forced to ask someone to give him a ride, and is acutely worried about his incompetence. In the case of an employee, this could be, for example, his desire to make a cover for a magazine, realizing that he lacks knowledge of Photoshop.

3. Conscious competence

To become consciously competent, a worker needs to undergo training. Often at this stage, the employee exactly copies the actions of his mentor. For example, a beginner remembers how an experienced designer made a layout for a magazine cover, that is, he realizes that he “knows what he knows.” So, having successfully completed the courses and received a license, the novice driver will still whisper to himself: “Mirror, signal, turn,” that is, consciously drive the car, controlling every action.

4. Unconscious competence. With unconscious competence, an employee performs certain actions so often that they become habitual, and a subconscious algorithm is developed. This is the “I don’t know what I know” stage. An experienced designer cannot explain to a new employee how to create a “masterpiece”; he does it on a whim. With many years of driving experience, you drive the car “automatically”. While leading it, you do not scrupulously analyze your actions, since they are guided by your subconscious.

When a person learns to drive a car, these four stages can be clearly observed: with the help of a driving instructor, the person goes through the stages of conscious incompetence and conscious competence. Learning can be accelerated by consciously repeating the cycle, either with the help of an instructor to achieve improved driving through the second and third stages, or independently through training.

Error 1. The mentor does not know how to convey experience, cannot explain to the new employee the algorithm of actions, because... he himself is in the stage of unconscious competence. He is like a brilliant artist who tells the apprentice to “learn”, but he himself does not help, cannot explain what and how to do.

Rule 1. In order to be a mentor, you need to return from the stage of unconscious competence to the stage of conscious competence.

MENTORING STYLES

Depending on the level of training of the new employee and the complexity of the task, the mentor chooses the style of interaction with him.

• Briefing - This is a style in which the mentor gives clear step-by-step instructions to the trainee or invites him to copy his own actions. At the same time, he does not explain why it is necessary to do it this way and not otherwise - the mentor has a ready-made correct answer. The disadvantages of this method are obvious: often blindly following the instructions leads to the opposite of the desired result. Let us recall, for example, the film “The Diamond Arm”: the instructions “Ice cream for the child, flowers for his woman!” without explanation led to a comical situation.
• Explanation - a style in which the mentor shows how to do this or that job correctly, and explains each step in detail, provides a rationale for his actions. He has an explanation of which algorithm works correctly and why. If we go back to the example from the movie “The Diamond Arm” and get creative, we could put the following line into the hero’s mouth: “Ice cream for children because they love sweets. Flowers for his woman: women love signs of attention.” Consciousness and validity of actions guarantee success for the mentor.
• Development- this is a style in which the mentor simply poses questions to the student and invites him to explain what, how and why he will do. Let's turn to the plot from the same film. One can imagine that if time had allowed, the hero would have built a special conversation with his partner, using developmental questions:

“What do you think should be given to children to make a good impression? What do children like to eat?”, “What gifts do you think women like?” - and the characters would be insured against the mistake that we see in the film. After all, the student himself would find answers to the questions, and his decision would become conscious.

For clarity, we summarize all mentoring methods in Table 1.

Table 1. Advantages and Limitations of Mentoring Methods

Error 2. It is dangerous to be mistaken in thinking that if one technique was effective with one trainee, then it will be effective with another.

Rule 2. The mentor determines the style of communication with the student individually. The professional position of the mentor depends on the level of the student and the situation.

FORMULATION OF THE GOAL

A goal is an image of a result. It depends on the mentor whether he can simply and clearly convey the goal to the student and inspire the mentee to achieve it.

There are no unattainable goals, but there are mutually exclusive criteria for achieving them that should be avoided.

Let's take SMART goal setting as a basis. The word smart itself, translated into Russian, means “smart”, and the results of the work should be:

• specific
• measurable
• attainable
• significant
• correlated with a specific period (time-bounded).

Thus, setting a goal correctly means that it is also specific, measurable, achievable, meaningful and must be achieved by a specific date. Let's look at each goal criterion.

Specific and positively worded

Wrong: “Make me a cover layout, but not red on black.”

Correct: “Make three layout options using template A.” A negatively worded “don’t do” goal points to something to be avoided rather than something to be achieved. The subconscious mind does not perceive the particle “no”, but hears the command “red on black”, therefore, by formulating a goal according to the principle “don’t do this”, you, as a mentor, risk getting the exact opposite result.

Measurable

How to measure a goal? It should be expressed in pieces, in sheets, as a percentage, in rubles, etc. For example, “three layouts according to template A” is an example of correctly formulated criteria, an indication of what and how to do.

Incorrect: “Dig from the fence until lunchtime.”

Correct: “Every day you must negotiate with three clients.”

Achievable

The manager himself, when setting a goal, must be sure that it is achievable, and we are not talking about faith in luck or a miracle. The goal should not be too simple, otherwise there will be no motivation to achieve it, while at the same time, a goal that is too complex can frighten an insecure student. It should fall under the description “difficult but doable” and challenge the learner. That is, it should be set taking into account individual characteristics, just below the limit of the student’s capabilities. The difficulty level will gradually increase.

Wrong: giving an inexperienced worker a task that is too difficult.

That’s right: give the task a little more difficult than the student has already had to solve.

Time-bound goal

Wrong: “Make a layout, well, let’s do it by the end of the month.”

Significant

The goal should motivate the learner. It is necessary to formulate it so that the goal becomes his own. A mentor, as a rule, cannot directly indicate or command; he only has methods of non-material motivation at his disposal.

Incorrect: “Make this layout, I need it.”

That's right: “You make this layout, and you will have the opportunity to introduce yourself to our design team.”

Error 3. The mentor incorrectly formulates the goal for the student

Rule 3. Match your goal to SMART criteria

HOW TO GUIDE YOUR PROTECTOR DURING THE LEARNING PROCESS

The traffic rules describe the "Main Road" sign. Developmental questions are the “sign of the main road” in the transfer of knowledge. The system of developmental questions allows you to determine a realistic plan of action, helps the student understand it, which, in turn, contributes to the formation of a responsible attitude to the matter.

Table 2. Developmental questions

Error 4. Having set the task, the mentor forgets to check how much the student understands it and whether he has enough resources to solve it.

Rule 4. Use at least three developmental questions after setting the problem. Find out how the student is going to solve it.

FEEDBACK AS A DEVELOPMENT TOOL

The ability to provide effective feedback is one of the most important skills of a mentor; it is the presentation of a complete picture of the student’s actions in a specific situation. Important components of this process also include analyzing the effectiveness of its actions and discussing possible ways to improve it in the future. There is a great danger for a mentor to criticize a student, which is why there are feedback rules. “Vasya, you did the wrong thing” is not feedback, because the student does not know what exactly he did wrong and what the mentor would like to see.

Feedback - This is a technique of conflict-free criticism aimed at making the interlocutor himself want to change his behavior.

Exercise for training

There are three stages of feedback:

1) description of the situation about which feedback is provided

2) a description of your attitude to this situation and its consequences

3) wishes regarding the further results of the interlocutor’s actions in similar situations, ways to improve work efficiency.

Feedback principles

The following principles for providing feedback can be identified.

1. Balanced, positive orientation

The learner should feel that the feedback helps him learn. If she is too critical, he may internally reject her, if she is too complimentary, then this may be perceived as patronizing, which can also cause rejection.

Feedback should combine a description of positive aspects and “growth points” for the learner. Maintaining a balance is to make the feedback acceptable to the learner, to inspire him to professional and personal growth.

2. Specificity

Feedback is not a discussion about whether the learner said or did not say something, did or did not do something. The mentor should always refer to a specific fact or action. Avoid generalizing phrases like “you always...”, “you tend to...”, etc.

Feedback concerns What was said, done and How, but not Why. Guessing about someone's motives introduces an atmosphere of mistrust and hostility into the conversation. An example of a specific review: “Yesterday you conducted a study using the ABC method, and I asked for the gradient principle.”

3.Behavior-oriented, non-judgmental

By providing feedback, the focus should be on behavior rather than on the individual per se. We should talk about what people do, not what we think about them. This way we can tell someone that they "talked more than anyone else during the meeting" instead of saying "you're too talkative." The first phrase leaves room for change, while the second is simply an assessment of a character trait. The presence of an evaluation in a statement reduces the volume of information perception and causes resistance to what is said. After the phrase “Masha, you are a bad assistant for me in this project,” a person may psychologically “close down” and not perceive what exactly was done wrong. We need to include the learner in the process, and not turn him off with criticism.

4.Timeliness

“A spoon for dinner is on the way.” The principle of positive reinforcement is one of the key ones in training, and providing timely feedback is the best thing a mentor can do: “Today you did all your work perfectly.” The worst thing is when the mentor remembers that, for example, the model Vasya made made an impression on him a week later.

5. Activity

A person learns best when he answers the questions himself. Give him a chance to correct mistakes on his own: “How much do you think you did your job, 100%? What could be done differently here? Are there any options? Table 3

Table 3. Examples of statements

Error 5. At best, the mentor does not give feedback to the student; at worst, he criticizes him.

Rule 5. Before expressing your attitude to the student’s performance, remember the principles of feedback. By criticizing, we force a person either to defend himself, showing aggression, or to make excuses, or to feel guilty. Criticism does not lead to any constructive action.

The principle of feedback is a universal development tool. The HR manager can also adopt it. This way, you can give feedback to the mentor as well. We are all mentors to each other in life, and all of the above techniques work in any learning and development situation.

Training materials were used in preparing the article

N. Bondarenko and A. Tokar “Mentoring”, 2007

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HOW TO EVALUATE THE WORK OF A MENTOR?

E. Lyakhova

In conditions of personnel shortages in companies, adaptation programs for new employees become necessary. Mentors play a key role in this process. Mentors are highly professional employees in their field who have the ability to convey information to other people. As a rule, mentors grow up within the organization, and they also need to be trained, develop their specific mentor competencies, and also motivate them. To implement these tasks, it is necessary to build a mentor evaluation system.

Building a mentor evaluation system

Description of the mentor's responsibilities

The first step is to define the responsibilities of the mentor. As a rule, the immediate supervisor, personnel service and mentor participate in the process of adaptation of a newcomer. Areas of responsibility must be clearly defined and stated in the adaptation provision or mentoring provision.

In addition to the regulations, you can use a mentor's memo - a document in which, unlike the regulations, the responsibilities are described not in general terms, but in detail: what exactly and in what period of time the mentor should do, what information to provide to the employee, what activities to carry out.

For example, if the position says:
“The mentor provides the new employee with comprehensive assistance and support in the implementation of current daily activities: helps to make new contacts and build relationships, advises in the professional field.”

This is stated in the memo more specifically: “On the first working day: Introduce the new employee to colleagues. Familiarize yourself with the job description. Show the dining room and go to lunch together. Introduce the corporate portal and the following documents: employee telephone directory, new employee directory.

Familiarize yourself with the tasks and functions of this department/division.” The practical benefit of these two documents - the provisions on mentoring and the mentor's memos together is that the provisions need to describe a lot: the responsibilities of different departments in relation to the new employee, the assessment procedure and the motivation of the mentor, and if you also describe in detail the duties of the mentor, then the provisions may get overloaded. A detailed description of responsibilities is simply necessary, because the mentor must clearly understand what is required of him, by what criteria he will be assessed and for what he will receive a reward, and this can be implemented in the mentor’s memo.

The responsibilities of a mentor are described, but how can you determine whether he worked effectively? What does he need to improve in his work? And most importantly, how to objectively evaluate the work of a mentor and link the evaluation results to the amount of remuneration?

Evaluation of the mentor's work

A fairly common criterion for assessing the effectiveness of a mentor is the success of the new employee’s probationary period. It must be kept in mind, but this approach does not leave the opportunity to evaluate the mentor on his merits, because the success of completing the probationary period is also the merit of the employee himself.

In order to evaluate a mentor, you need to check whether he really performed all his duties efficiently and on time. The evaluation criterion in this case will be the fulfillment of the duties listed in the mentor’s memo to the proper extent and on time. We chose a survey of the employee and the manager as the method of assessing the mentor, which is carried out at the end of the probationary period.

How to write survey questions?

All requirements for the mentor, responsibilities, deadlines described in the mentor’s memo are included in the questions of the questionnaire. To eliminate the subjectivity of the assessment, the questionnaire questions should be designed in such a way that they describe the facts, the behavior of the mentor, which can be observed in reality and which can be measured. That is, the wording of the questions should not contain a description of thought processes (thinks, reflects), feelings and relationships (treats kindly, shows concern, etc.)
Let's look at an example:

• The requirement for a mentor - “to meet with a new employee every day for 30 minutes” is reformulated into the question: “How can you characterize the frequency of communication with a mentor?”
• For the question, we form answer options:
• define highly effective behavior;
• acceptable behavior;
• acceptable behavior but ineffective;
• unacceptable behavior;
• lack of behavior.

The answer options are a scale on which we will evaluate the effectiveness of the mentor’s work; for this purpose, we assign a point to each option. See table below.

The employee and manager fill out the questionnaires, choosing the appropriate answer option. When processing the questionnaire, we assign a point to each option according to the scale created for each question.

Examples of survey questions that an employee fills out.

Dear employee!

This questionnaire is necessary in order to improve the adaptation of new employees in our company. A mentor has been assigned to you for the probationary period.

Answer the questions about how your interaction with your mentor was structured.

1. How can you characterize the frequency of communication with your mentor (check the appropriate option or write your own)?

Every day.
- 2 - 3 times a week.
- Once a week.
- 2 - 3 times a month.
- We haven’t met at all.

2. On average, how much time per week did you spend communicating with your mentor?

3.5 - 2.5 hours per week.
- 2.5 - 2 hours per week.
- 1.5 hours per week.
- 1 hour per week.
- 0 minutes per week.

3. Which employee did your mentor introduce you to on your first day of work?

I introduced you to the employees of your department and to the employees of other departments (communication with whom occurs constantly due to the nature of their work).

I introduced you to all the employees of your department.

I only introduced him to some of the department’s employees.

I introduced almost everyone, but not on the first day of work.

I didn’t introduce him to anyone.

4. How was your communication with your mentor structured (evaluate in percentage terms when you initiated communication and when he)?

YOU ARE A MENTOR
- 20% - 80%
- 30% - 70%
- 60% - 40%
- 70% - 30%
- 80% - 20%

5. Was your mentor always able to answer your questions?

Yes, always.
- Yes, almost always.
- Often.
- Yes but rarely.
- No.

6. Did your mentor give you feedback on your work results, tell you what you were doing right, wrong, and what you could improve?

Yes, every time after finishing the task.
- Yes, once a week, regardless of the end of the task, I summed it up.
- Yes, once a month.
- Yes, but less than once a month.
- No.

Examples of questionnaire questions to be filled out by the manager.

Dear leader!

This questionnaire is necessary in order to improve the process of adaptation and mentoring of new employees in our company. A mentor has been assigned to your new employee for a probationary period.

Please answer how the interaction between the mentor and the new employee was structured.

1. The mentor willingly undertakes to train a new employee.

Yes, always.
- Yes, almost always.
- Often.
- Yes but rarely.
- No.

2. The employee’s productivity during the period of combining the main function with the functions of mentoring does not suffer due to proper planning of working time.

Yes, always.
- Yes, almost always.
- Often.
- Yes but rarely.
- No.

3. The mentor regularly reports on the new employee's successes.

Yes, always.
- Yes, almost always.
- Often.
- Yes but rarely.
- No.

4. The mentor provided a monthly report on the results of the new employee’s work on time.

Yes, always.
- Yes, almost always.
- Often.
- Yes but rarely.
- No.

5. The mentor has planned a training plan for the new employee during the probationary period.

Yes, always.
- Yes, almost always.
- Often.
- Yes but rarely.
- No.

In order to obtain information not only quantitative, but also qualitative, you can use open-ended questions in the questionnaire. The information obtained from them is structured and conveyed to the mentor in the form of recommendations.

Examples of open questions.

2. Your suggestions for working as a mentor.

You can also set the task of receiving more detailed feedback on the mentor’s work. In this case, we recommend additionally conducting an oral interview with the new employee using questionnaire questions, as well as open-ended questions.