Establishing a Mentoring and Coaching Programme [1 ed.] 9781869223823, 9781869221478

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M&C SERIES

MENTORING AND COACHING SERIES

Establishing a Mentoring and Coaching Programme ABOUT THIS BOOK

MENTORING AND COACHING SERIES

Setting up a mentoring or coaching programme can be quite a daunting task. This book provides a series of processes intended to guide and inform organisations that have never before set up a formal mentoring or coaching programme.

The Mentoring and Coaching Series is designed to support continuous learning and it assists the individual and organisation to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in implementing mentoring and coaching programmes.

This book covers the following topics, with selfassessment activities. ■ Why mentoring and coaching? ■ Why should we establish mentoring or coaching in our organisation? ■ The organisational culture. ■ The strategic focus.

Each booklet... ■ is comprehensive and practical providing for self-directed and continuous learning

■ A generic mentorship agreement.

■ is highly targeted to assist individuals and companies

THE AUTHOR

■ provides tools and guidelines answers the What, Why, When and How of mentoring and coaching

Kate Tucker is a Chartered Human Resources Practitioner who has a passion for people and strategy development. She believes in transferring leadership skills and behaviours to all levels within an organisation through coaching and mentorship, as well as focused training.

ISBN: 978-1-86922-147-8

M&C1

Kate Tucker

■ The key design elements.

These books are self-contained, yet they can all be linked together to provide a comprehensive and informative series.

Establishing a Mentoring and Coaching Programme

M&C

M&C MENTORING AND COACHING SERIES

Establishing a Mentoring and Coaching Programme ■

Identifying the stakeholders and key influences

■

A practical set of tools

■

The nuts and bolts of mentoring and coaching

ESTABLISHING A MENTORING AND COACHING PROGRAMME

Â

Identifying the stakeholders and key influencers

Â

A practical set of tools

Â

The nuts and bolts of mentoring and coaching

Kate Tucker

2007

Copyright © 2007 by Knowres Publishing ISBN: 978 1 86922 382 3 E-book All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the contents of this book do not, directly or indirectly, infringe any existing copyright of any third person and, further, that all quotations or extracts taken from any other publication or work have been appropriately acknowledged and referenced. The publisher, editors and printers take no responsibility for any copyright infringement committed by an author of this work. Copyright subsists in this work. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher. While the publisher, editors and printers have taken all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this work, they take no responsibility for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of that person relying on the information contained in this work.

Published by Knowres Publishing (Pty) Ltd P O Box 3954 Randburg 2125 Republic of South Africa Tel: (+27 11) 706 6009 Fax: (+27 11) 706 1127 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.kr.co.za Printed and bound by: Replika Press Pvt, Ltd, Haryana, India Design by: Cia Joubert, [email protected] Typesetting and layout by: Cia Joubert, [email protected] Cover design by: Gillian Rose, [email protected] Editing and proofreading by: Elsa Crous, [email protected]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kate Tucker is a Chartered Human Resources Practitioner who currently works as Human Resources Manager at Syngenta South Africa (Pty) Ltd 1. Kate has a passion for people and strategy development. Registered as an Industrial Psychologist, she has been involved in mentoring programmes since 2001. Her achievements in this field include establishing – from ground zero – a student-focused mentorship programme for bursary students, and subsequently mentoring her successor to continue with the programme. Of late, Kate has moved from working with students and bursars to developing talent in the agricultural sector. In 2005 she established a key talent programme aimed at developing first-level leaders within the context of a multinational corporation. Kate believes in transferring leadership skills and behaviours to all levels within an organisation through coaching and mentorship as well as focused training. As a certified Appreciative Inquiry facilitator, Kate literally walks the talk in helping to empower and enable people and groups to create their own realities in a positive and relevant way through dialogue and positive group and self-talk. Kate is currently working on a PhD which investigates organisational culture in high-performance organisations.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2006 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs around 19 500 people in over 90 countries and is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.

1

Syngenta South Africa (Pty) Ltd is recognised as an employer of choice, for the second successive year being the agricultural sector winner and achieving a top twenty overall position in the Deloitte “Best Company to Work For” 2006 survey.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................... iii Why mentoring and coaching? ............................................................ iv Mentoring and coaching: What are we talking about? ......................... vi A social constructionist, co-creation process focused on employee engagement .................................................................. vii Chapter one: The basics ........................................................................ 1 Identifying the stakeholders ................................................................. 1 Using the Goose Egg Framework to identify stakeholders and key influencers ......................................................................... 2 Identifying a lead or sponsor ................................................................ 6 Identifying the champions .................................................................... 8 Why should we establish mentoring or coaching in our organisation? ................................................................................ 10 Culture ............................................................................................... 13 Why is it so critical to identify the organisational culture? ................. 14 Engagement ...................................................................................... 15 Engagement: Three critical steps ..................................................... 16 Chapter summary .................................................................................. 21 Exercise one: The basics ...................................................................... 22 Chapter two: Design and co-creation ................................................... The importance of positive talk .......................................................... Discussion and dialogue ................................................................... Using the Goose Egg Framework to identify key design elements ....................................................................................... Strategic focus .................................................................................. The ABC model: The Hedgehog Concept of a mentorship or coaching programme ................................................................... Using the ABC hedgehog and the Five Premises: Translating theory into practice ....................................................................... Chapter summary .................................................................................. Exercise two ........................................................................................... Exercise A: Possibility conversations ................................................ Exercise B: The architecture .............................................................

25 26 27 32 38 45 49 56 57 57 59

Chapter three: Nuts and bolts ............................................................. 61 The agreement .................................................................................. 62

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS Pairing ............................................................................................... Training and briefing mentors and coaches ...................................... The mentoring and coaching umbrella .............................................. Expectations ...................................................................................... Identified problem areas .................................................................... Chapter summary ............................................................................. Exercise three: Feedback ................................................................. In conclusion .....................................................................................

65 67 70 73 75 77 78 82

List of works consulted .......................................................................... 85 Other resources ..................................................................................... 86 Appendix: Sample of a generic mentorship agreement ......................... 87

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Figure 6: Figure 7:

The Goose Egg Framework .................................................. 1 Rationale .............................................................................. 12 The basics ........................................................................... 20 The ABC Hedgehog ............................................................. 46 Strategic focal area in the ABC Hedgehog .......................... 47 Quick review - putting it all together ..................................... 49 Components of the architecture .......................................... 55

LIST OF CHECKPOINTS Checkpoint one: Stakeholders ............................................................. 3 Checkpoint two: Stakeholders (augmented) ....................................... 6 Checkpoint three: Rationale – a few reasons for developing a mentoring or coaching programme ........................ 12 Checkpoint four: The basics .............................................................. 20 Checkpoint five: Discussion and dialogue ........................................ 29 Checkpoint six: Design questions .................................................... 32 Checkpoint seven: What if? conversations ........................................... 35 Checkpoint eight: Process problems and possible solutions ............. 77

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INTRODUCTION Setting up a mentoring or coaching programme can be quite a daunting task. There are many factors to consider and multiple stakeholders who should be involved. Very important is the rationale behind the programme: What do we want to achieve? Most important of all, however, is the potential inherent to mentoring and coaching. Mentoring and coaching change the way we do business, because these programmes change the way people think, communicate and interact. Mentoring and coaching are developmental programmes, but more than that they are about relationships and about unleashing people’s potential, allowing them to be the best they can be. In this booklet we will work through a series of processes intended to guide and inform organisations that have never before set up a formal mentoring or coaching programme. Organisations with existing programmes can also benefit, as the approach is somewhat different from the norm. The philosophical underpinnings are rooted in advanced systems theory, and social constructionist theory. My approach in the booklet is practical, and while there are some theoretical discussions to provide background information, the key processes are outlined in a step-by-step format. This booklet places a strong emphasis on visual representation, with a number of models or diagrams which add right-brain stimulation to supplement the text-based discussion. In terms of the practical approach to the project, I owe much to a new and exciting organisational development methodology known as Appreciative Inquiry. There are three chapters in the booklet: The Basics, Design and co-creation, and Nuts and bolts. These chapters take the reader on a journey from first principles to a practical set of tools for the implementation of a sustainable programme. Throughout the chapters, the use of Watkins and Mohr’s Goose Egg Framework helps guide and inform not only the discussion and design phase, but it also provides a reference for the implementation and maintenance of the programme. Another important concept, based on Jim Collins’s book Good to Great, is the ABC Hedgehog Concept, which is a strategic tool for ensuring that the programme meets organisational requirements and needs.

iii

INTRODUCTION Culture and engagement are important topics about which I personally am very passionate, and I present some discussions on them. An underlying assumption of the booklet is that organisations using this material are committed to the development, growth, attraction and retention of talent and skills. A learning culture, in which all employees are engaged in meaningful activities, creating meaning and developing the soul of the organisation, is essential to a sustainable mentorship and coaching programme. Such a culture is not a pipe dream; it is not unrealistic. Rather, it is realisable, and has been realised by many of today’s top companies globally and locally. Talking to and about the soul of business might seem like a new way of doing things, but if we remember that business is about people (through whom we achieve our business goals) then words like engagement, meaning and soul make good sense. A mentorship or coaching programme is a vehicle for enhancing culture and engagement, while at the same time playing a critical role in developing individual skills, talents and personal meaning systems. In this booklet I have tried to engage with you, the reader, on a practical and philosophical level, and to start on a journey of co-creation. Who knows how far we can go until we take the first step together?

Why mentoring and coaching? In June 2003 the Project Management Institute (PMI) conducted research into mentoring in South Africa, contextualising mentoring in terms of the development of professionals in business. Locally, key drivers of mentoring include Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and Employment Equity/Affirmative Action. In the introduction to the research questionnaire, PMI stated: “Often enough PDI (Previously Disadvantaged Individual) candidates are thrown into the deep end and are expected to sink or swim. This is neither fair for the individual nor conducive to South Africa’s business success.” These are important reasons for the implementation of people development and mentoring and coaching programmes, but not the only ones. The way we do business today is significantly different from that of recent years. Command and control organisational structures are being replaced by matrices, with multiple reporting lines and flatter, more agile structures. Within matrix-based organisations, the silos created by functional specialisation are replaced by diverse, decentralised and often widely dispersed organisational units that are organised around strategic themes. According to Kaplan and Norton: “Synergy is the overarching goal

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INTRODUCTION of organizational design” (Kaplan and Norton, 2001: 11). Furthermore, business has moved from a pure balance sheet mentality to a philosophy where people (the right people, who are passionate about what they do and disciplined about how they do it) are the greatest asset of an organisation. How we leverage the synergies within our organisations, and deliver on our strategic themes depend on how we lead and develop our people, and on how organisations create environments conducive to engagement 2. Mentorship and coaching programmes are vitally important to the development of people in the new business environment, enhancing strategic thinking, agility, flexibility and engagement. There are other, very direct and tangible benefits of mentoring and coaching programmes, including: ♦

A broader knowledge base across organisations

♦

Enhanced communication across disciplines and hierarchies

♦

Enhanced opportunities to share values and enhance cross-cultural exchanges

♦

Strategically aligned succession and career planning

♦

Employee retention

♦

Talent attraction

♦

Facilitated change management

♦

Improved performance management processes.

In an organisation where the leadership team is visibly committed to people development through mentoring and coaching programmes, there are huge benefits in terms of engagement, motivation and morale. Role modelling by leaders within the intimacy of the mentoring or coaching relationship increases the effectiveness of all these benefits, as employees not only see leaders walking the talk, but have the opportunity to experience it directly, and to see the impact on their lives, roles and future development.

2

See section on Engagement for a more detailed discussion.

v

INTRODUCTION

Mentoring and coaching: What are we talking about? There are many definitions of both mentoring and coaching: This is an increasingly popular and important field of organisational development work and study. I will not attempt to address the increasingly large body of literature on the subject, but will simply give a snapshot view, and then touch on my perspective of both mentoring and coaching as relationship-based tools for sustainable development. WorkInfo.com’s Self-Help Guide to Mentoring gives the following definition: “Mentoring is a supportive, learning relationship between an individual – the mentor – who shares his or her knowledge, experience and insights with another less experienced person – the learning associate – who is willing and ready to benefit from this exchange. The nature of the relationship varies with the personal styles of the partners.” At the recent 5th Annual Mentoring and Coaching Conference hosted in Johannesburg by Knowledge Resources, Dr Herman Kasselman cited Tony Grant’s definition of coaching: “A solution-focused, results-oriented and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of the work performance, life experience, self-directed learning and the personal growth of the coachee.“ Mentoring and coaching are members of the same family: They are about relationships, development, enablement and potential. Both liberate inherent people potential through interaction at a deeply significant personal level, and both enable and empower people to move to higher personal and organisational levels. Mentoring tends to be a longer-term relationship with broad objectives negotiated between two parties for mutual benefit and learning. Coaching tends to be more intense than mentoring, more specific in terms of goals, and shorter in duration. Coaches do learn from coachees, but this (very desirable) outcome is not necessarily specified upfront, and tends to be more implicit than in a mentoring relationship. While mentoring, in my opinion, focuses primarily on the quality of relationships in the business environment, coaching focuses on specific interventions for the development of specific skills.

vi

INTRODUCTION Today, both mentoring and coaching are business-critical priorities: If we do not create the spaces for people development, or clearly define the links between people and business, our businesses are more likely to deteriorate than to grow. In a context of globalisation it is imperative that we develop agility and flexibility in both our business models and in the people who bring those business models to life. In essence, mentoring and coaching are relationship-based tools without which we cannot achieve sustainable business solutions.

A social constructionist, co-creation process focused on employee engagement There are correlations between the level of employee engagement in organisations and financial performance. In 1999, the share price of PPC (Pretoria Portland Cement) was at a low level of R36-00 per share. In 2004, PPC was ranked second in the Deloitte Best Company To Work For ™ survey, when the share price was R137-00 per share. The day after PPC was ranked first in 2005, (i.e. as the best company to work for) the share price jumped to R313-00 per share, and in March 2006, it was R420-00 per share3. Obviously employee engagement is not the sole factor leading to this excellent financial performance, but it is a key indicator of the power of employee engagement. Engagement is not only critical to modern business, but it is also a complex field to which I devote a section in this booklet. Research has shown that people engage best with processes where personal contribution is recognised. For years the business world has spoken about the importance of obtaining buy-in from stakeholders. Social constructionist theory, which is fundamental to several leading-edge organisational development models, states that people create their own realities. If employees are involved in the co-creation of a mentorship or coaching programme, their engagement with the programme (and therefore its sustainability) will be significantly enhanced. Engagement is reciprocal: Participation in co-creation processes enhances engagement, and enhanced engagement enhances communication, openness to innovation, and therefore ultimately enhanced engagement.

3

Source: http://www.bestcompany.co.za/

vii

INTRODUCTION This booklet is not about social constructionist theory but it does provide practical, step-by-step guidelines to a specific co-creation process for establishing a mentorship or coaching programme, using elements of advanced systems theory and social constructionist theory. The approach is “radical” in that it speaks to one of the roots of human behaviour, namely the intrinsic need to be recognised and empowered to participate in one’s own destiny. To make this book more user-friendly, the following icons are used:

Checkpoints Key factor bullets Key factors Think piece Important questions Hints/reminders Notes for self-assessment activities Exercises/self-assessment activities Steps

viii

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER 1: THE BASICS Before starting to set up a mentoring or coaching programme, some basics should be addressed. In this chapter we will work through these basics in a systematic manner.

Identifying the stakeholders Before getting to grips with essential questions such as: “Why should we establish a mentoring or coaching programme in our organisation?” and “What do we want to achieve?” we need to identify the key stakeholders. These will differ from organisation to organisation, and we need to ask a number of questions to identify the people who can best add value, and whose buy-in is a critical success factor in the programme.

The Goose Egg Framework (Adapted from Watkins and Mohr)

Programme

Key stakeholders and/or relationships

Design elements

Figure 1: The Goose Egg Framework

1

CHAPTER ONE Watkins and Mohr’s Goose Egg Framework is an essential tool to help us establish a mentoring or coaching programme, and we will refer to it several times, starting with the identification of stakeholders, key influencers and relationships. At the core of the “goose egg” is the desired programme, as yet still a concept. The next layer (working outwards) depicts the position of the stakeholders and key influencers and, critically, their relationships – these relationships exist between each other, with the programme, and with the design elements4.

Using the Goose Egg Framework to identify stakeholders and key influencers This should be done in a brainstorming session with core members of the initial programme design team.

4

Step one:

Draw or print a large version or the Goose Egg Framework on a flip chart or A0 paper (or larger).

Step two:

Write down a list of typical stakeholders, unique to your organisation, which could look something like the following:

See Chapter 2: Design and co-creation

2

CHAPTER ONE

Typical stakeholders in a mentorship or coaching programme ♦

The Human Resources Department

♦

Line managers

♦

Fast-track employees

♦

The Learning and Development Department

♦

Mentors/senior employees (or workplace mentors in the case of a learnership)

♦

Learners on a learnership

♦

A Sector Education Training Authority (SETA)

♦

Outsourced service providers (e.g. coaching companies)

Checkpoint one: Stakeholders

Step three:

Plot the names on the list onto the stakeholders’ oval on the Goose Egg Framework. In the group, discuss what is missing. A very effective way to identify what is missing, is to think of what is needed in order to create the best programme for your specific circumstances and organisation. Now compare the needs with the stakeholders already listed, thus generating a simple yet effective gap analysis.

3

CHAPTER ONE Other useful questions to ask, include:

Who are the identified beneficiaries? Are there any secondary beneficiaries? Are there people who could benefit indirectly from the programme?

Think of the relationships between stakeholders. It is very useful to draw lines to show these relationships5. Add more names to the list as they surface. Also add more relationship lines, if necessary using different colours to highlight additional relationships. Highlight relationships that emerge as being of key importance in different colours, or use different line styles on the diagram.

Step four:

Discuss who the key influencers might be. Ask questions such as the following: ♦ Who has the potential to make stop-go decisions regarding the programme? ♦ Who has the potential to limit the scope, size or time frame of the programme? ♦ Are they also stakeholders, and if so are they listed on the diagram? If not, add them to the Goose Egg Framework. The list should now be considerably longer, as can be seen from the example on p.5.

5

See: Identifying the champions

4

CHAPTER ONE

Typical stakeholders and influencers in a mentorship or coaching programme (augmented): ♦

The Human Resources Department

♦

Line managers

♦

Fast-track employees

♦

The Learning and Development Department

♦

Mentors/senior employees

♦

Outsourced service providers (e.g. coaching and training companies)

♦

The Finance Department

♦

External learning institutions (e.g. universities, technikons, schools)

♦

Corporate social responsibility projects

♦

Project managers

♦

The senior executive group (in terms of succession planning/ succession management)

♦

External talent development projects

♦

The Skills Development Facilitator

♦

Strategic recruiting specialists

♦

International assignees (in a multinational corporation or organisation with global reach)

♦

The employee retention champions

♦

The champions of the organisation’s induction programme

♦

Junior employees

♦

Middle management/first-level leaders

♦

The CEO/Managing Director/Principal Officer/Senior Managing Partner/The head of the organisation.

5

CHAPTER ONE

Checkpoint two: Stakeholders (augmented) It will not always be possible or practical to include all the stakeholders in all discussions around the programme, so it is critical that a strategy be developed to ensure that they are kept appropriately informed. The MD, for example, does not need to know all the minutiae of the operational details of the programme, but will need to understand the high-level issues, and could be involved in change management. She plays a critical role in driving and living the organisational culture, and therefore needs to be involved in order to ensure the sustainability of the programme. Equally, the Chief Financial Officer does not necessarily need to understand the details of the roll-out or the communications plan, but needs to be involved in discussions concerning the return on investment (ROI) of the programme. (See Marius Meyer’s booklet in this series, entitled Measuring ROI in Mentoring and Coaching.) She also needs to be informed of the bigger picture, the benefits for the organisation and discussions around sustainability, forward planning, and how the programme will impact on growth scenarios.

Identifying a lead or sponsor The success of any programme requires a high-level lead or sponsor. This person should typically be one of the stakeholders, who is also a key influencer. She need not necessarily be the CEO, but should have significant seniority and high personal and organisational credibility and recognition, as she will be the visible icon of the programme. She will need to devote time to gaining a deep understanding of the programme, although she will not be driving it – that is the role of the champions. She will need to believe passionately in the programme, and will therefore need to be involved (from the very beginning) with the rationale, asking and helping to answer the question: “What do we want to achieve?” She also need not be the owner of the budget, but should have a custodial role regarding finances, with the ability to make suggestions as to how much the financial investment could be, and when and how it should be phased in or deployed.

6

CHAPTER ONE Bearing this in mind, the group should spend quality time on an in-depth discussion centred on potential leads or sponsors. This part of the process can be very usefully guided by the Goose Egg Framework.

Step one:

Spend time studying the stakeholders and key influencers on the Goose Egg Framework, and discuss each in terms of its potential as a lead or sponsor. Some will automatically be eliminated, but it is important to start the discussion with a highlevel review of all the names in the framework, to ensure that nobody is overlooked. The one person who might be overlooked if this process is not followed, may be the one who would be the most appropriate sponsor for the programme. Do not make a decision at this stage, only eliminate names that the group agrees are not appropriate, or would not be in a position to take up the role.

Step two:

Once the high-level overview is complete, the team should move on to identifying the sponsor from the remaining names on the Goose Egg Framework. There are various techniques to highlight possible leads or sponsors, such as ♦

voting stickers

♦

post-it notes

♦

ballots

♦

decision grids

♦

writing key names on separate flipcharts.

Use familiar techniques that come naturally to the team. However, do not exclude the possibility that the future sponsor might be a member of this discussion group, or might have been the person who initiated the concept.

7

CHAPTER ONE

Step three:

The team should reach consensus as to who the sponsor should be, and if she is not present, identify a representative to present the decision to her, inviting her to take up the role, and briefing her on the process thus far.

Identifying the champions The next critical step is to identify the champions of the programme. These are the people who will be involved in driving the programme, ensuring its operational success, and attending to daily business associated with it. Typically, they will be reflected on the goose egg among the stakeholders. The champions will not necessarily assume the role of mentor of coach in the programme, although they are also not excluded from these roles. Champions need passion, commitment, organisational and project management skills, the will and drive to succeed, and some conceptual understanding of the subject, be it mentoring or coaching, or both. However, they do not need to be experts. They also need organisational and personal credibility: Like the sponsor, the champions are visible icons of the programme. They should have a high enough profile and level of influence within the organisation to make things happen, yet should be self-effacing enough to be able to stand back from too high a level of personal identification with the programme. Once again, the group should use the Goose Egg Framework to help identify the champions. Look not only at the stakeholders plotted on the framework, but study relationship lines. Useful questions to ask at this stage, include:

Who interacts across a broad sphere of influence? Who is common to several spheres of influence? Who has the mobility to act operationally across boundaries, both internally and externally? 8

CHAPTER ONE Repeat the process described in Steps one, two and three of the process of identifying the sponsor, in order to identify the champions.

Think piece: Working with the Goose Egg Framework can significantly broaden the initial concept of the programme. It can also broaden or even change perceptions of who should be involved, and in what roles. It is possible the Human Resource Department, often traditionally the custodians of coaching or mentorship programmes, while still being seen as key stakeholders, are not identified as sponsors, leads or even champions. Using the Goose Egg Framework can give a whole new perspective on mentorship and coaching, and will certainly add richness to the process.

Once the stakeholders and influencers, sponsor (or lead) and champions have been identified, we are ready to move to the next critical phase in establishing a mentorship or coaching programme. We are now ready to address the rationale, asking two interrelated questions:

Why should we establish mentoring or coaching in our organisation? What do we want to achieve?

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CHAPTER ONE

Why should we establish mentoring or coaching in our organisation?

In order to ensure the effectiveness of a programme, we need to understand the rationale underlying the decision. This understanding will significantly influence the way forward, as well as the nature of the programme. Furthermore, unless the sponsor, champions and entire design team have reached consensus on this first principle, the programme is doomed to fail.

Reasons for a mentoring or coaching programme

Underlying needs or benefits

Growing the internal talent pool ♦ Organisational change, growth and development ♦

Medium and long-term benefits

♦

Organisational sustainability and growth

♦

Medium and long-term benefits

♦

Organisational sustainability and growth

♦

Short, medium and long-term benefits

♦

Organisational sustainability and growth

♦

Short, medium and long-term benefits

Growing the external talent

♦

Corporate social responsibility

pool

♦

Organisational change, growth and development

♦

Long-term benefits

Succession management

Employee engagement

Employee retention

10

CHAPTER ONE

Multi-skilling and multi-

♦

tasking:

constantly changing business

Flexibility and adaptability Developing responsibility

Ability to meet the needs of a environment

♦

Change management

♦

Taking accountability

♦

Being responsible

Addressing Employment Equity ♦ Organisational change, requirements growth and development ♦

Change management

Role coaching

♦

Coaching for a specific role

Remedial coaching

♦

Unlearning behaviours and learning new ones

♦

Organisational change, growth and development

♦

Mentoring in an academic environment

Academic mentoring

11

CHAPTER ONE

Checkpoint three: Rationale – a few reasons for developing a mentoring or coaching programme There are many reasons for implementing mentoring or coaching programmes; the critical point is to identify specific organisational needs. In Checkpoint three we highlighted certain underlying needs that can be met through mentoring or coaching, or combinations of the two. This process is more fundamental than a formal cost-benefit analysis or calculations on ROI. At this stage what we need to establish is the rationale for the programme, not merely to justify its cost. We can represent the process visually, as in Figure 2 which simply depicts the decision point, taking into account the needs, benefits, organisational information and (of critical importance) the question: “What do we want to achieve?”

Information: People Organisation Strategy

Underlying needs

Document the needs

Benefits

Document the benefits

Fundamental principle: Clarity on the rationale for the programme

Figure 2: Rationale

12

WHAT do we want to achieve?

CHAPTER ONE

Culture Once we have determined the fundamental reason for the programme, the next essential issue that should be addressed is that of organisational culture. Leslie Swartz (1998) refers to culture in terms of the concepts, habits, skills and institutions of a group of people at a specific period in time. She also makes three critical points regarding culture:

1. Culture is concerned with growth and change 2. Culture is a meaning-making system – the implicit rules and behaviours that people use as guidelines for present and future relationships 3. The concept of culture implies a toolbox or skill set to facilitate and support the making and transfer of meaning. This skill set includes symbols, language, art and ritual.

Swartz suggests that we think not only about others, but also about ourselves, what we know, and what we learn about our own world, and that of others. The late Peter Drucker believed that organisational culture is created by senior leadership: In his view, if the spirit of the organisation is great it is because the senior leaders have set high standards, have a high ethical and moral tone, and lead by example – essentially, they walk the talk. In Drucker’s view, if the top structure fails to live up to the values of the organisation, then the culture of the whole organisation will feel the negative impact.

13

CHAPTER ONE

Why is it so critical to identify the organisational culture? In a learning organisation, the culture supports questioning, innovation and mutual support. People can not only push the boundaries, but are encouraged to do so. Structures are flexible, and organisational structures tend to be flat, or organised as matrices. In this type of culture, mistakes are perceived as potential opportunities for development. Sir Richard Branson said: “The best developer of a leader is failure” (Dotlich, Noel and Walker, 2004: 81). Thus, in a learning culture, mentorship is a naturally occurring phenomenon, and implementing a formal mentorship programme can be relatively easy. Design and implementation will formalise what already exists, and will have the prime focus of ensuring strategic alignment. If the organisational culture does not support learning, questioning, innovation and mutual support, the sustainability of a mentorship programme is questionable. If senior management in such an organisation are truly committed to developing people potential, then they will need to implement a change management process before implementing a mentorship programme. In other words, a deep and meaningful process of developing and embedding a learning culture is needed, rather than implementing a mentorship programme as a type of organisational band-aid. If a mentorship programme is to succeed in the short to medium term, and be sustainable in its outcomes in the long term, cultural factors play a critical role. One of these cultural factors is the rather complex concept we call engagement.

14

CHAPTER ONE

Engagement Engagement is a critical success factor of any project, programme or process in any organisation, and therefore before we start to look at engagement within a mentorship programme, we first need to gain an understanding of the concept itself. Engagement is more holistic than commitment, as it is both emotional and conceptual – the head and heart must be engaged. As human beings we need to organise our perceptions, cognitions (thoughts) and emotions so that they create meaning for us in ways that remain relatively stable over time. Phenomenology calls meanings ‘objects of consciousness’ and classes them into three types: Objects of perception, memory and thought. When phenomenologists speak of ‘intentionality’ they are referring to the conscious process of engaging with meaning (Bolton, 1978, in Burton and Radford). John Kehoe speaks of consciousness as “energy in its finest and most dynamic form” (1994: 14). Our world view is based on the meaning we create within ourselves, through the way we think, feel, remember and behave. We construct our own reality through our thoughts, imagination, wants, desires, fears and needs. However, we are not isolated beings; we live and work in communities and groups. Therefore, we are constantly engaged in interaction with others. Our own self-identity, the personality which each of us calls “me”, is at the centre of a network of relationships. It is impossible to understand people without understanding their relationships. Engagement is therefore a function of the way we interpret and give meaning to ourselves, our world, and our relationships. We could say that engagement is the way in which we construct or build and maintain meaningful relationships. It is clear that engagement is deeply personal, and at the same time inherently cultural. Therefore engagement, even in a learning culture, is an essential basic premise that must be addressed before moving on to the design or implementation of a mentorship or coaching programme.

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CHAPTER ONE

Think piece: Engagement is a recursive process. If employees and the organisation are well engaged, and if the organisational culture is one of learning, then mentorship and coaching programmes (if well designed through co-creation, and well implemented) will succeed. Successful mentorship and coaching programmes will lead to an enhanced learning culture in the organisation, with deep-seated engagement.

Engagement: Three critical steps

Engagement with a mentorship (or any organisational) programme starts with three critical steps.

1. The first step is discussion and dialogue

We need to understand what we want to achieve (see Checkpoint one) and why. We live and work in the real world with real-world constraints and drivers, so we need to understand the potential problems, inhibitors and other potential difficulties associated with the proposed programme. We need to gain this understanding from multiple perspectives – for example, if the Human Resource Department (traditionally the custodian of mentorship programmes) does not engage with line managers, other support functions and employees, the programme will reflect only HR’s understanding of their needs. To ensure engagement with the programme, the champions need to broaden their world view through discussion with other stakeholders, thus creating a shared meaning of what the programme is and what its aims and objectives are, well before discussing how these are to be achieved or measured. Hence,

16

CHAPTER ONE the use of the Goose Egg Framework is crucial to the success of the programme, as we can now see that the scope of engagement goes beyond traditional boundaries and roles.

2. The second critical step flows from the first, and that is co-creation6

While the champions or owners of the programme are responsible for its design and implementation, the participants are accountable for participation, and for its ultimate success or failure at both a personal and organisational level. Engagement requires that all parties create meaning within the programme. At the simplest level, this means each individual involved will engage to a greater degree if she sees that her contribution (however small it may be) has added value in some way to the whole. Mentorship and coaching are intrinsically about relationships, and when the mentorship relationship is co-created it is automatically mutually beneficial, therefore equal, and hierarchical terms such as ‘mentor’, ‘mentee’ or ‘protégé’ become irrelevant.

3. The third critical step is strategic focus7 At the most basic level, when a mentorship programme is based in and focused on strategy, people are empowered to work together towards a common goal. Jim Collins writes in Good to Great of three critical success factors in strategy implementation: Disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action. He stresses the importance of a pervasive culture of discipline, as opposed to discipline imposed on an

6 7

See Chapter two for a more detailed discussion on the co-creation process. See Chapter two for a detailed discussion on strategic focus.

17

CHAPTER ONE organisation by an elitist executive group. Collins suggests that the successes of the world’s great organisations are attributable to what he calls an almost fanatical adherence to the strategy, which is directly attributable to the disciplined thoughts and actions of their people. Collins, in Good to Great (2001: p.124, 125) uses the Hedgehog Concept to demonstrate strategic focus. Nick Owen, in More Magic of Metaphor (2004: p.84), explains the Hedgehog Concept very elegantly: “Hedgehogs have the ability to see through complexity to perceive underlying patterns. They notice what is essential and pay attention to nothing else.” If it is not in the strategy, don’t do it! Owen and Collins explain the use of the Hedgehog Concept as an organising principle to guide everything exceptionally successful organisations do – effectively, appropriately, and functionally. If a mentorship or coaching programme is to be successful, it must be aligned with the organisation’s strategy. If it is to be sustainable, then it must also be flexible, responding to changes in strategy in order to retain strategic alignment and focus. A programme that is aligned with strategy naturally ♦

sets clear direction, and

♦

facilitates people’s development to achieve personal, group and organisational goals.

The champions should engage in dialogue with the champions of the organisation’s strategy and negotiate a shared understanding of the strategy. This dialogue should be ongoing, in order to develop the required flexibility in the programme. Champions should engage with champions at a meta-level, in order to co-create a culture of engagement.

18

CHAPTER ONE

Essential basic steps

Underlying needs or benefits

Rationale

♦ What do we want to achieve?

Culture: ♦ Identify the organisational ♦ A sustainable mentorship or culture: coaching programme ◊ a ‘learning culture’ that ♦ Enhanced employee will support a mentorship engagement or coaching programme Culture: ♦ Identify the organisational culture ◊ not a ‘learning culture’ that will support a mentorship or coaching programme ◊ If the culture is not a ‘learning culture’ then a change management process should be undertaken Employee engagement: ♦ Discussion and dialogue ♦ Co-creation ♦ Strategic focus

♦ Need for organisational change

♦ Enhanced engagement with the programme, strategy and the organisation

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CHAPTER ONE

Checkpoint four: The basics

Information: People Organisation Strategy

Underlying needs

Document the needs

Benefits

Document the benefits

WHAT do we want to achieve?

Culture

Engagement

Fundamental principle: Clarity on the rationale for the programme Rationale

Co-creation

The Goose Egg Framework (Adapted from Watkins and Mohr)

Discussion Discussion and and dialogue dialogue

Programme

Key stakeholders and/or relationships

Strategic focus

Design elements

Figure 3: The basics

Figure 3 captures the essential elements of the process in one ready reference.

20

CHAPTER ONE Key factors are:

The decision framework for the rationale Organisational culture – depicted as a series of interrelated circles, making up a sphere – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Strategic focus – depicted as a Hedgehog Concept (see Chapter 2) The steps in the co-creation process – depicted as a series of building blocks Discussion and dialogue are highlighted as essential components of engagement.

CHAPTER SUMMARY In this chapter, related to the basic, essential first steps in establishing a mentoring or coaching programme, we learned how to do the following: ♦

Identify stakeholders and their relationships using Watkins and Mohr’s Goose Egg Framework

♦

Identify a sponsor and champions for the programme

♦

Establish a clear rationale for the programme by answering the question: What do we want to achieve?

We discussed the critical concepts of organisational culture and employee engagement, and outlined three essential steps towards establishing engagement with a mentoring or coaching programme:

21

CHAPTER ONE

1. Discussion and dialogue 2. Co-creation 3. Strategic focus.

Checkpoint four and Figure 3 provide ready references or reminders of the critical basic elements underlying the establishment of a sustainable, strategically focused programme.

EXERCISE ONE: THE BASICS For this exercise, please refer to Checkpoint four and Figure 3, and compile an action list. Answer the questions by either ticking the boxes provided, or writing short statements in the larger spaces. Do not try to use polished sentences or formal language, as this exercise is aimed at helping you assess what you have done and what you still need to do, and is limited to the scope of this chapter.

Action list

9

Do you have a rationale in place? Do you have sufficient employee information to establish a rationale? Have you established your underlying organisational needs? Are these underlying organisational needs documented? Have you documented the specific benefits to your organisation of a mentoring or coaching programme?

22

CHAPTER ONE .

Action list

9

Write the rationale statement in the space below (state clearly what you want to achieve) .

Briefly describe your organisation’s culture as you understand it.

Have you identified the relevant stakeholders and key influencers? Did you use Watkins and Mohr’s Goose Egg Framework? Did using the Goose Egg Framework add to your understanding of stakeholders and their relationships? How many additional stakeholders did you add as a result of using the Goose Egg Framework? Have you identified a sponsor? Have you identified the champions? Have the champions set up any strategic conversations with the champions of the organisation’s strategy?

Copy Figure 3 and post it on a notice board in your workspace to remind you of the essential basic processes and concepts discussed in this chapter.

23

CHAPTER ONE

24

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER 2: DESIGN AND CO-CREATION

Quick review one: Thus far we have highlighted the following key steps and processes:

KEY FACTORS 1.

Identifying the stakeholders and key influencers using Watkins and Mohr’s Goose Egg Framework 2. Identifying a lead or sponsor 3. Identifying champions 4. Establishing the rationale for a mentoring or coaching programme.

We also highlighted and discussed two critical issues, namely culture and engagement, and looked at three critical steps to ensure engagement with a mentoring or coaching programme:

1. 2. 3.

Discussion and dialogue Co-creation Strategic focus.

We are now ready to discuss the design and co-creation of the programme.

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CHAPTER TWO

The importance of positive talk Developing, designing, creating and implementing a mentoring or coaching programme is a significant positive step in the life cycle of an organisation. It is a statement of belief in the future, in the sustained development of the organisation and its people over a long period of time. It is a statement that implies planning for that future in terms of succession planning, strategic recruitment, and relationship building. It is therefore a process full of positive opportunities (as well as a great deal of hard work, and a not insignificant investment of time and money). If we look back at the discussion on engagement and remember that we defined it as the way in which we construct or build and maintain meaningful relationships, we can see that the design and co-creation of the programme is therefore an opportunity for ‘possibility conversations’ – these are discussions with the potential to generate and grow engagement within an organisation. There is an example of a possibility conversation in Checkpoint seven (see p. 35). Mentorship and coaching programmes cannot be seen as processes intended to fix problems. They are opportunities to grow richness and manage diversity, engaging the organisation in dialogue and discussion (mentoring and coaching being structured, and formalised dialogues and discussions) that can “create multiple positive possibilities and move the organisation in the direction of the most desired future” (Watkins & Mohr, 2001: 11). We discussed the importance of discussion and dialogue in Chapter 1. The importance of positive talk highlights discussion and dialogue as strategic tools in any organisational process and, in fact, as critical success factors for organisational growth. Ken Gergen’s view on the importance of language (dialogue/ discussion/ discourse) is clearly expressed on the Taos Institute website8: “Social constructionist dialogues – of cutting edge significance within the social sciences and humanities – concern the processes by which humans generate meaning together. Our focus is on how social groups create and

8

Cited in Watkins and Mohr, 2001: 26.

26

CHAPTER TWO sustain beliefs in the real, the rational and the good. We recognise that as people create meaning together, so do they sow the seeds of action. Meaning and action are entwined. As we generate meaning together, we create the future.” Positive talk is action oriented, and therefore a critical success factor in establishing, embedding and ensuring the sustainability of a programme within an organisation.

Discussion and dialogue Discussion and dialogue are two keywords, which are essential building blocks for meaningful relationships. In an engaged, learning culture, discussion and dialogue are far removed from consultation which often excludes the listening process, which is essential in discussion and dialogue. Checkpoint five9 highlights essential tips that champions can use to ensure that all stakeholders in the design phase of a mentorship programme engage in productive, positive and meaningful discussion.

9

Adapted from The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change. Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, 2003: 111.

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CHAPTER TWO

Tips for engagement in positive and meaningful discussion and dialogue Create opportunities for equal voice

Ensure equal air time for all – especially those whose voices are not often heard. Be a model of respect and good listening

Focus on the affirmative

Consciously solicit, draw out, build on, and reinforce stories of what works. Help people achieve at least a 2:1 ratio of positive to negative talk

Help people speak from the inside out

Share the hopes, dreams and passions that are rooted in personal experiences and help others to do the same

Give away the power

Use questions to help people find their wisdom, and express confidence in people’s ability to make their own decisions

Be sure of success

Look for and publicly recognise success. Identify resources, and connect stakeholders to them. Help people to make commitments to stretched, but achievable goals and targets.

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CHAPTER TWO

Checkpoint five: Discussion and dialogue Discussion and dialogue (focused on the proposed programme) can be facilitated in a number of ways, with differing levels of interpersonal interaction, including: ♦

Talking circles

♦

Coffee sessions

♦

Focus groups

♦

Formal meetings

♦

Mailing lists and Internet or Intranet forums

♦

Notice boards

♦

Existing employee groups (e.g. equity forums, unions, employee representative bodies)

♦

Surveys and questionnaires

♦

Performance appraisals

♦

Formal needs analysis processes.

These various forums should be inclusive of all stakeholders at various times. The intention is to obtain the widest possible range of answers to the questions, thus collecting a rich and diverse range of opinions, thoughts, and feelings. This method will provide the champions and sponsor with an invaluable opportunity to mine that diversity for core elements to take forward into the programme, and to generate high levels of engagement. The champions should decide on a combination of the above, proposing thought-provoking, open-ended questions intended to generate data that will be used within the Goose Egg Framework to develop the specific design elements of the programme. These questions will, of course, be framed by the answers to the questions asked in the rationale for the programme, but could include some of the following:

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CHAPTER TWO

Suggested questions for use in designing dialogue and discussion ♦

If you were engaged in a mentoring/coaching programme, what would be most meaningful to you in terms of your current role?

♦

If you were engaged in a mentoring/coaching programme, what would be most meaningful to you in terms of your future career aspirations?

♦

How much of your time would you be prepared to invest in mentoring, or being mentored?

♦

Do you think coaching is best carried out by internal or external coaches, and why?

♦

Do you think coaching can be combined with mentoring, and why?

♦

Are line managers in general in a good position to mentor or coach their direct reports? Justify you answer.

♦

Best practices suggest that a mentorship relationship is best defined by an agreement. What would you expect to find in a mentoring agreement? What would be most meaningful or useful to you in a mentoring agreement?

♦

What are your expectations of a mentor?

♦

What are your expectations of a coach?

♦

If you were a mentor, what would your expectations be of yourself, and of those whose development you are facilitating?

♦

If you were a coach, what would your expectations be of yourself, and of those whom you are coaching?

♦

What do you think is the optimal period/length of time for a mentoring relationship, and why?

♦

What do you think is the optimal period/length of time for a coaching relationship, and why?

♦

How do you think mentoring should be measured?

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CHAPTER TWO

♦

How would you define success in a mentoring relationship?

♦

What do you think are the most desirable outcomes of a mentoring relationship?

♦

How do you think coaching should be measured?

♦

How would you define success in a coaching relationship?

♦

What do you think are the most desirable outcomes of a coaching relationship?

♦

How do you think we can best grow our internal talent pool?

♦

How do you think we can best influence the growth of the external talent pool where we focus our strategic recruiting activities?

♦

How important is knowledge and skills transfer to you personally?

♦

How important is knowledge and skills transfer within your department/division?

♦

How important is knowledge and skills transfer across boundaries within the organisation?

♦

Are there specific time constraints, such as seasonal factors, that should be taken into account when starting a mentoring or coaching relationship? List these, and/or elaborate on them.

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CHAPTER TWO

Checkpoint six: Design questions Using the Goose Egg Framework to identify key design elements The data obtained from the initial discussions and dialogues needs to be converted into useful information. This data can be intimidating in its sheer volume and format, which can range from post-it notes to mind maps, flipchart papers to carefully written documents, survey and questionnaire answer sheets to text files from electronic discussion forums. Don’t panic! Rather, remember that this huge volume of diverse data is a rich field that can be mined for critical elements. All that is needed is an engaged group of people and a framework to guide and inform the process.

Step one:

Convene a workshop for the core design team, preferably off site to minimise distractions.

Step two:

Revisit and review the rationale for the programme to ensure that there is clarity on this important element. Revisit the organisation’s strategy, vision or purpose, and values. Write these down on flipchart papers and place them around the room where everybody can see them, and refer to them during the workshop. Pre-printed material can also be used.

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CHAPTER TWO

Step three:

Spend time on a brainstorming session to evolve a purpose statement for the programme. Avoid ‘catch all’ or ‘one-size-fits-all’ purpose statements, with words or phrases like ‘world class’, ‘leading edge’, ‘serve the needs of…’, unless they are really meaningful in the context of your rationale. Ensure that you use positive language in the present tense: “we are…”, “we have…”, “we do…”. Avoid the use of statements such as “we will develop…” or “we intend…”. In writing the purpose statement, it is essential not only to keep in mind the rationale, but also the strategic focus of the intended programme. Remember that the programme not only needs to be focused on current strategy, but will need to be responsive to changes that occur over time. Write the purpose statement accordingly. A useful technique here is to have a focused possibility conversation. These conversations are short, simple, powerful and effective ways of generating scenarios for the future. Possibility conversations can take many forms, but a quick and powerful one is simply to ask the question: “What if…?”

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CHAPTER TWO

How to hold a What if? conversation

A. Everybody sits in a circle, without a table. B. Identify a facilitator, a timekeeper and a scribe or recorder. C. The facilitator’s role is to ensure that everybody gets an opportunity to ask at least one question, and to avoid one person dominating the forum. D. The facilitator should also set a time period for the conversation, which is usually about 10 minutes. E. The facilitator starts the session with a brief to all participants to ask questions beginning with the words: “What if?” Questions must be positively focused, looking at the possibilities inherent to the rationale. F.

Participants should not try to answer the questions, but should allow the questions to trigger questions of their own.

G. The scribe or recorder should jot down the questions (or key words from the questions) on a flipchart, or capture them in a mind map. H. The timekeeper should call a halt at the end of the allocated time. I.

At the end of the conversation, the group should collect around the recorded material, and start to discuss the various possibilities that have surfaced, eliminating the wildly impossible or improbable, and gradually distilling the essence of the conversation into a few powerful and meaningful words or phrases.

34

CHAPTER TWO

Checkpoint seven: What if? conversations What is the purpose of this specific type of possibility conversation? There are many advantages to this technique, but at this stage key issues around the rationale are surfaced in a positive way, people are reminded of what they want to achieve, and creative juices are allowed to flow, thus facilitating the writing of the purpose statement for the programme. Material from the possibility conversation is a valuable resource for future use, and is also a key element of the co-creation process itself. When the group has reached consensus on the purpose statement, write it in the centre of the Goose Egg Framework.

Step four:

Revisit and review the stakeholders and key influencers, check on the relationships between them and draw lines on the Goose Egg Framework to indicate these. Highlight the champions and the sponsor/lead in different colours, taking great care to show their relationship lines. Discuss these relationships and how they impact on, and relate to the purpose statement. If necessary, fine-tune the purpose statement.

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CHAPTER TWO

Step five:

Irrespective of how the data from the initial dialogue and discussion phase is captured, share it in packs among focus groups within the main workshop group, giving each group the task of clustering similar ideas and identifying themes or patterns. Final report-outs to the main workshop group should be captured on no more than one flipchart sheet.

Step six:

Compare all the sheets from the group report-out and look for duplications. Discuss these and resolve duplications into common themes, thereby gradually reducing the number of statements or themes to the core elements. Plot these on the design elements section of the Goose Egg Framework.

Step seven:

Review the themes and look for gaps. A series of “If we have…”? questions related to the purpose statement, will be very useful in this instance. ♦ If we have , will we have achieved our purpose and reached our goal? ♦ If we have , and will we have achieved our purpose and reached our goal? ♦ Repeat the process, building up logically to , making sure you have reviewed all the themes.

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CHAPTER TWO

If gaps emerge during the process, immediately capture them on the Goose Egg Framework. At the end, stand back and review again, look for additional gaps, and capture them as well.

Step eight:

This is the final review and potential elimination step. Here the questions are meant to clarify whether all elements are really key or core design elements, or potentially superfluous, i.e. they could stand in the way of achieving the purpose. Frequent reference to the rationale and the organisation’s strategy are of the utmost importance here. You now have the core design elements of a sustainable mentoring or coaching programme, cocreated by the programme’s own stakeholders.

37

CHAPTER TWO

Strategic focus In our discussion on engagement we mentioned that one of the three critical steps was strategic focus. This is seen as a crucial step in terms of setting clear direction, and enabling people to achieve development in terms of personal and group or organisational goals. Furthermore, we touched on the issues of sustainability and flexibility. A mentorship and coaching programme must be aligned with and integral to the organisation’s strategy in order to succeed and be sustainable. It should also be responsive to changes in strategy, and should therefore be flexible enough to change with strategy, without losing focus of the rationale and purpose statement. In this section we will discuss strategic focus in greater detail, before looking at some very practical steps on how to link organisational strategy to a mentorship or coaching programme. To paraphrase the late Peter Drucker, we hope to show how a mentorship or coaching programme can be an essential tool in making strategy part of everybody’s everyday job. Five premises are fundamental to the relationship between people and strategy:

1.

People are business: Having the right people in the right seats on the bus, means the right business.

2. People operate in time: Skills and knowledge take time to develop, and are conditioned not only by the past, but also by expectations of the future. 3. People search for meaning: Over time, groups of people develop a shared sense of meaning. 4. People have souls: We feel inspired by our work, we dream about possibilities, and can choose whether or not we want to share our knowledge. 5. People are teleologically predisposed: We are driven to work towards a goal.

38

CHAPTER TWO Let us study each of these in greater detail.

1. People are business: Having the right people in the right seats on the bus, means the right business. Collins writes in Good to Great (2001:41): “If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats… then we’ll figure out how to take it somewhere great.” Each individual has a unique value proposition, that one characteristic, personality trait, gift, or dimension that sets him or her apart from everybody else. It is the core of personal empowerment and a driver of personal greatness if the person is self-aware enough to use it as a catalyst for action. Unique value propositions can change, so people need to be continually engaged in a process of self-discovery, to be responsive to the changes in their inner core, and to adapt their personal strategies accordingly. Mentorship and coaching have a pivotal role to play in this process. At the core of organisational strategy is the value proposition of the business. The share price and bottom-line performance can be indicators of the value proposition, but should never be confused with it. The value proposition is the unique offering that only that organisation/company can make that sets it apart from its competitors. It can be conceptualised as the ‘soul’ of the organisation and can only be implemented by its people – the “right people” which Collins writes about, in Good to Great. Doing the right business the right way (i.e. utilising the skills and competencies of the right people) involves congruency and alignment between individual and strategic organisational value propositions. Strategy-focused mentorship is one of the ways to facilitate this congruency and alignment. Strategy-focused mentorship that is founded on the principles of engagement

39

CHAPTER TWO

(discussion and dialogue and co-creation, as well as strategic focus) has the potential to take organisations to “somewhere great” (Collins 2001:41), by optimising both organisational and personal or unique value propositions. 2. People operate in time: Skills and knowledge take time to develop, and are conditioned not only by the past, but also by expectations of the future. In her book Living Strategy, Lynda Gratton states that it takes time for an organisation and its people to grow and develop. Much as it takes time in our personal development (through life stages from child to young adult to mature adult) it takes time to move through the respective stages of organisational development, to enhance the existing skills base and identify gaps and needs. Crucially, it takes time to build trust and then commitment. Think of the time taken after mergers and acquisitions, or the appointment of a new CEO, for organisations to settle into new patterns of behaviour. New leaders, whether they be recruited externally or appointed into new positions, need time to develop an understanding of the relationship between the organisation’s soul and the unique value proposition of each of its people. Established leaders, faced with today’s changing business environment, need to take or make time to be inspirational and to leverage the power of that understanding. A mentorship or coaching programme must be designed to be flexible and responsive, but equally notable in its design should be the recognition of the importance of time. We need to recognise and acknowledge the following: ♦ ♦

We are not creatures of the moment – as individuals and organisations, we have pasts and memories We have futures, hopes and aspirations which are conditioned and informed by our pasts

40

CHAPTER TWO

♦

Time, past and present, is necessary to help us develop and live our common values, because these are the essence of who we are.

3. People search for meaning: Over time, groups of people develop a shared sense of meaning. Meaning (and its creation) is a central theme of this booklet, as the mentorship relationship is a critical vehicle for developing and maintaining meaningful relationships. Equally, coaching can be seen as a way of unlearning dysfunctional or less desirable behaviours, and learning desirable or more functional behaviours which enhance the development of meaningful relationships. People’s search for meaning in an organisation also serves a critical strategic function. People actively engage in their own lives, seeking to create meaning from information received on an ongoing basis. We also strive to understand the contradictions and challenges that face us. Therefore, it follows that we seek to create meaning from work, to understand the organisation’s purpose and value proposition. In our professional lives we tend to select organisations whose values and culture are congruent with our own. Just as much as great organisations want to attract and retain the right people, so we want to be part of the right organisation, working and interacting with the right people. One way in which we create meaning is through discourse, discussion and dialogue. We create stories that are meaningful, and can be shared across boundaries. These stories are scripts for success, and ways of sharing the purpose and values of the organisation among a diverse population, therefore they are very powerful. As individuals we want to share stories that have meaning for us, that help us understand the complexity of our daily lives, and help us focus on what is really important. Strategyfocused mentoring seeks to facilitate enquiry and story-telling to co-create meaning that is congruent with both organisational and individual value propositions.

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CHAPTER TWO

4. People have souls: We feel inspired by our work, we dream about possibilities, and can choose whether or not we want to share our knowledge. As individuals we have dreams, hopes and fears, ambitions, desires and needs. As organisations we aspire to greatness, to be the best in our industry or sector, for our share price to perform above the indices, and for recognition as leaders. Gratton’s concept of soul encompasses the concepts of trust, commitment, inspiration and energy. In our discussion about people being fundamental to business success – having the right people on the bus10 – we referred to two value propositions. Each individual’s unique value proposition is that inner core driver that can catalyse one to greatness. Organisational value propositions set them apart from their competitors, but being the soul of the organisation, they can only be brought into operation by and through its people. In a reciprocal relationship of trust, commitment, inspiration and energy, both individuals and the organisation grow and develop. A great strategy not only addresses the hard business issues, but sets the emotional tone (uniquely appropriate to the culture of each organisation) for an environment where trust, commitment and inspiration will flourish, and energy will be generated to sustain growth and development. In an environment that harnesses the emotional tone of the strategy and focuses on the organisation’s soul elements ♦ ♦ ♦

10

excitement is captured and harnessed people share knowledge and ideas, and people develop an understanding of the relationship (psychological contract) between people and organisation.

Premise 1: People are business.

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CHAPTER TWO

Gratton suggests that a trusting relationship allows people the freedom to dream, and furthermore, that dreaming is the foundation for sharing the vision, at a deep and fundamental level, beyond intellectual knowledge and conceptual understanding. Strategy-focused mentorship creates and builds meaningful learning relationships. Strategic coaching develops behaviours that are energising and help people access and build on their unique value propositions. Both mentoring and coaching, if strategically focused, are essential channels through which people can share dreams and visions and build on them, facilitating sustainable organisational growth. 5. People are teleologically predisposed: We are driven to work towards a goal. People, like the organisations we engage with, are goal driven and need to keep seeking new goals. People, systems, and organisations get stuck if there is no goal to move towards, and once stuck, tend to quickly degenerate into a downward spiral of decreasing energy and loss of focus and direction. Therefore, a critical role of strategy is to create goals, set targets and (speaking to the soul element in organisations) to share visions that inspire people to reach beyond their comfort zones (where the danger of being stuck is very great). We have a tendency to move towards and become like the things/ dreams/visions we think about. Collins writes of the GBHAG (the Great Big Hairy Audacious Goal): It is the one thing that drives us to be the best, to achieve the most, to reach the farthest. Olympic athletes do not strive to win the silver medal, and Formula One drivers do not burn with desire to be the runner-up in the World Championship. Competitors in Iron Man Triathlons and other ultra-distance or endurance events each have their own goals: To finish the gruelling event before the cut-off time, to achieve a personal best, to be, in essence, the best they can be.

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CHAPTER TWO

The downside of the tendency to move towards that which we dream about is that we can lock ourselves into a downward or negative spiral. The self-fulfilling prophesy of a victim mentality is important in this context, as it is linked to negative self-talk11. Often people who have been labelled as underperformers or underachievers start to believe in their lack of success, and engage in self-dialogue that only serves to reinforce that belief. Dotlich, Noel and Walker emphasise the need for coaching when people are successful (new appointees into senior roles, promotions, etc) but also when people have, by conventional wisdom, failed. They see failure as a leadership passage, an opportunity for growth, personal development and organisational learning. People who do not take advantage of failures as learning experiences, in these authors’ opinion, become blocked and stuck, and will eventually cease to progress up the ladder of their chosen careers. Organisations that can activate the tendency to move towards shared visions, dreams and goals in an enabling environment, informed by a great strategy, have the potential to create the energy to move to higher levels, to strive for ever higher goals. Strategy-focused mentorship and coaching naturally provide personal goals and visions, thus activating the teleological predisposition of all parties in the mentorship relationship, and have a positive impact on the implementation of the strategy and delivery of organisational goals and targets.

Once again it is critical to highlight the necessity for the champions of the mentoring or coaching programme, to continually engage in dialogue with the champions of the organisation’s strategy. This dialogue should be a strategic partnership, developing and leveraging the synergies between people and strategy.

11

Contrast this with our discussion on the importance of positive talk

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CHAPTER TWO

The ABC model: The Hedgehog Concept of a mentorship or coaching programme Using the Goose Egg Framework in a co-creational process, we identified the design elements of the programme (i.e. the elements that should be addressed in the programme, or the essential needs that must be met). The process typically would also have identified some of the ways in which these needs should be met: The how of the programme. We discussed the five premises that indicate why strategic focus is critical to the success of the programme, and showed several ways in which this focus will add value to the organisational strategy. There is one more critical element in the design of the programme, and that is to ensure that the strategic focus is maintained. To do this, we suggest a simple ABC model, and a Hedgehog Concept. Strategically aligned and focused mentorship programmes address a very specific space, at the convergence of the following:

♦

AMBITION (to achieve the strategy)

♦

ATTITUDE (what people are passionate about)

♦

What people do BEST

♦

ALIGNMENT of people and organisational COMPETENCIES, taking into account existing competencies, those people want to develop, as well as those people might not be aware of, but which are necessary to achieve the strategy.

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Best: What people are best at Competencies: What competencies does the individual have (and want to develop)?

Attitude: What people are passionate about

What competencies reside in the organisation?

Ambition: What people strive to achieve

What competencies does the organisation need to achieve its business strategy?

Alignment: Is the ambition aligned with the business strategy? Figure 4: The ABC Hedgehog

Figure 4 shows a hedgehog concept, illustrating the relationships between the various components of the model. This hedgehog concept helps us focus on those issues which are central to any mentorship or coaching programme.

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Best: What people are best at Competencies: What competencies does the individual have (and want to develop)?

Attitude: What people are passionate about

What competencies reside in the organisation?

Ambition: What people strive to achieve Alignment: Is the ambition aligned with the business strategy?

Strategyfocused mentorship space

What competencies does the organisation need to achieve its business strategy?

Figure 5: Strategic focal area in the ABC Hedgehog

Figure 5 shows the space where truly strategy-focused mentorship takes place, namely at the convergence of the three circles of the ABC Hedgehog.

Think piece: Informal mentorship carries on outside the strategyfocused mentorship space ♦ often concurrently with the formal model ♦ often as an outflow from the formal model.

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CHAPTER TWO

Quick review two: We identified and discussed the five premises fundamental to the relationship between people and strategy: 1. People are business: Having the right people, in the right seats on the bus, means the right business. 2. People operate in time: Skills and knowledge take time to develop, and are conditioned not only by the past, but also by expectations of the future. 3. People search for meaning: Over time, groups of people develop a shared sense of meaning. 4. People have souls: We feel inspired by our work, we dream about possibilities, and can choose whether or not we want to share our knowledge. 5. People are teleologically predisposed: We are driven to work towards a goal. We drew up a hedgehog concept for mentoring and coaching, based on a simple ABC model:

♦

AMBITION (to achieve the strategy)

♦

ATTITUDE (what people are passionate about)

♦

What people do BEST

♦

ALIGNMENT of people and organisational COMPETENCIES, taking into account those competencies already existing, those people want to develop, and those they might not be aware of, that are necessary to achieve the strategy.

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CHAPTER TWO

Using the ABC Hedgehog and the Five Premises: Translating theory into practice How do we translate the theory into practice and see that the programme is situated at the critical convergence point of the ABC Hedgehog, thus ensuring that our programme is strategically aligned and focused? Before we address this important question, it will be useful to review the model and look briefly at some desirable outcomes of delivery in the process of translating theory into action.

Occurs naturally in the right environment

People are business

=

People operate in time

People search for meaning

Five premises

+

ABC model

People have souls

People are teleologically predisposed

= = =

Leads to: Mutual recognition and celebration of achieved goals

Figure 6: Quick review - putting it all together

49

Strategic focus

Passionate people Balanced mentorship relationship Mutually facilitated learning opportunities

CHAPTER TWO Figure 6 depicts the Five Premises and the ABC model, and suggests outcomes that can be expected from focused interaction, based on the theory suggested in our discussions of the concepts. Firstly we can expect strategic alignment between the programme and organisational strategy. We can measure this easily: If the programme is not focused on the elements of the ABC model, it is not strategically aligned. Secondly, we can expect to see evidence of passion within the organisation. There are various indicators of this, such as increased innovation, greater focus and discipline (people tend naturally to be more focused on and disciplined regarding things they are passionate about), higher energy levels, increased outputs, meeting commitments and deadlines more often and with less last-minute rush (which relates directly to discipline), and most of all, heightened engagement. Thirdly, once the programme is operational we can expect to see the natural development of balanced mentorship relationships, without the need to use terms like ‘mentor/ mentee’, ‘coachee’, or ‘protégé’. In such balanced relationships we can expect to see the choice being made to share knowledge12 openly and honestly, and for learning to occur bi-directionally, with both parties in the relationship gaining. These win-win relationships are true mutually facilitated learning opportunities, and are of inestimable benefit to the individuals and the organisation in terms of knowledge sharing and creating and developing a learning culture. Finally, we could expect to see the natural recognition of achievement and the celebration of achieved goals taking place. The use of the ABC model is simply described, but it is a process that can take a good deal of time – a fact that should be taken into account by the champions and the sponsor. A lack of time at this stage can lead to a lack of quality and loss of strategic alignment, which in turn leads to an unsustainable programme. However, with today’s technology such as enterprise resource programmes, human resource systems and the electronic filing of employee data, much of the necessary information is already available and accessible. It is important to stress at this point that it is not necessary to ask employees to fill out new profiles and additional documents – the information is available, just waiting to be intelligently interrogated and analysed within the confines of the Hedgehog.

12

See Premise 4: People have souls

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CHAPTER TWO

Step one:

Setting up a database and management reports Depending on the budget, the champions can work with internal resources, external consultants or contractors, or a combination of these to compile or organise a database and set of management reports that directly answer the questions asked by the ABC Hedgehog. 1. What are our people best at? 2. What do our people want to achieve? What goals have they set themselves? 3. What individual competencies and skills reside within the organisation? 4. Arising from this, what are the group competencies and skills at an organisational level? 5. What are the individual competencies and skills people would like to develop? Useful data underlying the answers to these questions will include career plans, performance appraisal documents, performance agreements, personal profiles, succession plans, role profiles, critical skills analyses, recruitment data, etc.

Step two:

Strategic conversations The champions and members of the design team can refresh themselves as to the key stakeholders in the next step of the process, by referring to the Goose Egg Framework. The champions should set up a series of conversations or focus groups with stakeholders involved in strategy development and implementation aimed at gaining an understanding of the following:

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1. What is the ambition of the organisation? 2. What is the strategy that will enable the organisation to achieve that ambition? 3. What are the skills and competencies required to support the strategy in achieving the ambition? 4. How are we going to ensure sustainability of the strategy over time? 5. What competencies, skills and behaviours do we need to retain in the organisation? 6. What competencies, skills and behaviours do we need to transfer to the next generation of leaders?

Step three:

Gap analysis Armed with focused management reports and information from the strategic conversations, the champions and the design team can now set up a gap analysis to ask and answer the following questions: 1. What competencies and skills do we need to achieve the strategy and ambition that we do not already have within our organisation? 2. What competencies and skills, therefore, do we need to develop within our organisation in the short, medium and long term? 3. What behaviours will support the implementation of the strategy?

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Step four:

Understanding and assessing attitudes and passions In the introduction to this section we mentioned some indicators of evidence of passion in an organisation (innovation, focus, discipline, energy levels, commitment and engagement). Leaders who are engaged with the organisation and in touch with the broader employee base will have a good feel for the broad attitudes of their people. However, there are other ways (depending on budget) of measuring these two critical elements of the ABC Hedgehog. These include: ♦

Psychometric instruments

♦

Natural observation

♦

Action research

♦

Appreciative Inquiry

♦

Focus groups

♦

Climate surveys (internal and external).

The champions and the sponsor should agree on a combination of these and should use the data obtained to set up one clear management report which captures the essential themes and patterns.

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Step five:

Integration The final step in the design stage is to categorise the design elements from the Goose Egg Framework according to the ABC Hedgehog, and to ensure that the crucial elements feature in the strategy-focused space. The information from Steps one to four should be combined into one document, which should be quality controlled against the following: 1. The Goose Egg Framework, to check for consistency with the needs expressed during the co-creation and discussion and dialogue phases a. Have all the design elements and needs from the Goose Egg Framework been addressed? 2. The ABC Hedgehog, to ensure that the scope of the programme covers and fulfils organisational requirements and that it is positioned in a strategically focused space 3. The organisational strategy, as a secondary check for strategic alignment 4. The Five Premises, to check for strategic engagement. This final document is ♦

the architecture of the mentorship or coaching programme

♦

a product of a co-creation process

♦

the mentorship or coaching strategy and policy document

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CHAPTER TWO

♦

strategically aligned and focused

♦

practical, in that it reflects the needs of the organisation and its people.

The architecture will inform the implementation process, while forming the foundation for monitoring and measuring the programme. It is the foundation and backbone of the programme; it is more than a concept document or a needs assessment. In fact, it is more than a document (hence our use of the term “architecture”), as it is the visible product of the co-creation process and captures the essence of the needs, wishes, passions and strategic focus of the organisation.

Sponsor

Design team

Champions

HR

User information

Finance department

Internal mentors and coaches

External service providers

Agreement

Requirements and needs

Figure 7: Components of the architecture

55

Other key stakeholders and influencers

Policy document

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 2 dealt with the important design and co-creation processes. The deliverable output of this chapter is the architecture for the programme. In this chapter we focused on the following: ♦

The importance of positive talk, as well as some tips for engaging in positive and meaningful discussion and dialogue

♦

The use of the Goose Egg Framework to identify essential design elements in an eight step process, including a possibility conversation to develop a strategically aligned purpose statement for the programme

♦

Five Premises underlying the relationship between people and strategy: 1. People are business: Having the right people, in the right seats on the bus, means the right business 2. People operate in time: Skills and knowledge take time to develop, and are conditioned not only by the past, but also by expectations of the future 3. People search for meaning: Over time, groups of people develop a shared sense of meaning 4. People have souls: We feel inspired by our work, we dream about possibilities, and can choose whether or not we want to share our knowledge 5. People are teleologically predisposed: We are driven to work towards a goal.

♦

The ABC model, which is the Hedgehog Concept of a mentorship or coaching programme: ◊

AMBITION (to achieve the strategy)

◊

ATTITUDE (what people are passionate about)

◊

What people do BEST

◊

ALIGNMENT of people and organisational COMPETENCIES,

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CHAPTER TWO taking into account those competencies already existing, those people want to develop, and those people might not be aware of, that are necessary to achieve the strategy ♦

Five steps to translating theory into practice and to set up the architecture ◊

Step one: Setting up a database and management reports

◊

Step two: Strategic conversations

◊

Step three: Gap analysis

◊

Step four: Understanding and assessing attitudes and passions

◊

Step five: Integration.

EXERCISE TWO Chapter 2 is a long and complex chapter, with several critical learning points. However, these are all summarised in the architecture, which is the product or deliverable of the chapter. This exercise is divided into two sub-exercises.

Exercise A: Possibility conversations Practise holding a possibility conversation using the guidelines in Checkpoint seven (repeated below for your convenience). Select a small group of colleagues to assist you by predicating in the conversation. Choose a topic with which you and those involved are comfortable, and of which you all have knowledge. Examples: ♦

Managing the Debtors Book: How can we collect monies due to us more effectively?

♦

How can we manage inventory (stock) control effectively?

♦

What would make our corporate newsletter more interesting?

♦

How can we use our current office space more effectively?

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CHAPTER TWO

How to hold a What if? conversation J.

Everybody sits in a circle, without a table.

K. Identify a facilitator, a timekeeper and a scribe or recorder. L. The facilitator’s role is to ensure that everybody gets an opportunity to ask at least one question, and to avoid one person dominating the forum. M. The facilitator should also set a time period for the conversation, which is usually about 10 minutes. N. The facilitator starts the session with a brief to all participants to ask questions beginning with the words “What if?” Questions must be positively focused, looking at the possibilities inherent to the rationale. O. Participants should not try to answer the questions, but should allow the questions to trigger questions of their own. P. The scribe or recorder should jot down the questions or key words from the questions on a flipchart, or capture them in a mind map. Q. The timekeeper should call a halt at the end of the allocated time. R. At the end of the conversation, the group should collect around the recorded material, and discuss the various possibilities that have surfaced, eliminating the wildly impossible or improbable, and gradually distilling the essence of the conversation into a few powerful and meaningful words or phrases.

Choose a topic that is real and meaningful in your circumstances. You might be able to add value to your business through the suggestions generated.

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CHAPTER TWO

Exercise B: The architecture 1. Copy the architecture drawing in Figure 7 (repeated below for your convenience) on as large a piece of paper as you can find (e.g. A0). 2. Fill in the names of the sponsor, design team and champions in the relevant blocks on the diagram. 3. Place check marks 9 against the departments you have already consulted or involved in the co-creation process. 4. On a flip chart or post-it pads, write the names of the mentors, service providers and key stakeholders and influencers, and stick them on the drawing in the relevant spaces. 5. Indicate (on the diagram) how you have captured your user information (electronic data base/ hard copies of employee files, etc). 6. Place check marks 9 against processes that are already in place (e.g. agreement) and exclamation marks ! or sad faces / against outstanding items. 7. Stand back and review your progress and take time to congratulate yourself on your achievements (remember the power of positive talk).

Sponsor

Design team

Champions

HR

User information

Finance department

Internal mentors and coaches

External service providers

Agreement

Requirements and needs

Figure 7: Architecture

59

Other key stakeholders and influencers

Policy document

CHAPTER TWO

60

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER 3: NUTS AND BOLTS Quick review three: We used two models to co-create a design document for the coaching or mentoring programme:

1.

Watkins and Mohr’s Goose Egg Framework that reviews stakeholders, influencers and their relationships, as well as critical design elements and needs

2. An ABC Hedgehog that reflects ◊

AMBITION (to achieve the strategy) ATTITUDE (what people are passionate about)

◊

What people do BEST

◊

ALIGNMENT of people and organisational COMPETENCIES, taking into account those competencies already existing, those people want to develop, and those people might not be aware of, that are necessary to achieve the strategy.

◊

The design document is

♦ the architecture of the mentorship or coaching programme ♦ a product of a co-creation process ♦ the mentorship or coaching strategy and policy document ♦ strategically aligned and focused ♦ practical, in that it reflects the needs of the organisation and its people.

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CHAPTER THREE While the architecture forms the structure and policy guidelines for the programme which will be unique to each organisation, there are several common operational procedures, tools and processes that are common to most programmes. It is these that we will now address in the nuts and bolts section.

The agreement Mentoring and coaching are very personal relationships within the world of work. There are therefore two issues of importance: The business relationship (which could be an employment relationship, but not necessarily so, such as in the case of external mentoring or coaching) and the personal sharing and learning relationship. Issues such as confidentiality, scope, duration, needs and expectations must be addressed in order for the relationship to be sound, productive and healthy. Best practices recommend an agreement to formalise the relationship by defining the issues, setting parameters and boundaries and determining a clear scope in terms of initiation and termination (or downshifting to a more informal relationship). The agreement should be conceptualised as a dynamic tool rather than an immutable structure, and therefore should be subject to periodic review and, if necessary, revision. It is not a contract (such as an employment contract) and there should be no “penalty clauses” or mention of breach. The function of the agreement is to guide and inform the relationship, and to ensure that it is aligned with the architecture of the programme.

Important components of a mentoring or coaching agreement include: ♦

The definition of relevant and appropriate participants and stakeholders ◊

Mentor

◊

Mentee

◊

Sponsor (the personal sponsor of the mentee, not the programme sponsor)

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CHAPTER THREE

♦

♦

♦

♦

◊

Line manager

◊

Human resources

The period ◊

Initiation date

◊

Termination date

The frequency of contact between the parties (e.g. weekly/ monthly/fortnightly) ◊

Total number of hours

◊

Length of sessions

The type of contact and/or additional support mechanisms ◊

Face-to-face discussions

◊

Telephonic conversations

◊

Video-conferencing

◊

E-mail

◊

Regular articles and additional reading material

◊

Blogs

Expected ‘time out’, such as: ◊

Seasonal requirements of the business

◊

Pregnancies

◊

Sabbaticals

◊

Long leave

◊

Formal training or studies

♦

The goals (these should be drawn from the personal requirements of the person to be mentored, and aligned with the architecture)

♦

The specific content: ◊

Informed by the goals and the architecture

◊

The desired outcomes in terms of: Š

Learning objectives

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CHAPTER THREE

♦

♦

♦

♦

Š

Desired behaviours

Š

Long or short-term development needs

Specific learning needs, related to the outcomes, but also taking into account individual needs in terms of: ◊

Learning style

◊

Cognitive style

The responsibilities of both parties and the organisation, to ◊

be physically and psychologically present

◊

abide by the terms of the agreement

◊

provide an environment supportive of the mentoring or coaching programme

◊

prepare before each session

◊

make it possible for both parties to participate fully in the programme

◊

measure, monitor and review progress and to create opportunities for regular feedback to mentor, mentee and other appropriate stakeholders

Supervision/counselling/support ◊

Will an appropriate supervision, counselling or support process be put in place for the mentor?

◊

If so, how will confidentiality issues be dealt with?

◊

Multiple mentorship, where provision is made for more than one mentor

In certain cases, it might be necessary to address the authorship of publications that might arise from the relationship.

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CHAPTER THREE

Pairing As has already been mentioned, mentoring or coaching relationships are personal and often very intimate, yet they take place in the world of work. It is crucial to put a structure in place to ‘hold’ the relationship within the context of the business relationship. This structure includes the mentoring or coaching agreement, the culture of the organisation and, of course, the architecture of the programme. It is also vital to get the personal chemistry right or the relationship will simply not work, irrespective of the structure and any additional support mechanisms that are put in place. In our discussion of the ABC Hedgehog Concept we referred to several ways in which the ‘passion factor’ can be assessed, estimated or scientifically measured. These include: ♦

Psychometric instruments

♦

Natural observation

♦

Action research

♦

Appreciative Inquiry

♦

Focus groups

♦

Climate surveys (internal and external).

These same methods can provide invaluable information to support the pairing process, and can be supplemented by compatibility audits or assessments that are available with some psychometric instruments. Ultimately, as relationships are subjective and subject to the forces of interpersonal dynamics, so the pairing process is subjective. Assessments, instruments, research, focus groups, observation and recommendations are only guides. The two people involved in the relationship need to make the final choice themselves. Once a short-list of potential pairings has been drawn up, a series of interviews should be set up between the various potential partners, allowing the individuals themselves to make the final choices.

65

CHAPTER THREE There are, however, a few caveats, or points to watch out for: ♦

Choices made on the basis of likeability, or the perceived ‘niceness’ of mentors or coaches

♦

Choices made on the basis of existing friendships, likes or dislikes

♦

Choices made on the basis of organisational hierarchies

♦

Repeated use of one mentor or coach.

The champions (and possibly the HR Department) should take care to brief potential mentors, mentees, coaches and coachees to avoid these situations, providing helpful guidelines which could include ♦

knowledge of the specific field of interest or need

♦

credibility

♦

personal style

♦

learning style

♦

interests

♦

feedback style

♦

accessibility and availability

♦

cue sensitivity ◊

How easily does one person pick up on verbal and non-verbal cues from another?

◊

A continuum ranging from cue sensitive to cue deaf Š

Two people who are positioned towards the cue deaf end of the continuum could have difficulty reading each other’s cues and communication could be slow or blocked

Š

Two people who are positioned towards the cue sensitive end of the continuum could be oversensitive to each other’s cues, blocking communication. However, this situation could also lead to a very effective pairing.

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Training and briefing mentors and coaches Using the Goose Egg Framework, mentors and coaches have been identified as key stakeholders. Now they need to be identified as individuals, and briefed and trained. The architecture will have identified whether external or internal coaches and mentors are used, and might even have gone to the level of identifying individuals. Mentors and coaches can also be expected to have put forward their names, and many of them will have been involved in the strategic conversation, discussion and dialogue phase of the programme, in their normal organisational roles. The champions should arrange a series of workshops to brief and train the mentors and coaches with the following essential elements:

1. Overview of the architecture

Each mentor or coach should receive a copy both as a bound and printed version, but also electronically. The overview should be relatively brief, as various elements will also be presented during the workshops and discussed in detail. However, the importance of the architecture and the co-creation methodology must be emphasised, particularly if the mentors and coaches form part of that process.

2. Overview of the Goose Egg Framework

This establishes the scope of the programme and contextualises it within the parameters agreed to in the design phase. The review should include a discussion by the mentors of the relationships, as well as the role players and design elements, as this will provide valuable information on the dynamics of the organisation.

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3. Strategy scene-setting

This reminds mentors and coaches of the essential elements of the organisation’s strategy. It should preferably be presented by a senior executive, if not the CEO herself, and is a critical step in ensuring that strategy is part of everybody’s everyday job.

4. Value and purpose discussion

This is particularly important where mentors or coaches are outsourced, as it provides them with critical insights into the organisation’s culture. For internal mentors and coaches this discussion will be equally valuable, reinforcing the culture and highlighting the importance of engagement.

5. Overview of the rationale

This is to ensure that mentors and coaches understand what the desired outcomes of the programme should be. A discussion of the metrics of the programme can also be very useful at this point. Questions for discussion are: What do we want to achieve? How will we measure our success?

6. Overview of the Five Premises

This reinforces the messages already conveyed regarding strategy, culture, value and purpose. Mentors and coaches should be encouraged to discuss how they relate to these five premises personally, how they use them in their daily lives, and how they will include them in the programme.

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7. Overview and in-depth discussion of the ABC Hedgehog Concept

At this stage, management reports should be shared with coaches and mentors, to give them a sound understanding not only of the principles of the ABC model and the Hedgehog Concept, but of the unique requirements of the organisation. Particular attention must be paid to the strategy-focused mentorship space.

8. Review of a template of the agreement

There will be specific elements that certain mentors or coaches will want included or excluded, and these should be discussed and reviewed in an open forum. Individuals should be free to tailor the agreement to the unique needs of each relationship, while still retaining the essential ingredients that provide a solid holding structure.

9. Expectations13

Mentors and coaches will have expectations before the training sessions. Once they have engaged with the results of the cocreation process, the strategy and the architecture, these might have changed. It will be very useful to hold a discussion on expectations at this stage, to surface common themes and share hopes and aspirations.

13

There is a discussion on the general expectations of coaches, mentors, and protégés a little later on in the chapter.

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The mentoring and coaching umbrella As part of the training or orientation of mentors and coaches, a discussion of the mentoring and coaching umbrella is recommended. In a workshop setting, mentors and coaches can share knowledge, add value to the basic concept of the umbrella and develop a common, shared understanding unique to their specific programme. The expectations and benefits of the mentoring or coaching relationship are part of an umbrella, which broadly addresses three areas:

1. Feedback 2. Reinforcing strengths and developing perceived weaker areas 3. Reinforcing independent thinking. 1. Feedback A train-the-trainer type session on feedback is essential to ensure that all participants in the programme receive consistent levels of feedback, and have the potential to derive value from the process. Of course not all protégés will use the feedback equally effectively – some will embrace and internalise it totally, while others will accept and use feedback to a lesser degree. The important point is that mentors and coaches, while unique in their style and methods, are consistent in the elements of feedback that they provide. A brief framework for effective feedback follows, with some dos and don’ts shown on p.72.

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Feedback consists of four domains:

a. Expectations Expectations (or mutual agreement on desired outcomes) set the stage and are the foundation for effective feedback. Both parties know and understand what is expected of them, and what the goals are.

b. Observations Observations are simply what we see and hear. Observations are recent and factual, although they are, of course, filtered through the observer’s personal filters and perspectives. Observations therefore provide information.

c. Assessments Assessments are personal and subjective interpretations of information, and are therefore not facts: Value judgements are implicit in assessing any information. Feedback as an assessment can produce either resistance, or can impel a person to action and because of this, should be owned by the giver. Mentors or coaches must take accountability for any assessments or evaluations they make, and of how they convey these assessments to mentees or coachees.

d. Consequences Consequences are the desirable or undesirable outcomes of behaviours and actions. Consequences are known (they have already been observed) or possible (they are predictable with reasonable accuracy). A discussion of the consequences of actions or behaviours will focus on the effects of those actions or behaviours, often leading to recommendations and further or different actions. Consequences directly affect relationships and interactions with others, so feedback needs to focus on this critical aspect of human behaviour.

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CHAPTER THREE Some feedback dos and don’ts: Feedback Green Lights

Feedback Red Lights

1. Give feedback sooner rather than later 2. Aim to optimise or enhance performance 3. Clarify expectations 4. Separate observations from assessments and identify them for what they are 5. Engage in dialogue – don’t just talk, but listen and encourage discussion 6. Invite new information 7. Respect differences 8. Focus on the “doable” 9. Be constructive and developmental

1. Getting stuck in judgments 2. “Consensus building” with everyone 3. Assuming people know their value to the organisation 4. Starting with a mechanical or scripted lead-in 5. Jumping to conclusions about what happened or why 6. Engaging in monologues 7. Giving feedback long after the event or at inappropriate times 8. Not checking that the receiver understands the feedback

2. Reinforcing strengths and developing perceived weaker areas

This is the core of the mentoring or coaching relationship, and there is an extensive body of literature on this, so we will not dwell on it here. However, there is one important point regarding not only the establishment of the programme, but also its sustainability and alignment with its original objectives. In the co-creation process, a number of needs from various stakeholders will have been identified and incorporated into the architecture. These needs will typically have spoken directly to the reinforcing of strengths and the developing of perceived weaker areas, but will have added other focus areas, unique to each organisation at a given time. We have discussed in depth how the architecture should be flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs of the organisation, as informed by strategy. As the programme becomes more and more operational, the champions and

72

CHAPTER THREE sponsor need to revisit the architecture and check its strategic alignment, and also whether the programme is still doing what it was intended to do. In this they need to engage actively with the mentors and coaches, who should also have the freedom to provide them with feedback on essential elements at any time.

3. Reinforcing independent thinking

Today we are exposed to huge amounts of information: Data, empirical facts, perceptions, summaries, critiques, interpretations, and so on. We have access to a vast number of resources, online through the World-Wide Web, and via libraries, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, discussion forums, communities and societies, as well as through our organisational communication mechanisms. Mentorship and coaching programmes are critical in that they provide an environment where critical, independent thought can be developed, fostered and reinforced. Mentors and coaches should have the freedom to challenge thought patterns by initiating thought-provoking dialogue and discussions, and by setting assignments and projects that will expose their protégés to new and different perspectives.

Expectations There is a primary, overarching expectation of a mentoring or coaching programme, namely knowledge sharing and leadership while acquiring new knowledge. Mentors and coaches can expect to learn and grow in these bilateral, interdependent relationships. Other expectations should include relationship basics such as trust, commitment, openness and honesty, the fostering of individuality and mutual respect.

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CHAPTER THREE Benefits that all parties can expect to enjoy, include: ♦

Excitement and intellectual stimulation

♦

Personal growth

♦

Growth in expertise in a chosen field

♦

Developing a wider perspective from sharing viewpoints with others.

Mentees and coachees can expect that the mentor or coach will ♦

show an active interest in their work and in the mentee or coachee as a person

♦

be a credible individual with high ethical standards and values

♦

maintain confidentiality

♦

provide an environment conducive to learning and growth

♦

set high goals and standards of excellence ◊

Performance targets should be stretched, yet achievable

♦

take time to reflect on the relationship and make time for relationshiprelated discussions

♦

consult with other mentors and bring them in (if necessary and appropriate)

♦

be accessible within the scope of the agreement and beyond that, within reason

♦

be prepared for meetings

♦

be of above-average competency in her field

♦

be focused, yet flexible and responsive

♦

share ideas

♦

engage in debate with an open mind

♦

listen attentively

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CHAPTER THREE ♦

listen for feelings as well as for facts

♦

provide feedback

♦

be prepared to learn from the relationship.

Mentors and coaches can expect that mentees or coachees will ♦

keep to the meeting schedule agreed on

♦

work independently

♦

actively use feedback

♦

report progress, or lack thereof, honestly

♦

follow advice that has been asked for

♦

be excited and curious

♦

engage in interesting discussions

♦

share ideas

♦

be prepared for meetings

♦

take time to reflect on the relationship and make time for relationshiprelated discussions

♦

be focused

♦

be prepared to learn from the relationship.

Identified problem areas In every new (and existing) programme or process there will be some problem areas. We have identified a few of these, and present them with some suggestions as to how they can be managed.

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Problem area

Possible solution

Failure to establish a common purpose or goal

♦ Mentorship or coaching agreement

Lack of adequate structure

♦ Mentorship or coaching agreement ♦ Multiple mentorship/coaching – involve more people, use coaching or mentoring supervision programmes

Failure to achieve goals or targets

♦ Feedback focused on consequences ♦ Check whether targets or goals were stretched, yet achievable ♦ Multiple mentorship/coaching – involve more people, use coaching or mentoring supervision programmes

Exclusive focus on some elements while ignoring other, important issues

♦ Mentorship or coaching agreement ♦ ROI measurement

Providing insufficient feedback on strengths

♦ Coaching for mentors on how to give feedback

Feedback on weakness too vague, too general, or lacking in behavioural specificity

♦ Coaching for mentors on how to give feedback

Failure to facilitate an active self-change process

♦ Multiple mentorship/coaching – involve more people, use coaching or mentoring supervision programmes ♦ Check the pairing, and change if necessary

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Problem area

Possible solution

Lack of a supportive emotional climate for self-evaluation and behavioural change

♦ Multiple mentorship/coaching – involve more people, use coaching or mentoring supervision programmes ♦ Check the pairing, and change if necessary

Procrastination and work avoidance behaviour

♦ Mentorship or coaching agreement ♦ Mini-breaks or mini-vacations from the process ♦ Feedback focused on consequences

Ineffective communication

♦ Give clear, precise instructions and explanations ♦ Check for understanding ♦ Mentors and coaches should be aware of where they and their mentees are on the cuesensitivity continuum ♦ Feedback based on observations, assessments and consequences

Checkpoint eight: Process problems and possible solutions

CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 3 highlights the nuts and bolts of the programme and in this chapter we learned how to

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set up a mentoring or coaching agreement as a dynamic tool to provide structure and guidance for the relationship optimise the pairing process

♦

train and brief mentors and coaches

♦

engage with mentors and coaches on a specific feedback methodology that address four domains: ◊

Expectations

◊

Observations

◊

Consequences

◊

Assessments.

We also discussed the importance of expectations from both coaches/ mentors and protégés, and finally we provided a list of potential problems that might arise, with possible solutions to address these effectively.

EXERCISE THREE: FEEDBACK As mentoring and coaching are essentially about relationships, even if you are not a mentor yourself, it would be a good idea to practise giving feedback (always a useful skill in any role or situation). 1. Ask colleagues to assist you by participating in this exercise.

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CHAPTER THREE 2. Choose a topic that is meaningful to you and ensure that you can draw personal benefit from the feedback. Ask each of your colleagues to do the same. a. Examples: i. Giving formal presentations to large groups of people ii. Speaking in meetings iii. Writing reports or articles iv. Preparing for an event, seminar, or conference

3. Choose roles: Mentor/coach, protégé and observer.

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CHAPTER THREE 4. Start with the protégé stating the topic and explaining why it would be useful to receive feedback on this. Unpack the topic to give some contextual information to the other two. Give examples of behaviour linked to the topic.

5. Using the four domains of feedback, the mentor/coach should give specific feedback on the topic. a. b. c. d.

Expectations Observations Consequences Assessments

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CHAPTER THREE 6. The observer now gives feedback to the mentor/coach, also using the four domains, on her perceptions of the feedback given to the protégé.

7. Switch roles and repeat until everybody has taken a turn in all three roles.

8. Debrief each other on what was good, difficult and different about this process.

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Once you have mastered this method, you can use it in trainer-the-trainer sessions for mentors and coaches.

IN CONCLUSION The development and implementation journey, despite the guidelines in this booklet, will not necessarily always be smooth and easy, but it will be exciting. There are many resources available to support champions along the way, not least of which is the co-creation process itself. Other resources include using mailing lists and discussion forums to share questions, queries and success stories with others in the community. Blogging is a very useful and increasingly popular way of sharing ideas and tapping into a rich and diverse body of opinion. People who take the trouble to maintain a blog tend to care passionately about the subject and are enthusiastic about engaging with like-minded individuals. Blogging could be useful not only as a support mechanism for champions, but also for mentors and coaches, providing a forum for general discussions with many protégés simultaneously. Mentees who use blogs can share their knowledge and experiences with the wider community, adding an additional dimension to the bilateral learning experience. Over time a ‘knowledge node’ around mentoring and coaching will develop, not only adding richness and diversity to the knowledge we already have, but growing it in terms of multiple perspectives and approaches. Mentorship and coaching programmes will differ from organisation to organisation, as will the way in which they are implemented. Some readers will take the “Lite” approach to the material in this booklet, using only certain elements, while others might find it useful to follow all the suggested steps to the letter. Whatever the approach, the critical take-home message I would like to convey comes directly from social constructionist theory: We create our own realities. The business reality that we create is rooted in our strategy and in the way in which we are engaged in meaning-making activities. We are driven at a fundamental human level to be recognised, to see our contribution reflected somewhere in the larger whole. The bigger picture should hold a fragment of our reality in order for it to resonate with

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CHAPTER THREE us and us with it. Strategically focused mentorship or coaching programmes that acknowledge this fact, and are developed and implemented by engaging with all the relevant stakeholders, will be sustainable. Mentorship and coaching are essentially about value propositions. Through mentoring and coaching we have the potential to understand our own unique value proposition, to revisit it often and to test its relevance to our own personal ‘here-and-now’: The reality that we have constructed. We have the potential to reach out to others, and through dialogue to catalyse the process of discovery of their unique value proposition, and help them nurture and grow their understanding of it. We have the potential to discover the value proposition of our organisation at a level of meaning beyond the corporate mission statement, values or culture, but at a level of personal engagement. Through a blend of philosophical underpinnings and practical guidelines, I have tried to engage with you, the reader, and through you, with the programmes you will be developing. Enjoy the journey – it is worthwhile!

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LIST OF CHAPTER WORKS THREE CONSULTED

LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED Becvar, D.S, & Becvar R.J. 1996. Family Therapy: A systemic integration. Third Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Burton A, & Radford J. 1978. Thinking in Perspective: Critical essays in the study of thought processes. London: Methuen. Collins, J. 2001. Good to Great. London: Random House Business Books. Dotlich, D; Noel, J.L; Walker, N. 2004. Leadership Passages: The Personal and Professional Transitions That Make or Break a Leader. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons. Drucker, P.F. 1986. Managing for Results. New York, NY: Harper Collins. Gratton, L. 2000. Living Strategy: Putting people at the heart of corporate purpose. San Francisco: Prentice Hall. Kaplan, R.S & Norton, D.P. 2001. The Strategy Focused Organization: How balanced scorecard companies thrive in the new business environment. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Kehoe, J. 1994. Mind Power. West Vancouver: Zoetic Inc.. Owen, N. 2004. More Magic of Metaphor: Stories for Leaders, Influencers and Motivators. Carmarthen: Crown House. Swartz, L. 1998. Culture and mental Health: A South African view. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. Watkins, J. M, & Mohr, B. 2003. Appreciative Inquiry for Organisation Change: Theory, Practice and Application. Workshop Resource Book (distributed in a Foundation course facilitated by Jane Magruder Watkins and Ralph Kelly). Watkins, J. M, & Mohr, B. 2001. Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the speed of imagination. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

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CHAPTER THREE OTHER RESOURCES

OTHER RESOURCES Deloitte Best Company To Work For: http://www.bestcompany.co.za/ Goose and Egg picture: http://www.tumbletales.com/stories/story3.html Hedgehog picture: http://www.crystal-fox.com/ Project Management Institute (PMI) : http://www.pmi.org/ Umbrella picture: http://www.coppercutters.com/ WorkInfo.com Self Help Guide to Mentoring : http://www.workinfo.com/Sub/ Sub_for_td/Training/mentorting.htm

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APPENDIX CHAPTER THREE

APPENDIX: SAMPLE OF A GENERIC MENTORSHIP AGREEMENT Sample of a generic mentorship/ coaching agreement Date:

_______________________________________________

Version Number:

_______________________________________________

Review Date:

_______________________________________________

Definitions:

_______________________________________________

Mentor:

_______________________________________________

The mentor fulfils the role of trusted counsellor or teacher, and in the context of this agreement, is the more experienced person in the pairing. The role includes pairing with the mentee or protégé in order to ♦

facilitate personal and career development and advancement

♦

achieve educational advancement (delete if not applicable)

♦

build and maintain networks.

Mentor's name:

_______________________________________________

Mentee/protégé:

_______________________________________________

The mentee or protégé (terms are used interchangeably) fulfils the role of learner or student, i.e. the one whose development is guided, informed and facilitated by the mentor. Mentee's name:

_______________________________________________

Sponsor:

_______________________________________________

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The protégé is sponsored by: ______________________________________ Line manager:

_______________________________________________

The protégé reports to _______________________ (name, role title, department) Human Resources Contact: _________________________________________ The Human Resources contact responsible for the protégé's file is __________ _______________________________________________________________

Period Initiation date:

_______________________________________________

Termination date:

_______________________________________________

Frequency The parties will meet once a week/month/fortnight for the duration of the programme. The contract is for a total of _______________ hours of mentoring time, with each face-to-face meeting being a period of 60/90/120 minutes. Should either party not be able to attend a scheduled meeting, he/she should notify the other timeously, and immediately arrange an alternative session.

Additional support In addition to the scheduled face-to-face sessions, the protégé is entitled to one 30-minute telephonic session per month, at his/her cost for connectivity. This should be scheduled in advance between the two parties, and can be initiated by either mentor or protégé, depending on necessity.

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The mentor will supply the protégé with __________ articles or reading material (URLs for relevant websites, abstracts, book chapters or summaries, etc) each month. These will be e-mailed to the protégé, who is expected to read them before the next scheduled session. The mentor has set up a blog to which all her protégés have access. The URL for the blog is _______________________________________________________ The protégé is encouraged to read postings, but is not required to make comments or add postings through this is encouraged in order to share experiences with others.

Time out Because of the seasonal nature of the protégé's role, he/she will not be required to engage in face-to-face sessions between __________________________ and _______________ During this time, he/she is encouraged to utilise the telephonic support facility, and read and participate in the mentor's blog. The mentor will continue to supply regular articles, which the protégé is required to read. In the event of any of the following arising, the mentor and protégé will agree on an appropriate period during which all active mentoring will cease and when it will recommence. These details will be incorporated into version __________ of this agreement. ♦

Pregnancy

♦

Sabbaticals

♦

Long leave

♦

Formal training or studies.

Goals and content (These should be drawn from the personal requirements of the person to be mentored, and aligned with the architecture.)

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List the goals very specifically, preferably in table form, with due dates and measures.

Goal

Learning objective

Due date

Associated Associated behaviour long-term development

Measure

Associated short-term development

need

Due date

need

Responsibility charter We, the mentor and mentee, agree, by our signatures hereto, and commit ourselves to the best of our ability to ♦

be physically and psychologically present for each other during interactions

♦

abide by the terms of the agreement

♦

prepare before each session

♦

engage in constructive dialogue and discussion

♦

follow advice or recommendations that might be sought

♦

engage in facilitating a mutual learning experience.

I, the sponsor, as representative of __________________________ (organisation name) agree, by my signature hereto, to commit myself and __________________ (organisation name) to the best of our ability to

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♦

make it possible for both parties to participate fully in the programme

♦

measure, monitor and review progress and create opportunities for regular feedback to mentor, mentee and other appropriate stakeholders

♦

provide an environment supportive of the mentoring or coaching programme.

Signatures Mentor:

_______________________________________________

Protégé:

_______________________________________________

Sponsor:

_______________________________________________

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