The Art of Mentoring: Lead, Follow and Get Out of the Way - Hardcover

Peddy, Shirley, Ph.D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0965137635 ISBN 13: 9780965137638

Publisher: Learning Connections, 1999

Synopsis

"Rachel, I'm disturbed when I hear managers delight in bringing new people into their organizations and practicing a philosophy of sink or swim. I don't believe we can hold someone up indefinitely to keep him from 'drowning,' but neither should we consider employees disposable....Sometimes we just have to look back and ask ourselves how we can do better." (p.169). The Art of Mentoring is a universal guide to developing the talents of others. If you're a new mentor or just want to sharpen your skills, you'll find it a source of practical insight and inspiration.

It teaches us how to create a partnership of trust and learning for people in today's chaotic organizations. This is the captivating story of Rachel, an internal consultant sent to a small subsidiary. Her challenge: rekindle motivation in the five marketers there or recommend their termination. Her decision: create a culture in which each person has the opportunity and help to succeed. Mentors learn: To begin building a trusting relationship To teach a new employee the 'unspoken rules' of organizations To help someone find her life's purpose and transform her mundane job into a satisfying role To use straight talk to prevent someone from derailing his career To coach on interpersonal skills To use the 'lead, follow and get out of the way' process

The Art of Mentoring covers in detail some of the most contentious mentoring issues: helping employees master the work and unspoken rules, improving their interpersonal skills, dealing with job dissatisfaction, workaholism, cynicism and the lack of motivation at the end of a career. It shows how to create a mentoring culture in a company or a work group. It offers advice in such key areas as how to give feedback to someone who is defensive, how to coach an employee on simple things (like asking for a raise) or more complex matters, as how to help someone overcome a natural defensiveness.

It describes the process "lead, follow and get out of the way," answers the question who should mentor-and who shouldn't, explains what to look for in a mentor and illustrates how important mentoring is at every stage of a career.

About this title

From the Publisher:

The first edition of The Art of Mentoring was meant for managers, human resources professionals, and training consultants whose organizations were involved in mentoring. Before long, it found a large audience among personal coaches and people who wanted to use its practical insights and ideas to improve their lives at work and at home.

This second edition contains two totally new chapters on "being mentored." The reader learns a complete process for establishing a mentoring relationship, the stages of a mentoring relationship, how to get the most from that relationship and pitfalls to avoid.

In addition, Dr. Peddy explains the four purposes of mentoring: wisdom, judgment, resilience and independence. We believe readers will find this book an indispensable guide to enhancing the mentoring relationship.

From the Author:

Some people have asked me why I write novels instead of the standard "how-to" books. In his powerful book How to Argue and Win Every Time attorney Gerry Spence explains, "Storytelling has been the principle means by which we have taught one another since the beginning of time." What is mentoring but one person sharing the wisdom gained from experience with a willing and eager student? One advantage I find in writing a novel is that it allows my characters to raise all the typical objections to the advice they are given and the narrator to respond in a helpful way. Like my first book, Secrets of the Jungle, Art is meant to be practical and immediately useful.

People learn in different ways. Some people enjoy stories; others prefer their information in a more structured form. Those who prefer structure should focus on "Notes to the Mentoring File," key summaries at the end of most chapters. These may be accessed easily through the "Contents." Whatever your choice, I know you will gain practical insights and ideas from reading this book. If you would like to contact me directly, my e-mail is success@bullionbooks.com. I'd love to hear from you. Keep shining. Shirley

About this edition

• Publisher: Learning Connections
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0965137635
• ISBN 13: 9780965137638
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 230