Managers As Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning - Softcover

Bell, Chip R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1576750345 ISBN 13: 9781576750346

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998

Synopsis

Mentoring in today's business community requires that leaders act more like partners toward coworkers. In this book, consultant Chip Bell provides techniques to help leaders avoid the hazards of hierarchy and focus on forming relationships with coworkers in which everyone learns from the interaction--and benefits the organization.

About this title

Review

According to consultant and trainer Chip R. Bell, mentoring is a highly synergistic, two-way performance that, when properly engaged, takes on the synchronized qualities of a well-executed dance. In Managers As Mentors: Building Partnerships for Learning, he explains what mentoring is (and is not) and provides a way for readers to assess their own attributes for the practice. Subsequent information--designed to be personalized and read in any order--deals with such specifics as giving advice properly, gaining protege acceptance, lessening the fear factor, and finding time to commit to the process.

From the Publisher

Questions for Discussion:

* What does mentoring mean to you? What are examples of great mentors in your life? What did these great mentors do which made them significant in your life?

* What are the pros and cons of mentoring programs in an organization? What factors could make mentoring programs work effectively in an organization?

* Today's organizations must remain in a constant state of learning. To do that, every leader must be a mentor to all the people they influence. What are the major challenges of a manager mentoring the associate they directly supervise?

* Effective mentoring begins with rapport-a comfortable kinship. What are ways mentors can establish rapport when beginning a new mentoring relationship?

* Learning means taking risks and trying new behaviors. It means being awkward before you can be confident; a novice before mastery. What are ways mentors can help create a relationship in which protgs feel comfortable trying new skills?

* Research indicates demonstrated acceptance and positive regard are tools for creating a learning relationship. How does a mentor demonstrate acceptance and regard? What are actions which cause protgs to feel judged, critiqued or tested?

* One of the most important gifts a mentor gives to a protg is advice. What makes advice giving most challenging? What are ways a mentor can give advice so that the advice is heard and valued by the protg?

* How are advice and feedback different? What are ways a mentor can provide feedback in a fashion that is beneficial to the protg?

* Great mentoring relationships are characterized by productive dialogue, conversations with insight producing questions plus healthy give and take. What are ways a mentor can foster productive dialogue? What steps should a mentor take if the conversation is not working?

* How does a mentor end a mentoring relationship? What are ways to keep the relationship from becoming dependent? How can mentors help extend the learning beyond the relationship?

Suggestions for Further Reading:

* Bell, Chip R. and Shea, Heather, Dance Lessons: Six Steps to Great Partnerships in Business and Life * Weaver, Richard G. and Farrell, John D., Managers As Facilitators * Blanchard, Ken; Carlos, John; and Randolph, Alan, Empowerment Takes More than a Minute Courtesy of Berrett-Koehler Publishers BERRETT-KOEHLER STUDY GUIDE

Edition details

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1576750345
• ISBN 13: 9781576750346
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 216