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SHINe mentoring workshop

Tuesday 25 April 2006 
National Library of Scotland, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh
Catriona Denoon

I attended this mentoring workshop to find out more about the changes to the CILIP mentoring scheme and to learn a bit more about being a mentor in general.  The day was arranged by CILIP Scotland, with the morning session delivered by Val Walker and Alison Turriff of the PTEG Mentor Support Network in Scotland and the afternoon session by Margaret Chapman and Margaret Watson from CILIP. 

The outcomes were that by the end of the course we should be able to define mentoring, understand the values of a good mentor, understand core mentoring principles, understand learning styles, create the right climate for successful mentoring, and understand the CILIP Mentoring Scheme.

Overall, the course highlighted many benefits of mentoring:

  • the mentee should get focused career development, improved self-confidence, advice and guidance from more experienced colleagues, access to networks and contacts, and development for any future management posts
  • the mentor should get personal development from the process, together with job satisfaction, a chance to work on interpersonal skills, the discovery of talent among new or unfamiliar staff, and increased professional status
  • the organisation should benefit from having its skills bank developed, having more focused employees, improved staff morale and getting mostly low-cost career development for staff
  • the library profession should gain improved networks, managed career development, focused individuals, common agreed professional standards and increased status.

The group work was less cringe-worthy than on many such occasions because the topics turned out to be so interesting.  First of all we were asked to discuss our experiences of being mentored.  For anyone (like me) who had never had a mentor we were to discuss a time when we had asked a colleague or manager for advice, since this is something that will have happened to everyone, wherever they work.  We were asked what we gained from the experience, how our mentors/colleagues facilitated this, and what made it enjoyable (or otherwise).  This was very useful as it got us thinking about what we had learned from our experiences, and how we could try and apply that in our mentoring.

The next part of the session focused on learning and mentoring styles.  We were told that CILIP are moving away from the focus of the old scheme on directive management of the candidate, to encourage mentors to enable and facilitate the candidate’s development by offering support and encouragement. 

Our next exercise was to work in groups and to take turns at playing the mentor and the mentee.  The mentee was to speak about a situation at work in the present or the past.  The mentors were given strict instructions to listen, then to question and clarify the facts, and then to respond by asking open questions like “Can you think of a previous time when you felt the same way?  What did you do about it?” or “What do you think the person meant by that?”  This was surprisingly difficult – and I had to fight my instinct to just pile in and offer advice.  It was instructive to try to step back, to provide a sounding board for the mentee rather than suggesting things or telling them what to do.  Mentors are encouraged to do this sort of “active listening” in order to build confidence and encourage the mentee to take responsibility for his/her own development.

As the mentorship process goes on, feedback is said to be crucial in increasing self awareness and monitoring our learning and development.  The third group exercise was to discuss the qualities of good and bad feedback.  Among the replies from the groups were that good feedback was constructive, relevant, encouraging, honest and timely.  Communication problems between mentor and mentee would include lack of empathy, lack of understanding, over-sensitivity to comments, and lack of time to devote to the process.  We filled six flipchart pages with comments like these and, although none were revelatory, it was still useful to think about the sort of qualities required in a mentor.  It also helped to highlight the importance of matching the right mentor to the right mentee – the relationship has to work on a personal and professional level, and if there are problems then they should probably cut their losses and end the relationship, so that a new mentor can be found.

After a very agreeable lunch, we reassembled to hear about the new CILIP mentoring scheme from the scheme facilitators Margaret Chapman and Margaret Watson.  The purpose of the scheme is to support individual CILIP members through the Framework of Qualifications processes, and ultimately to the successful completion of a CILIP qualification.  Four stages in the process are given:

  • the mentee confirms the Personal and Professional Development Plan (PPDP) (the mentee submits the mentoring form and a copy of the PPDP to CILIP)
  • the mentor and mentee identify activities, training, etc which will support the PPDP and encourage self-management of learning
  • the mentor provides support throughout the PPDP process
  • the mentor and mentee evaluate and celebrate success.

A useful checklist was given for the first meeting between mentor and mentee.  It should establish the expectations of both people; establish an understanding over confidentiality (including who should keep records of meetings and discussions); agree a schedule of meetings and any emergency contact details; determine any boundaries (such as not wanting to be contacted outside office hours); and confirm how they will evaluate at the end of the process.  It might be useful to ask the candidate to come to the first meeting with an up-to-date CV, the PPDP document, and any thoughts about objectives and timescale.  The speakers also emphasised that the mentor should not try to be too helpful and end up doing most of the work – again, the mentee should take responsibility for his/her own development. 

CILIP recommend that the candidate does not choose his/her manager as mentor.  They recommend that the mentor should come from a different library, perhaps even a different sector, for perspective and detachment, and so that the candidate can speak freely about any issues with the service that might be difficult to bring up with the manager.

Detailed information was given about the CILIP guidelines on being a mentor, including how to register as a CILIP mentor, working through the PPDP process, portfolios, reflection and evaluation, and ending the mentoring relationship.  Overall we were encouraged to enjoy mentoring and to encourage others to try it, as it can bring such benefits to mentors and candidates. 

SHINE is planning to co-host a training day on mentoring with CILIP in the next few months.  Watch lis-SHINe for more details. 

Contacts:

CILIP Qualifications and Professional Development Department
0207 255 0613
quals@cilip.org.uk

Links:

CILIP mentoring resources http://www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartership/FrameworkofQualifications/mentor/mentortrainingmaterials.htm

CILIP Mentoring Scheme and list of mentors
http://www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartership/FrameworkofQualifications/mentor

CILIP – Qualifications and Chartership
http://www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartership

Catriona Denoon
Maria Henderson Library, Gartnavel Royal Hospital
0141 211 3913
catriona.denoon@gartnavel.glacomen.scot.nhs.uk