Determining internal capacity

While potential benefits for an in-house mentorship program abound, implementing one requires a variety of internal resources. Structure needs to be in place, but even more so a culture of inquiry and learning is valuable. Potential structural demands include staff to lead and administer the program, self-aware mentors, interest on the part of the mentors and mentees, and the interest of organizational leadership. Having more than one reporting chain is also important so junior staff are not matched with their supervisors, which might hinder open communication or the full potential of a mentoring relationship. The interest of organizational leadership is perhaps the most important of these, as leadership also is core to the culture of the organization. Will the CEO and board of directors serve as mentors (and good ones)? Is the organization built on a foundation of learning, where people are encouraged to try new things, learn new skills, and explore their interests at work?

Without these, the readiness of the organization for an in-house mentorship program is questionable, though there are steps to take to prepare an organization for readiness.

Activity: Ready for a mentorship program?

Internal capacity	Yes/No	Why important	Steps to take
Our organization has more than two lines of reporting.		Conflicts of interests, intimidation, and fears of “tattletaling” can result when mentor-mentee relationships are built between a staff member and their supervisor, or their supervisor’s supervisor.	If the organization is small, identify highly skilled volunteersto serve as mentors to staff (ie. board of directors, experienced donors and other supporters).
We have a senior staff member to lead the project.		While administration of the program can be shared among staff, a senior person (director) should be identified as program lead to bring people together around the project, move it forward, and communicate the results to the CEO. This does not have to be the HR director, though HR will be key to program development.	Talk to potential program leaders. This is an excellent cross training opportunity for a director interested in gaining HR experience or taking on a new challenge.
There is interest among staff to be mentees.		While no large difference has been found in effectiveness between mandatory and volunteer programs (Allan, Eby, & Lentz, 2006), getting a program up and running in the first place is helped by having willing participants, especially if you are looking for quick and positive results from a pilot program.	Survey staff about their interests in growth, development and learning and their interest in an in-house mentorship program filling that role. This can be done through a formal survey or through informal conversations.
There is interest among self-aware senior staff to be mentors.		Self-awareness is key. In addition to the willingness above, self-awareness of mentors results in more positive relationships. Research shows that a poor mentorship relationship has more negative effects that no mentorship at all.	Have the program leader connect with self-aware senior staff members (and potentially board members and other experienced volunteers) to discuss the possibility and potential benefits to them and the organization.
The senior leadership of the organization is supportive of a mentorship program.		True support will include the willingness to serve as a mentor. Because mentorship programs can sometimes reveal organizational moods or other challenges that might indicate problems within the organization, senior leadership must have both self-confidence in its abilities, and the willingness to learn as individuals and respond to the outcomes of the mentorship relationship.	Do research to determine how a mentorship program fits into already existing organizational goals. Depending on the relationship with the senior leadership, engage them early in the brainstorming process (identify a senior leader to drive the project) or once interest can be demonstrated. Be sure to include an ask to serve as a mentor and background to the benefits and potential outcomes of a mentorship program.
Does the organization have a culture of learning?		An organizational culture that consistently reinforces history and status quo conflicts directly with a program designed to help staff explore strengths outside of their job description. Does the organization support professional development? Is there healthy lateral movement among staff in the organizations (ie. not just because of problems with a current job or supervisor).	In some cases, a mentorship program might help drive a shift towards creating a culture of learning. In other cases, attempting a mentorship program may result in frustration for those involved. If you can see the “bright light at the end of the tunnel” when it comes to a culture of learning, proceed with caution, but start with a pilot involving “good eggs” — people that are interested in the program succeeding.
Goals for the mentorship program have been articulated.		Since mentorship programs are generally not considered core to an organization’s operations, they are at risk for cuts during tough financial times. Be sure to have specific goals articulated so that the success of the program can be measured and communicated. See Part 3 of this series for some examples of goals and objectives.	Bring together people supporting the implementation of a mentorship program (potential mentors/mentees) as well as HR staff to determine the goals for the context of your organization. What would they like to achieve personally? What would they like the organization to achieve? While overarching goals are important, specific objectives should be measurable.
There are resources (financial and staff time) that can be dedicated to a mentorship program.		While some work can be done by committee, at least one person needs to have dedicated time to work on program implementation and evaluation (0.5 – 1 day per week). A budget is also required for training materials and potentially for an external evaluator.	Talk to the HR director about internal capacity for mentorship program administration. Once a person is identified to be responsible for the administration, be sure that another part of their workload has been delegated (and they aren’t just doing the mentorship program off the corner of their desk).

Which steps do you and your organization need to take before planning and implementing a mentorship program?

Alternatives to in-house mentoring programs

If you don’t think your organization has capacity for in-house mentorship program, alternatives to formal in-house mentorship programs exist:

Partner with similar organizations. Whether a small group of organizations come together to cross-mentor, or a small organization asks to be integrated into a larger organization’s mentorship program.

Encourage professional association membership. Local chapters of associations such as Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) often have the benefit of both professional development opportunities and mentorship programs.

Look beyond staff for mentors (and mentees). This was already touched upon above, but should be reinforced. Mentors can be found among boards of directors, donors, volunteers, and even retired staff. At YWCA Metro Vancouver, many mentors are found in-house, but others are recruited from leaders in the community with a connection to the organization. For staff looking for leadership development as a mentors themselves, potential mentees might be found in smaller organizations, in other organizations in more junior roles, or among early career volunteers with the organization.

Recruit volunteer advisors. Even if a formal mentorship program is not appropriate and existing board members and supporters are not suitable mentors, individual staff can create volunteer roles for advisors. Advisors can support the staff member on a regular basis (eg, monthly) with information on new developments in the field, advice on projects, introductions to networking events, etc. At Vantage Point in Vancouver, staff are encouraged to seek out external talent to play this unique mentorship role.

Informal in-house mentorship. Rather than having a formalized program with ongoing relationships between specific mentors and mentees, have rotating coffee dates outside the walls of the organization between senior and junior staff. This provides potential opportunities for cross training, exploration of learning and development goals, and socialization. This can be organized formally or through a more grassroots approach by a group of junior staff.

The final alternative is to not have any organized mentorship activities. Research by Ragins, Cotton and Miller (2000) found that a bad match can have a more negative impact on a mentee than no mentorship match at all. If a junior mentee spends time with an ineffective mentor, who suffocates the mentees goals for the future or who creates a negative perception of senior management at the organization, the mentee’s intentions to quit could increase. A mentorship program is not a silver bullet to solve all of an organization’s engagement problems. Instead, the program should be one part of a spectrum of human resource efforts supported by employees at all levels and areas of the organization.

Activity: Is a formal, in-house mentorship program right for your organization?

Based on the previous activity and the variety of alternatives, where do you see your organization right now? Are you ready to take the steps to implement a formal, in-house mentorship program? Or are there other alternatives that make better sense right now?

Trina Isakson (@telleni) is principal of 27 Shift, where she helps organizations tap into the passion within the next generation of engaged citizens. She plays flag football, likes chocolate, and lives in Vancouver, BC.

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