As part of a Management Development Programme all delegates are choosing a mentor to assist with their development. In order to ensure the relationship is beneficial I am putting together a half day session for both mentors and mentees, and am struggling to find any exercises/activities to help to re-inforce the learning. Any help would be much appreciated!
Matt Brown
6 Responses
mentoring
Hi Matt
if you email me privately I’d be very happy to pass on information on how we go about organising mentors’/mentees induction and training.
Kind regards
Alessandra Alonso
Role-Play/Real-Play Activities
As part of our five-day Mentoring Certification Program for industrial technicians at Saudi Aramco, we feature three role-play activities to be performed in accordance with our guidelines. For each activity we have the Mentor candidates select a fellow candidate to act as his simulated Mentee.
The three activities, approximately 15 minutes each, include:
1) Demonstration by Mentor to Mentee of a task from their specialties,
2) Evaluation by Mentor of Mentee performing that same task,
3) A Mentor/Mentee Coaching sesion.
As part of our two-day Professional Mentoring Program, on day one we pair Mentors with their real assigned Mentees to develop Objectives for real projects and assignments of Mentee. On day two we group Supervisors with their respective Mentor/Mentee teams to develop real Individual Development Plans for their Mentees.
In all activities we share in a critique at the conclusion of each.
exercise for mentoring training
This is a ‘nasty’ one, but fun and effective. I’ll try to explain it here, but ring me if you don’t get it.
I make myself the mentee. The others are all “the mentor” as a group. They are in a circle, and speak in turn, with no second go. I introduce myself (in role) briefly and what my issue is (e.g can’t decide whether to apply for promotion – choose something that’s relevant and likely in the organisation, and that’s appropriate for a mentoring meeting).
Then person number one, (lets say on my left) says something or asks a question. I reply, and the next person has to take it up, following on if possible as they would in a normal meeting. They say or ask something and I reply and the next person in the circle has to follow on.
There are no second chances, each person has one chance to say or ask something, I reply and then it goes straight to the next person to deal with my answer ; so if for example they ask a closed question I say “yes” or “No” and leave it.
Basically, there’s no recouping on mistakes.
At the beginning, I emphasise that what they say or ask should be designed to help the mentee think things through, rather than to inform themselves.
If it gets too agonising, I make a joke and break it; and always give them feedback on what it was like for me in role as mentee, how helpful it was, what didnt work and so on.
It’s very effective and memorable as training. You have to work quite skilfully yourself in the mentee role, answering in a subtle way that shows what isn’t helpful. And you need to know when to give them a break and make it easy or fun, as well.
Mentee/ Mentor Relationships
Hi Matt,
If you e-mail me directly, I will pass on some activities that look at building the relationships between mentee and mentor.
Nicola.
Mentoring Materials
I have recently introduced mentoring to my department as a follow on to training courses and it is working well so far.
If you e-mail me I will send you a copy of the materials I have used to explain the objectives, process, roles and responsibilities and the exercises carried out with mentors and mentees to start the process off.
Liz
liz.needham@britishcouncil.org
Assistance
Nicola and Alessandra – many thanks for your kind offers of assistance. Could you possible e mail me: matt.brown@reliancesecurity.co.uk as I dont have your e mail addresses!