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GC Mentor Leadership Alliance
-Charter
-Strategic Plan
-Masterplan
-Member Engagement Plan
-Member Agreements
-Toolbox Overview
-Connecting

Mentoring Solutions
-Mentor Leadership
   -Metrics and Dashboards
   -Role Descriptions
   -Coaching Roadmaps
-Mentor Advocacy
-Mentor Recruitment
-Mentor Development
-Mentor Retention
-New Program Startup Checklist
-Blogs About Mentoring
-Why Mentor

Mentor for Purpose
-Live with Purpose
-Mentoring 101
-Deeper Purpose Programming

Volunteer Solutions
For Individuals:
-Volunteer Mentoring
-Development Playbook
-Link Skilled Volunteers
-Lead Volunteers
-Skill-Based Volunteerism
-Retire with Purpose
-Blogs About Volunteering

For Organizations:
-Volunteer Vision
-Best Practices
-Metrics and Dashboard
-Volunteer Mgt Processes
-Strategic Volunteer Mgt
-Other Resources

Life Skills
-Life Skills Wiki
-Live with Purpose
-250 Words Blog

Organizational Capacity
-High-Capacity Non-Profits
-Organization Design
-Operational Excellence
-Volunteer Programming
-Talent Management
-Managing Work as a Process

Social Media
-Live with Purpose on Facebook
-GCMLA Facebook Group
-Work with Purpose on LinkedIn

 

Mentor Development

This page discusses a process to develop mentors, from orientation to initial training to ongoing development.  It links the LSN Toolbox to the mentor development process. 

Volunteer mentors have various starting points.  It could be as basic as never mentoring or some experience as a mentor in a corporate setting or being a very experienced but informal mentor of a teen child.  Moving from this variable starting point to being an impactful mentor requires guidance and structure.

The Life Solutions Network can support you in mentor development.  It starts with a choice to make quality (skills and effectiveness) an important goal as well as quantity (more mentor relationships).

Recommended Process:

  • Provide orientation to the organizations mission and mentor role.
    • Expectations. A clear role description guides the needs.
  • Provide initial training.
    • Mentoring skills. Review and align on the essential skills and then offer the Mentor for Purpose Overview
    • Contextual skills. These include mental health, trauma, abuse, recovery and poverty.
  • Establish an expectation for ongoing development.
    • Offer ongoing workshops. See the Mentor for Purpose Workshop
    • Encourage self-learning. Explore the Life Skills Wiki, subscribe to internet newsletters or just read a book or short article.
    • Offer individualized coaching. Consider assigning an experienced mentor as a “sponsor” to a new mentor.
    • Consider assigning a lead volunteer. Coordination of training and development requires “capacity”.
  • Establish tracking and communication systems.
    • Self-assess skills once or twice per year. Use the Principles and Skills Assessment Tool.
    • Attendance at required 2-4 development sessions per year. Bringing your volunteers together as a group can include social, informational and development agenda topics.
    • Implement Best Practices. See the Mentoring.org website.
    • Testing. Consider a Mentor Resource Page to insure awareness of available resources.  Follow-up with an initial and then annual on-line quiz of content and policies.

 

Mentor Skill Assessment Tool

This one-page tool outlines the key principles and skills needed for mentors to excel in their roles.  It is intended to be used by the staff of organizations that have mentoring program with the volunteer mentors.  The skills match the Life Solutions Network Mentor for Purpose (aka Mentoring 101) training.  Use this tool formally or informally.  Formally, a mentor program leader may give structured feedback once or twice per year.  Informally, mentors can use it as a planning tool before a mentoring session or to self-assess after a session.

Click here to open or download the full document.

Click here to read more about the available Mentoring 101 training.

 

Mentor Development Roadmap

The outlines a concept document with an example.  The idea is to have an intentional learning path for your volunteer mentors and to provide various ways to accomplish this including workshops, videos and reading.

 

Mentor Development Tracking Tool

There is a quantity and quality component to your mentor program.  Yes, you need enough mentors to serve your clients but how do you think about quality, i.e. the skills the individual mentor has.  This tool is a starting framework to develop one for yourself.  Click here to open a “starting” template.

Mentor Development Pathway Example

This outlines the “development pathway” for volunteer mentors at the ___________.  It is intended as a guiding framework to be used by the volunteer and the Volunteer Coordinator.  There are 4 “training blocks” (see 1, 2, 3, 4) that can be combined and accomplished individually or in a group.  Being a good mentor requires ongoing learning and proactive work on the part of the volunteer.  Click here.

Process Summary Example:  Orient, Train and Develop Volunteers

Click here for a Process Summary, a more detailed documentation of the process steps, tools and metrics that are used to fully develop and provide ongoing training.

Further Discussion:

  • Guiding mentor development requires resources and the focus of a Volunteer Coordinator or Mentor Program Leader. It requires the structure of a good Process Design and tools, e.g. a Volunteer Dashboard or Mentor Development Tracking
  • Leadership must insist on mentor development; make it a priority.