Articles

Column: Career Corner: The Benefits of Mentoring
Copyright: 2002, ASQ
Author: Conklin, Joe;
Organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Subject: Career development; Mentoring;
Series: Quality Progress, Vol. 35, No. 11, NOVEMBER 2002, pp. 91

Abstract: Good mentoring calls for constant cultivation of one's listening skills. A mentor has to be willing to learn another person's strengths and weaknesses in addition to remaining aware of his or her own.

Mentoring means sometimes imagining a person in a new role. Quite often the first guess about what someone needs to know is wrong. Being willing to alter one's opinion becomes paramount. Most important, mentors must be willing to take risks.

Mentoring is more process than role. Once in a while people may ask for help. More often, however, they may not know or be comfortable about asking. In that case, the mentor can make the first move and leave the response to it up to them.
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Developing Productive Teams Through Mentoring
Copyright: 2001, The Mentor Coach
Author: Noonan, Pat; Page-Cooper, Nancy;
Organization: The Mentor Coach
Subject: Leadership; Mentoring; Teams;
Series: Annual Spring Conference Proceedings, Chicago, IL, Vol. 23, No. 0, MARCH 2001, pp. 1-6

Abstract: An organization may have worked hard to develop a self-directed work team, but to help them excel, teams need a continuous stream of new ideas and tools. Mentoring and coaching are tools that really achieve excellence. Members who mentor and who in turn are mentored often find their level of interest and commitment increase. Mentoring and coaching linkages may be to a peer, a subordinate, or someone higher in the organization. One method of creating linkages is through defining a Team Mentoring Model (TMM)™. The TMM is a picture representation designed by the team that can help individual members identify strengths and areas for development in being a mentor. The greatest success for a team comes from planning and executing a complete team development process based on linkages created through either TMM or other models.
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Coaching for Improvement: An Essential Role for Team Leaders and Managers
Copyright: 2003, AQP
Author: Brocato, Rick;
Organization: Rethinking Work®
Subject: Behavior modification; Change strategies; Coaching; Human factors; Management skills; Performance objectives; Self assessment; Team effectiveness;
Series: Journal For Quality And Participation, Vol. 26, No. 1, MARCH 2003, pp. 17-25

Abstract: The benefit of organizational health and fitness is the ability to achieve performance excellence. Many organizations depend on team leaders and managers to assume the coaching role to help reach this goal. Organizations need to understand what coaching is and how to help their team leaders and managers develop this vital role. Coaching is about specifics – specific behaviors, causes, and actions. It takes self-awareness and ownership for leaders to accept and respond to coaching. One of the best ways to develop this self-awareness is through self-reflection on personal skills and behaviors. Being self aware increases an individual’s effectiveness in a variety of people situations and provides insight into the behaviors of others.
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Helping Successful People Get Even Better!
Copyright: 2003, AQP
Author: Goldsmith, Marshall;
Organization:
Subject: Behavior modification; Change management; Change strategies; Coaching; Executives; Human factors; Management skills; Performance objectives; Self assessment;
Series: Journal For Quality And Participation, Vol. 26, No. 1, MARCH 2003, pp. 5-12

Abstract: Charles Handy noted that the "paradox of success" occurs because we need to change before we have to change, but when things are going well we feel no reason to change. Most research on behavioral change has focused on dysfunctional behavior, but little has been written on the challenge of helping successful people change. Four underlying beliefs of successful people can inhibit change. Successful people believe they are doing what they do because they choose to do it, and personal commitments make it hard for them to change. Successful people believe they have the capacity to succeed, often confusing correlation with causality. An unshakable optimism is one of the most important characteristics, making over-commitment a real danger. A positive interpretation of their past performance makes it difficult for successful people to hear disconfirming information from others. Successful people are responsive to help in achieving goals that they set, but tend to resist changes that make them feel judged or manipulated. It is important, therefore, that they receive input on important, self-selected behaviors as perceived by important, self selected raters. The person can then select one or two important areas for behavioral improvement. Successful people improve because of their own efforts and the efforts of their respected colleagues. Organizations stand to benefit greatly from their investment in developmental efforts.
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Mentoring--A Key To Leadership Excellence Copyright: 1996, ASQC
Author: Perlson, Michael R.;
Organization: Perlson Associates, Rochester, NY 14618
Subject: Cultural change; Leadership; Mentoring; Vision;
Series: Annual Quality Congress, Chicago, IL, Vol. 50, No. 0, MAY 1996, pp. 517-522

Abstract: Mentoring, the gentle caring guidance of a one-on-one relationship, is the best way to learn the skills of management and the character of leadership. This article addresses how to mentor a person in their organization.

Nine ways people fail at work are identified to help understand the impact of mentoring. Five key elements discussed in the helping relationship are: (1) the problem around which the helping relationship develops; (2) the helpers with their motives (achievement motivation, power motivation, and affiliation motivation and self-image); (3) the receivers of help with their motives and self-image; (4) the environment and psychological climate in which the helping activities occur, and (5) the information feedback that occurs during the helping process.