When organizational leadership identifies issues regarding management capabilities and service quality within a department, they may turn to a common solution: management mentoring. Far less costly—and potentially far more effective—than a change in personnel, management mentoring provides the opportunity to work with current leaders to improve interpersonal skills, communications, understanding of corporate culture, and more. The combination of a dedicated mentor and the opportunity for the mentee to meet with other members of the leadership team creates a positive, team-driven approach.
Whether you are considering in-house mentoring or working with an experienced, impartial third party, the Soyring team has recommendations for approaching a structured mentoring engagement.
Determine Goals
Transparency regarding the purpose and intended goals of the mentoring engagement is key to achieving buy-in from the mentee. Consider these 15 possible goals for the mentee to be able to achieve following the mentoring period:
- Understand the importance of becoming more effective at influencing others
- Restate goals and control outcomes when dealing with staff, peers, management, and other departments
- Demonstrate how to work with groups and teams to solve problems and accomplish projects
- Choose performance discussions that result in changed behavior and enhanced productivity
- Analyze own style of behavior and recognize your strengths/weaknesses
- Create a culture of excellence to empower self and staff
- Define what leadership is from the supervisor’s point of view
- Explore to build credibility and trust
- Analyze effective listening processes and skills
- Learn participative leader skills and techniques
- Understand steps of continuous performance improvement
- Understand coaching, mentoring and how to give constructive feedback
- Define decision-making tools for effective leadership
- Explain how to apply problem solving techniques to solve actual problems
- Compare teams vs. work groups: learning to lead and build personal effectiveness
Stay Focused
By focusing on one to two leadership skills per week during the mentoring engagement, the mentee has the opportunity not to become overwhelmed, while also determining related opportunities to pursue in those areas. Here is a sample schedule:
|
Week One |
Accountability |
|
Week Two |
Change Agent/Management |
|
Week Three |
Coaching and Mentoring |
|
Week Four |
Communication |
|
Week Five |
Conflict Resolution |
|
Week Six |
Empowerment |
|
Week Seven |
Motivation |
|
Week Eight |
Attitude Improvement |
|
Week Nine |
Professionalism |
|
Week Ten |
Relationship Building |
|
Week Eleven |
Team Work |
|
Week Twelve |
Program Review/Evaluation |
Reap Benefits
Following an effective structured mentoring program as described above leads to many positive results, including tremendous personal growth, relationship-building with team members, and improved focus on efficiency and patient care. Formal mentoring is a great way to orient first-time managers, managers new to a position, and those who may be struggling in their current role. The process itself can also help in determining whether an individual is the right fit for a given position, particularly if they are in that position in an interim capacity.
Next Steps
If you would like to explore engaging some outside assistance, Soyring can provide a consultant with operational and leadership expertise to mentor a candidate to their respective leadership role within your hospital. Our consultant will guide your team member one-on-one as they develop and grow into a leadership role. We work with your hospital’s administration and staff during the mentoring assistance consultation to efficiently and effectively accomplish the tasks needed to effect the changes prioritized by the healthcare facility. Contact us today or call us at 866-345-3887.
