Strategic Mentoring

Background

I have taken some time out recently to reflect on my (several) careers and think about how I might extend some of those experiences.

I hold three principles to be important:

• challenging myself and my clients to make a difference
• celebrating success
• working with people I like

Following my time in IBM, I have been consulting for more than 20 years with leaders of organisations large and small, public and private. It has been a pleasure and privilege to maintain long-term relationships with them - many have become firm friends. Our conversations would often go beyond the specific piece of consulting work of the moment. The themes of our conversations centered around three ideas:

• what do I want to be remembered for?
• what do I want from my work?
• what difference do I want to make?

Part of my facilitation work is been acting as an coach and mentor.

So I have decided to structure my services as a mentor and offer them to people I have worked with.

Why a Mentor?

Life as the leader is lonely. Often it is not possible to share concerns, test ideas or draw on the support of colleagues or people who work for us.

Decisions, large and especially small, can be really challenging: Is this the right time? What impact will it have on my people? Have I thought of all the options?

Having reached a position of leadership and seniority am I really achieving what I had hoped? Am I doing this at the expense of my family? Or my health?

In addressing any of these questions it is valuable to spend time with someone who has been there too, has made some of the mistakes and learned from them and is one step back from the current issues.

That is the role of the mentor.

The Mentoring Process - A Structured Approach

Four phases are proposed:

• Background and preparation
  
• The Personal Strategic Plan
  
• Ongoing support
  
• Progress review

Background and preparation

This is the data gathering phase. It includes:

• A personal inventory - a work life checklist
  Includes health, fitness, time allocation & management,
  financial plan etc.
  
• A peer review feedback
  A version of 360º to gather how you are viewed
  
• Business plan review
  A thorough review of the enterprise business plan and your aspirations within it.

The Personal Strategic Plan

The plan is developed during two intensive structured interviews. The first to review and verify the data, the second (after reflection) to set personal goals.

• Identification of critical leadership issues within the business plan
  
• Identification of “growing edges” for personal development
  
• A detailed statement of personal agenda addressing the questions
  
  o what do I want to be remembered for?
  o what do I want from my work?
  o what difference do I want to make?
  
• Key development activities

Ongoing support

The mentoring service will include on-call service by phone or e-mail and in face-to-face meetings.

Topics to include:

• progress of key development activities
  
• sounding board for issues management and decision support
  
• general support conversations

Progress Review

The major review is the formal stock take after 12 months and the option to update the development plan. Depending on the specific requirements of the mentoring program some formal interim review points may be established.

Costs:

For Background and Preparation, The Personal Strategic Plan and the Annual
Progress Review the cost is $6,000.00 (excluding GST)

The level of ongoing support will be agreed as part of the personal plan interview, a realistic budget is $600.00 per month (excluding GST).

Copyright Wright Management Consultants 2006