Environmental Factors in Mentoring

Jeanette Nadonley, DC, BA January 24, 2012

Attributes of Mentoring that Provide a Helpful Framework

First Point Mentoring involves a distinctive relationship between individuals
each individual mentoring relationship will be unique from other mentoring relationships. each mentorship may be unique and outcomes per mentorship may vary.

Second Point
Mentoring involves some gaining of knowledge by those involved in the relationship. - there is some acquisition of new information and/or skills that takes place in the mentorship.

Third Point
Mentoring involves some sort of support to be given to the mentee
this support can vary from emotional and psychological to vocational and academic. the mentor has some greater experience or expertise which they are able to share with the mentee.

Fourth Point

The main goal of the mentorship is the growth and development, in whatever area, of the mentee is needed
the mentor guides the mentee in some area/s pertinent to the mentee.

Fifth Point
The mentoring relationships can be described as being dynamic and ever changing, as well as increasing in impact over time
Mentoring is an enduring relationship between a youth and a more experienced individual who provides guidance.

Five Mechanisms
Mentors can promote change within a young person

1) Serving as a role model to demonstrate qualities and behaviors for the young person to imitate and internalize. 2) Acting as a resourceful adult for youth who either dont have a parent or whose relationship with their parents is poor. 3) Providing social support, especially emotional support.

Five Mechanisms
Mentors can promote change within a young person

4) Develop specific, positive skills 5) Modify undesirable behaviors

Mentoring Approach
Effective mentoring address multiple areas of a persons life such as health, education, social connections, and social conditions by providing services in a variety of relevant settings. Effective mentoring is careful not to adopt a onesize-fits-all approach. Activities should be flexible enough to adapt to unique circumstances of their mentees and are more likely to produce positive outcomes.

Fundamentals of Behavior, Learning and Behavior Change

Behavior is complex and is influenced by many factors, which can be broken down into two large categories:
individual factors (beliefs, motivation, knowledge, skills, expectations). environmental factors (family, cultural norms, neighborhoods, public policy).

Performance Equation
The Performance Equation
is P = IC + S/K + M/I + Env Performance (or behavior) = inherent capability + skills/knowledge + motivation/incentive + environmental resources (Harless)

Behavior Changes
Trainingor teachingonly changes skills and knowledge. It cannot, by itself, overcome inherent capability deficits, lack of motivation/incentives, or lack of environmental resources. (Bichelmeyer) Increasing knowledge and skills is necessary but not sufficient to change behavior.

Training or Teaching
When using training or teaching as a mentoring component, keep in mind that:
Motivation affects what people pay attention to. (Information Processing Theory) People process small amounts of information at one time. (Information Processing Theory)

Training or Teaching
People combine bits of information into chunks to help them remember it and to make decisions faster. (Information Processing Theory) Without practice, people forget what they learned within 48 hours of learning it. (Bichelmeyer)

Behavior
Behavior that is reinforced (followed by a positive result) is more likely to happen again in the future. Behavior that is punished (followed by a negative result) is less likely to happen again in the future. (Social Learning Theory, Bandura) Behavior change is a process, not an event. (Stages of Change, Prochaska)

Behavior
People can be at different levels of readiness to change. Different levels of readiness include precontemplation, contemplation, decision, action, and maintenance. People can cycle through these stages more than once. (Stages of Change; Prochaska)

Some things we know or assume about changing environmental factors that determine behavior:

Individual-level strategies are limited in their ability to change the environment. To understand a problem behavior, one must understand the context of the behavior. It is necessary to influence environmental structures (family, cultural norms, environmental resources) to prevent negative human behavior and promote positive human behavior.

Effective Tips for Mentors

Set the tone Listen and be present Ask effective questions Agree on next steps

Set the Tone

Share your background Be open to how the mentee and yourself might be feeling (i.e. excitement, nervousness, inquisitive) Share past experiences and what you gained from this Talk about your future goals Clarify expectations of the relationship

Listen and be Present

Use active body language to show you are engaged (eye contact, head nodding, open posture) Use silence as your ally Encourage mentees to drive the conversation

Ask Effective Questions

Ask open ended questions and avoid closed ended questions
Tell me more about that. How do you feel? What do you enjoy most about that topic? What did you like about that movie?

Agree on Next Steps

Discuss what the mentee wants to do on the next outing. Provide resources/support when appropriate. Inform mentee about date and time of next outing and if a reminder call will be made.

Mentoring

People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to Copy. Oliver Goldsmith

Mentoring

"A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." - Unknown