Selecting mentoring training providers

Many training providers offer mentoring as part of their portfolio. However, relatively few have significant experience in this specialist area. Experience shows that being able to facilitate training is only part of the value an effective provider can bring. Equally important is their ability to advise on the design and management of the mentoring programme, and to provide ongoing support to the participants and the programme manager – i.e. to contextualize the training within a framework of good practice.

Some critical questions to consider in assessing potential training providers are:

1. How much experience do they have in delivering mentoring programmes for different purposes and audiences? (A breadth of experience in different organizations and environments allows greater flexibility.)
2. How much experience do they have in this general sector? (It helps to be able to provide examples within the training that the participants can recognize as relevant and congruent with their own experience.)
3. How much experience do they have with this particular aspect of mentoring? (For example, mentoring to support diversity objectives requires expertise in both diversity and mentoring.)
4. What model of mentoring are they working with? (Is it derived from sponsorship mentoring or developmental mentoring, for example? If it derives from a sponsorship background, it may not be appropriate in the Anglo-American context.)
5. How many programmes have they been involved in, which have been assessed (formally or informally) under the International Standards for Mentoring Programmes in Employment (ismpe.org)?
6. What methods do they use to evaluate the effectiveness of their training? (At the minimum, there should be a process to gather feedback from the initial training sessions and at least one evaluation to assess the progress and quality of the mentoring relationships.)
7. What personal experience do the trainers have as a mentor or mentee? What current experience? (Being able to talk about one’s own experience is important in terms of authenticity.)
8. Is the suggested training “sheep-dip” (a short burst without significant follow-up) or spread over a period to support participants at key points in the evolving relationship?
9. How much of a support and sounding board can they be for the programme manager?
10. How well have they thought through the advantages and disadvantages of training mentors and mentees separately or apart? (Experienced providers will know that the issues are relatively complex.)

Rather than ask these questions directly, you are likely to get a more accurate initial picture by requiring them to submit detailed descriptions of:

• Their experience in design and delivery of mentoring programmes
• Their understanding of the concept and role of mentoring
• The experience of the facilitators, who will be designing/ delivering the training
• The training content and how it would be delivered
• The key messages to be conveyed
• Key skills participants should acquire
• How they will measure success
• How else they expect to support the programme

If it is difficult to find local providers with sufficient expertise, then an alternative low-cost option is to arrange a series of 90-minute webinars, using a specialist trainer from another country or region. These webinars might consist of:

• Session 1: introduction to mentoring, basic skills of getting started (setting ground rules and building rapport etc), relationship management
• Session 2: setting goals and basic skills of mentoring
• Session 3: more advanced skills and opportunity to review participants’ experiences
• Session 4: helping the mentee take more control of their development, looking forward to the formal ending of the relationship

Again, all the factors above would apply in selecting a provider of virtual training, plus:

• What experience do they have of delivering through webinars?
• What processes do they propose to ensure the engagement of participants across 90-minute sessions? (It can be a long time!)
• How can they “localize” the content to make it relevant to the participants?

© David Clutterbuck, 2015

Prof David Clutterbuck
Coaching and Mentoring International Ltd
Woodlands, Tollgate,
Maidenhead,
Berks, UK. SL6 4LJ

www.coachingandmentoringinternational.org
e-mail: info@coachingandmentoringinternational.org
Company registration number : 08158710