Working together, not in line

Jo Norry describes how mentoring is on the agenda again after early conflicts at Sheffield Hallam University Learning Centre.

In 1994, as part of a review of staff development, we were looking for innovative techniques to enhance our effectiveness and encourage continuing professional development. Mentoring was one of the ideas mooted and, although the advantages were clear, we were concerned about a number of issues:

how would mentoring relate to line management?
did we need a formal scheme, or would mentoring just happen as a natural process given some encouragement?
how would we identify staff who would be willing and suitable to be mentors?
what training would mentors need, and what was already available?
how would mentees and mentors be matched?
were there issues about the gender of mentee and mentor?
would everyone want to be involved, or should it be focused on a small group initially?

The selection of mentors and their relationship to line managers emerged as our top concern. The department is a relatively small one, with only a few experienced staff as potential mentors, most of whom are also line managers. We felt there was a high risk that mentees would experience conflict in influences from mentors and line managers, particularly if they appeared to undermine the manager's role in developing staff.

Despite the lack of any university training or guidance on mentoring, we decided to begin with a pilot group of mentees - librarians who had recently completed the Route A training programme for Library Association chartership. Our main aim was to encourage them to maintain the momentum of their professional development and critical awareness of professional issues.

We established a 'group-to-group' mentoring scheme, involving six mentees who had recently completed their training year, and three experienced librarians as mentors. We met as a group and focused at each meeting on a particular theme facing them as new professionals. Initially it worked well, with mentees feeling reasonably relaxed about talking through their ideas and problems, and receiving feedback and support from both mentors and mentees. However, as some of the issues became more personal, or moved into negative areas, it was clear that a group environment was not appropriate for such discussion, and the topics became more general. After an evaluation by both mentees and mentors, the group was disbanded, and mentoring went on to a back burner.

Mentoring revisited

Earlier this year I undertook a module on the theory and practice of mentoring as part of the university's Professional Development Programme in Further and Higher Education. I focused on how formal mentoring schemes are established and operated and looked for ideas that could be implemented in the department.

I discovered no shortage of advice in the literature, and from teaching staff and fellow students. Successful mentoring programmes appear to feature: top management support; integration within a larger human resources strategy; an effective monitoring system; flexibility within a loose structure; and growth from an initial small-scale pilot. Mentors and mentees should be carefully selected volunteers, and benefit from an orientation at the beginning, including awareness of potential problems which may emerge.

I was surprised to find that our major concern about line management conflict with mentors receives little attention in the literature or in the experience of others, but Clutterbuck1 acknowledges it as a potential problem: 'Because the mentor and prot&eacutegé are adhering to a different system of loyalty and authority, they cut across the recognised formal hierarchy.'

Hierarchy and authority seem to be the key here. It needs to be recognised by all involved that mentoring is a complementary process to management, related to personal and career development, and that mentors and managers can work together to develop the full potential of staff.

With this new advice and guidance, we will be revisiting the establishment of a mentoring programme within the context of our staff development strategy.

References

1 Clutterbuck, D. Everyone Needs a Mentor: fostering talent at work. 2nd edn. Institute of Personnel Management, 1991.

Jo Norry is User Services Manager, Sheffield Hallam University Learning Centre.

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