Lis Merrick considers the increasing trend in both virtual mentoring and delivering such programmes virtually
In my early mentoring consultancy, it was usual for mentoring pairs to meet face-to-face and for preparation to be one or two days of face-to-face training for mentors and possibly mentees.
Nowadays, about half of the mentoring programmes I work on use virtual mentoring as standard and approximately 80% of the mentoring programmes I deliver use virtual training and supervision to develop and support their participants. Many mentors and mentees don’t get the chance to meet at all!
What is ‘virtual mentoring’?
Quite simply, it’s any mentoring that doesn’t take place face-to-face. Many programmes use Skype*, Face Time, inhouse video conferencing, phone, email or messaging to communicate.
So what’s behind this dramatic change in approach to mentoring? The widespread use of very effective technology for communication and training, cutbacks in travel and training budgets since the 2008 economic crisis, reduction in time allowed for training, the need for flexibility and also just the fast-paced nature of many organisational cultures, are some of the factors.
Pros and cons
Advantages to mentoring virtually include: time saving; avoidance of some social and gender cues which can cause problems; easier feedback and, if using email, an asynchronous way to allow mentor and mentee to work together in real time.
Disadvantages can include: mentoring pairs struggling to build rapport, and making it easier to become disengaged.
Virtual delivery
Wherever possible, encourage a face-to-face first meeting, or suggest using a medium where the mentor and mentee can see each other, such as Skype or Face Time or organisational video conferencing systems so the mentoring pair can really establish rapport. They can always move to phone or non-video media once the relationship is established.
Even with a squeezed training budget or lack of time on either part to attend a session, effective preparation can still be provided using a webinar platform. Here are some useful tips:
• Ensure mentors and mentees get a thorough briefing, even with a one-hour webinar session. The basics should include:
- An understanding of the programme and intended outcomes
- What is mentoring? How it differs from coaching
- Roles and responsibilities as mentor/mentee
- How a mentoring relationship develops over time
- How to create the mentoring agreement
- A process model for mentors to use to create reflective space in the relationship
- How to set focused direction for the mentee
- Most importantly, how to work together virtually
• When delivering a virtual session make it as interactive as possible, allowing participants to share insights and stories and ask questions of the facilitator. Some platforms allow participants to go into separate ‘rooms’ for skills practice.
• Preparation for mentoring can be in bite-size elements, supplemented with reading materials, work books and videos on the organisation’s intranet to enhance webinar content.
These ideas will help develop a robust, effective virtual programme with the quality of mentoring dialogue you would obtain face-to-face.
- Next issue: why a lack of trust ruins so many mentoring relationships in formal programmes and how good design can prevent this happening
* Skype is not HIPAA compliant, ie, totally confidential, which may be relevant for US clients. VSee (free) is often offered as an option in the US instead
- Lis Merrick is a consultant specialising in mentoring programme design and development. She welcomes correspondence on anything to do with mentoring.
- Contact: Lismerrick@coach mentoring.co.uk