ESC Region 11 Mentoring Guide Book_HR_P3

SUCCESS PARTNERS

Partnering with a Purpose

The

Tool Kit

1451 S. Cherry Lane
White Settlement, TX 76108

THANK

You

Thank you for being a Success Partner to a new employee. Your participation will
help your mentee become acclimated to the culture of ESC Region 11 as well as
the processes and procedures that help our organization maintain success.

As a success partner, you will have an opportunity to share professional
experiences and contribute positively to a new team member by providing
leadership, support, and guidance. This one-year commitment will provide
lasting benefits to you and a colleague for many years to come.

SUCCESS PARTNERS

Partnering with a Purpose

Studies show that onboarding does not stop at company policies, facility tours,
and department introductions. When employees actively participate in a
structured onboarding (including planned, organized support), they are
58 percent more likely to remain with the organization after three years
(Hogan, 2015).

ESC Region 11 Mentors also gain from the
provides new staff mentoring relationship. As a
members support mentor, you will have the
in leading and opportunity to share your wisdom
serving our districts and experiences, evolve your own
through a one-year thinking, develop a new relationship,
mentorship and deepen your skills as a leader.
program called
“Success Partners.” A successful partnership involves
sharing common goals, appreciating
Mentoring is a valuable tool for individuals’ differences, and
developing our most important asset, having a commitment to cultivating
our ESC Region 11 employees. the success partner relationship.

Success Partners is a developmental Both parties give and grow in the
partnership where individuals share process. New partners will increase
knowledge, skills, information, and their job knowledge by learning more
perspective to foster professional about the ESC Region 11 culture and
growth of another. processes. Success partners will
provide the foundation to:
Success Partners allows for
experienced individuals to help a
new employee develop goals and
skills through a series of time-
limited, confidential, one-on-one
conversations and other learning
activities.

My definition of an ESC Success Partner is: Success Partners
must commit
to taking the time
to cultivate
a relationship.

Success Partners must establish the best method for communicating with their
partners, such as emailing, talking, texting, voxing, or calling.

COMMUNICATION

CAN INCLUDE :

✹ Arranging face-to-face meetings, lunches, or breaks (meet in the Gathering Spot,
off-site,
or in the various collaboration spots in the building)

✹ Sending encouraging emails to your partner

✹ Hand-delivering cards or handwritten notes

✹ Giving your partner a small gesture of appreciation like a favorite coffee
or soda, a small candy bar, or a healthy treat

✹ Calling or texting to see how they are doing

✹ Leaving a short note on their computer or in their work area

✹ Stopping by their work area unexpectedly to check on them

Ideas on Communication:

THINK

ABOUT IT

A Success Partner is A Success Partner is NOT

___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

AN ESC REGION 11

SUCCESS PARTNER

✹ Actively listens and helps the new employee with questions they may have
✹ Assists or provides guidance in solving work-related challenges

that may arise
✹ Commits to supporting the new staff member in learning about

our organization
✹ Visits regularly (see chart below) to check in with the new staff member
✹ Attends new staff member orientation or other learning sessions

with new employee

First Week
Have lunch within the first
week of employement with

your new partner.

First Month
Meet at least 2 times
(length of time will vary,

15-30 minutes)

2nd through 6th Month
Meet 2 - 4 times

(at least 10 - 15 minutes)

7th through 12th Month
Meet a minimum
of once a month

(length of time will vary)

Personal satisfaction in helping
someone grow is at the heart of success
partners. Sharing your wisdom and
experiences is what the partnership
is all about. Here are a few guidelines
to help you in this partnership:

✹ Participate in scheduled events
for Success Partners

✹ Create a trusting and supportive
environment

✹ Schedule uninterrupted time with
your partner

✹ Stay accessible, committed, and
engaged during the length of the
partnership

✹ Actively listen

✹ Contribute feedback to your
success partner

✹ Encourage your partner by giving
him or her positive reinforcement

✹ Serve as a kind and positive
role model

✹ Share your “lessons learned”
from your experiences

✹ Seek assistance if questions arise
that you cannot answer

KEY MENTORING As you progress through the
mentoring relationship, try
SKILLS to employ the following skills
whenever possible.
✹ Listening Actively

✹ Building Trust

✹ Determining Goals and
Building Capacity

✹ Being Encouraging and
Inspiring

LISTENING

actively

Listening actively is the most basic ✹ Use body language (such as

skill you will use throughout your making eye contact) that shows

relationship. Active listening not only you are paying attention to what

establishes rapport but creates a they are saying; and

positive, accepting environment that ✹ If you are talking to them
permits open communication. by phone, reduce background
By listening actively, you will learn noise and limit interruptions. Your
your partner’s interests and needs. success partner will feel that they

Examples include: have your undivided attention.
✹ Show interest in what they When utilizing email, answer
within 24 hours if possible, and
are saying, and reflect back be sure your message is responsive
important aspects of what they to their original message.
have said to show that you’ve

understood;

Reserve discussing your own experiences or giving advice until after your partner

has had a chance to thoroughly explain his or her issue, question, or concern.

BUILDING meetings and calls, consistently
showing interest and support, and
trust by being honest with your partner.

Trust is built over time. You will increase
trust by keeping your conversations and
other communications with your partner
confidential, honoring your scheduled

DETERMINING GOALS & ENCOURAGING &

building capacity INSPIRING

As a role model, you should have your Giving encouragement is the mentoring
own career goals and share these skill most valued by success partners.
(when appropriate) with your success There are many ways to encourage your
partner. It is also likely that they will mentee. Try some of these:
ask you how you set and achieved your
own goals. In addition, you can help ✹ Comment positively on their
your partner identify and achieve their accomplishments;
career goals.
✹ Communicate your belief in their
You will develop your partners capacity capacity to grow personally and
for learning and achieving their goals professionally and reach their goals;
by doing the following: and

✹ Assisting them with finding ✹ Respond to their frustrations and
resources such as people, books, challenges with words of support,
articles, tools and web-based understanding, encouragement and
information; praise. (Just knowing that someone
else has been there can be
✹ Imparting knowledge and skills by tremendously helpful.)
explaining, giving useful examples,
demonstrating processes, and asking You can also inspire your partner
thought-provoking questions; to excel. Examples include:

✹ Helping them gain broader ✹ Share your personal vision or those
perspectives of their responsibilities of other leaders;
and organization; and
✹ Describe experiences, mistakes,
✹ Discussing actions you’ve taken and successes you have encountered
in your career and explaining your while achieving your goals;
rationale.
✹ Talk with them about people
and events that have inspired and
motivated you; and

✹ Introduce your partner to your
colleagues who can be additional
useful contacts or inspiring models.

STAGES OF FORMAL STAGE I.

MENTORING BUILDING THE
RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIP
Like most relationships, mentoring
relationships progress through stages. During this phase, you will get to know
Your formal mentoring relationship each other and begin to establish trust.
will likely reflect four developmental During your first meeting (ideally
stages with each stage forming an face-to-face), discuss your backgrounds,
important part of the next: experiences, interests, and expectations.
You will also make agreements about
I. Building the Relationship confidentiality and the frequency of
contact. During this first stage, it is
II. Exchanging Information and important to establish a schedule for
communicating regularly, whether
Setting Goals in-person, by phone, by text, or email.

III. Working Towards Goals/ There are a number of questions you
may want to ask your success partner
Deepening the Engagement while getting to know him or her:

IV. Ending the Formal Mentoring ✹ Tell me a little more about yourself.
(Refer to the conversation starters at
Relationship and Planning the end of the toolkit.)
for the Future
✹ Have you ever had a mentor before?
There is no formula for determining If so, how did you benefit from it?
the length of each stage. In a year-long
relationship, for example, Stages I and ✹ What do you hope to get out
II typically unfold during the first three of having a success partner here
to four months of the relationship. at ESC Region 11?
Typically, the relationship winds down
in months 11 and 12.

STAGE II. Encourage your success partner to
discuss his or her goals with you.
EXCHANGING Suggest that they complete the ​goal
INFORMATION form​and share it with you. Talk to
your mentee and refer back to his or
SETTING GOALS her goals periodically as a way of
refocusing on the goals and
During Stage II, you will exchange measuring progress.
more information and set goals.
Your relationship and trust will Referring to the goals regularly is also
deepen. As the mentoring a good way for you to know if you are
relationship unfolds, be attentive helping your partner achieve the goals
to listen actively and consistently he or she has set.
expressing encouragement.

By exchanging information, you will
gain insight into the goals your men-
tee hopes to achieve through the
relationship. For example, your
success partner may want to improve
his or her skills in a particular area.

Your partner may need your guidance
on a major decision. Goals are helpful
because they help them see beyond
the day-to-day demands of their
position and gain clarity on how to get
the most out of the mentoring
relationship.

STAGE III. STAGE IV.

WORKING TOWARDS EXTENDING THE

GOALS RELATIONSHIP

During Stage III, goals will be reached As you approach Stage IV
and knowledge will be shared. of the relationship, your partnership
At this point priorities may change. will become more like peers.
Be mindful to have open and honest
conversations to help move your As a reminder, the mentor
partner forward. Share and celebrate and the mentee role will not last
successes with your success partner indefinitely. This last phase of the
as he or she reaches his or her goals. partnership aims to redefine the
roles of the individuals into a new,
professional relationship that,
hopefully, will continue indefinitely.

An effective partnership of the
mentor and the mentee is one
where both parties feel satisfied
that the journey has been
rewarding and worthwhile.

CONVERSATION 6. Do you have any upcoming travel

STARTERS plans?
7. What is your favorite book?
It takes time to build a relationship. 8. What is the first thing you do after
The initial interaction should be used
to build rapport. Great conversations work?
can lead to a solid relationship with 9. What new movie do you want to see?
your success partner. You want to move 10. What was your first job?
past surface-level questions so that 11. Do you like to cook?
you can really get to know your success 12. What is your favorite holiday
partner.
memory?
Choose any of these questions to have 13. What is the craziest thing you have
in mind for your conversations with
your success partner, and see what ever eaten?
feels authentic to you in kickstarting 14. Have you ever met anyone famous?
your relationship. 15. What store do you shop at the most?
16. What is one food or beverage that
Most importantly, don’t attack someone
with questions. When you ask, listen you couldn’t live without?
and be authentic in your response. Any 17. What are you watching on TV/
questions that come after should be a
natural follow up to their response. Netflix/Hulu/Prime?
18. Who would you love to see in
These 50 questions are helpful
beginnings, but follow the course concert? What was your first concert?
that the conversation takes. 19. Do you have a favorite local

1. What is your favorite 90s restaurant? or what is your all-time
TV show?
2. Where did you grow up? favorite restaurant?
3. Do you have any pets? 20. What is your most used emoji?
4. Do you have any siblings? 21. What is the worst job you have ever
5. How long is your commute to
had?
work? How do you fill that time 22. Have you ever won anything?
in the car? 23. What was your best Halloween

costume?
24. What has been the best car you have

ever driven/owned? What is your dream

car?
25. What is your favorite app on your

phone? Why?

26. What did you do before you 43. Who, or what, was your biggest
teacher?
came to ESC Region 11?
27. Tell me something that made 44. If you didn’t have to sleep, what
would you do with the extra time?
you laugh this week.
28. What is one of your favorite 45. For what are you most grateful
today?
memories?
29. Where is the best place you have 46. If you could have one ‘do over’
in your life, what would you do
ever visited? differently?
30. What is one thing on your bucket
47. If you had to choose only three
list? adjectives to describe yourself,
31. Do you speak any other which would you choose?

languages? 48. How can someone win a gold
32. If you could live anywhere, star with you?

where would it be? 49. If you could spend a day in
33. What is the farthest place you someone else’s shoes, whose
would they be? Why?
have ever been to from home?
34. What is the best piece of advice 50. What is one thing that I can do
to help you this week?
you have ever been given?
35. Where is your happy place? REMINDERS:
36. What does your dream day look
✹ Be fully present when meeting with
like? your success partner.
37. What is the biggest disaster you
✹ Be authentic in your conversations.
have ever had in the kitchen? ✹ Actively listen to your mentee.
38. If you could invite three people

(dead or alive) to a dinner party,

who would they be, and why?
39. Knowing what you know now,

what advice would you give your

18-year-old self?
40. If you could instantly become an

expert in something, what would

it be?
41. What’s one thing about you that

surprises people?
42. What’s the first career you

dreamed of having as a kid?

SUCCESS PARTNERS

Partnering with a Purpose

1451 S. Cherry Lane, White Settlement, TX 76108