[Federal CIO Council]{.mark}

[Mentoring Guide]{.mark}

[]{.mark}

**Acknowledgements**

The CIO Council Federal IT Workforce Committee wishes to acknowledge the
efforts the CIO Council Mentoring Program Team members and others who
contributed in the development of the Framework for the Federal CIO
Council Mentoring Program and the Federal CIO Council Mentoring Guide.

> **CIO Council Mentoring Program Team**
>
> Tom Horan, Program Leader, General Services Administration
>
> Iona Calhoun, Program Manager, General Services Administration
>
> Annie Barr, General Services Administration
>
> Judi Gerber, Department of Treasury
>
> Susan Murphy, General Services Administration
>
> Cheryl Johnson, Department of Justice
>
> Richard Kellett, General Services Administration
>
> Alethea Long-Green, Department of Commerce
>
> Nora Rice, General Services Administration
>
> Col. Michael Turner, Department of Defense

**Special Appreciation:**

The Federal CIO Council Mentoring Program Team would like to acknowledge
and give special appreciation to the following GSA employees, Patricia
Smith and Charlene Blanco, for their assistance and for sharing their
*PEC General Mentoring Framework* with us.

In addition, the Federal CIO Council Mentoring Program Team would like
to thank the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the *DOT
Mentoring Handbook* that was used as the generic foundation for the
Federal CIO Mentoring Program.

This document may also be found on the CIO Council web site at

**http://www.cio.gov**

I. Purpose and Introduction [1](#i.-purpose-and-introduction)

II\. What Is Mentoring? [1](#ii.-what-is-mentoring)

Definition [1](#definition)

**Planned Mentoring**
[2](#planned-mentoring-cio-council-mentoring-program)

iII. A Six-Step Mentoring Process [3](#__RefHeading___Toc510849623)

1\. Evaluate Characteristics [3](#evaluate-characteristics)

2\. Identify protégé [3](#identify-protégé)

3\. Develop Mentoring Guidelines [4](#develop-mentoring-guidelines)

4\. Perform Roles [5](#perform-roles)

5\. Evaluate Relationship [5](#evaluate-relationship)

6\. End Relationship [5](#end-relationship)

IV\. The Four Stages of Mentoring [5](#iv.-the-four-stages-of-mentoring)

1\. The Prescriptive Stage [5](#the-prescriptive-stage)

2\. The Persuasive Stage [6](#the-persuasive-stage)

3\. The Collaborative Stage [6](#the-collaborative-stage)

4\. The Confirmative Stage [6](#the-confirmative-stage)

V. Characteristics, Roles, and Responsibilities of a Good Mentor
[7](#v.-characteristics-roles-and-responsibilities-of-a-good-mentor)

1\. Teacher [7](#teacher)

2\. Guide [8](#guide)

3\. Counselor [8](#counselor)

4\. Motivator [9](#motivator)

5\. Sponsor [9](#sponsor)

6\. Coach [10](#coach)

7\. Advisor [11](#advisor)

8\. Referral Agent [11](#referral-agent)

9\. Role Model [12](#role-model)

10\. Door Opener [12](#door-opener)

VI\. Five Essentials of a Mentoring Relationship
[13](#refheading___toc510849646)

1\. Respect [13](#respect)

2\. Trust [13](#trust)

3\. Partnership Building [14](#partnership-building)

4\. Self-esteem [15](#self-esteem)

5\. Time [15](#time)

VII\. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Specific Skills
[15](#vii.-information-technology-specific-skills)

VIII\. Hints for Successful Assignments 17

IX\. Goal Setting 18

X. Characteristics, Roles, and Responsibilities of a Good protégé
[21](#x.-characteristics-roles-and-responsibilities-of-a-good-protégé)

XI\. Tips to Good Mentoring 21

XII\. Conclusion [22](#xii.-conclusion)

# I. Purpose and Introduction 

This document is provided as a useful guide on successful mentoring. It
is packed with information for new mentors, provides a review of
information for those who have mentored, and provides insight to the
protégé. The Federal CIO Council Mentoring Guide, the CIO Council
Mentoring Program Framework, and attached Appendices provide
step-by-step guidelines and forms to use throughout the CIO mentoring
process. Topics include what it means to be a mentor, the roles and
responsibilities during your tutelage, the general skills required for
IT-related positions, and the different styles that you can adopt to
meet the unique demands of a mentoring relationship.

In order to provide a complete perspective, we have included
comprehensive information on mentoring, with tips and suggestions to
supplement this information. While this guide has been adapted to the
Federal CIO Mentoring Program, the information is generic in nature. The
Procurement Executives Council (PEC) uses similar guidance for their
mentoring program. Agencies and other councils are encouraged to use
this information as a starting point to establish their own mentoring
programs. Your Human Resources office can help you to ensure that this
guide meets the specific needs of your own organization.

# II. What Is Mentoring?

## Definition

The mentoring process links an experienced person (mentor) with a less
experienced person (protégé) to help foster the career development and
professional growth of the protégé. The mentoring process requires that
the mentor and protégé work together to establish and reach specific
goals and to provide each other with sufficient feedback to ensure that
the goals are reached.

A mentor facilitates personal and professional growth in an individual
by sharing the knowledge and insights that have been learned through the
years. The desire to share these life experiences is characteristic of a
successful mentor. A mentor is a more senior-level employee who supports
the needs and aspirations of a protégé by providing guidance and
feedback on a protégé\'s professional development. He or she influences
the protégé\'s professional growth by providing on-the-job guidance (if
applicable), promoting participation in training, and assisting in
career decisions.

Many people imagine a protégé to be new to the working world; however,
there are two types of protégés:

-   The novice employee who needs to be taught everything about
    surviving in the workplace.

-   The seasoned, politically sophisticated person who transfers to, or
    is hired into, a new office. This type of protégé already knows the
    survival skills, such as time management, planning, delegating, and
    how to interact with others and typically only needs to be
    instructed on the inner working and policies of the larger
    organization and/or the specific office.

### **Planned Mentoring (CIO Council Mentoring Program)**

Planned mentoring, also known as formal mentoring, primarily focuses on
the goals of the organization. This usually results in benefits to both
the organization and the protégé. Organizational goals can include:

-   Increase productivity

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-   Eliminate turnover

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-   Reduce absenteeism.

This type of mentoring promotes a formal, business approach to the
relationship so there is little or no social interaction. The mentor and
protégé rarely see each other outside the office. The mentor and protégé
are not concerned with developing a friendship as much as they are
interested in meeting the organization\'s needs. After all, the basis
for the relationship is organizational commitment.

Planned mentoring usually lasts from six to twelve months. The mentoring
for the Federal CIO Mentoring Program will be for one year. The
relationship ends when the organizational goals are reached. Each
protégé is provided an opportunity to receive a well-rounded working
background in the areas needed by Federal employees in today's
every-changing work environment.

The CIO Council Mentoring Program will provide diverse work assignments
in information technology (IT) from one of the CIO Council Committees;
an assignment from the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Council (finance);
and an assignment from the PEC (procurement). In lieu of an assignment
from the CFO or the PEC, an assignment may be provided from another CIO
Council committee in the area of finance or procurement, after the
initial CIO Council committee assignment is completed.

Planned mentoring takes a systematic approach that consists of five
steps:

-   ***Match participants*** \-- The protégés are matched by the
    organization to suitable mentors. These matches are based on similar
    attitudes and work assignments.

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-   ***Write a formal contract*** \-- The mentor and protégé develop a
    formal contract that outlines expectations and obligations. Both
    participants sign the contract to bind the relationship.

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-   ***Train participants*** \-- The organization trains the
    participants to understand their roles as mentor and protégé.

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-   ***Monitor the relationship*** \-- The mentor and protégé monitor
    the mentoring program to ensure compliance with the formal contract.

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-   

-   

-   ***Evaluate the program*** \-- The program is evaluated to determine
    the results, such as advantages, cost effectiveness, and
    difficulties. []{#__RefHeading___Toc510849623 .anchor}

# III. A Six-Step Mentoring Process

## Evaluate Characteristics 

There are several steps to the mentoring process. The first step is to
evaluate the characteristics of a mentor. If you aspire to be a mentor,
you can use the checklist below to evaluate yourself. This checklist can
give you an idea of whether or not you have the characteristics to be an
effective mentor.

Check the characteristics that apply to you:

-   Knowledge of organization core values

-   Good Listener

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-   People Oriented

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-   Good Motivator

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-   Effective Teacher

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-   Secure in Position

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-   An Achiever

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-   Able to Give Protégé Visibility

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-   Values Organization and Work

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-   Respects Others

Remember that these characteristics are found in successful mentors but
they are not all required. You may have identified some characteristics
you need to cultivate or improve.

## Identify Protégé

The second step is to identify a protégé. You may already have a
quasi-mentoring relationship with a junior colleague but have not
considered the relationship as one of \"mentor\" and \" protégé.\" Or
you may want to be a mentor, but don\'t know how to identify a protégé.
If you don\'t have a protégé identified, consider these questions:

-   Who could be developed for a Leadership role?

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-   Who do I believe has potential to be an outstanding employee and
    would benefit from my expertise?

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-   With whom would I feel comfortable building this kind of
    relationship?

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-   Who needs my help?

It is usually recommended that your protégé not be someone you
supervise. In practice, however, mentoring relationships often result
from supervisor-subordinate relationships. In this situation remember to
keep the mentoring relationship separate from the supervisor-subordinate
relationship. You must build a trusting relationship and this involves
being able to talk freely to each other.

If you are your protégé\'s supervisor, you need to avoid passing
judgment and remember to separate the roles of supervisor and mentor.
When you are identifying a protégé, remember that the person doesn\'t
need to be exactly like you. Successful mentoring relationships often
occur between people of different genders, ethnic backgrounds, and
physical capabilities. Think of the employees you know. You want to find
a person who possesses at least some of the traits on the following
checklist:

Check the Characteristics that apply to your protégé candidate:

-   Eagerness to learn

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-   Able to Work as Team Player

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-   Patient

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-   Risk Taker

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-   Positive Attitude

## 3. Develop Mentoring Guidelines

Once you have identified your protégé, the third step is to develop
specific mentoring guidelines. Talk to your protégé about expectations
that help build the foundation of the mentoring experience. Communicate
your expectations to your protégé. Ask your protégé about his or her
expectations. Find out what he or she expects to learn from this
relationship and how the relationship should develop. Begin by asking
your protégé:

-   What do you want to gain from this mentoring relationship?

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-   How should we work together to make the most of this mentoring
    experience?

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-   What do you expect from your position/job?

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-   What are your career goals?

During this step of the mentoring process, you should develop a regular
schedule with your protégé to ensure enough time will be devoted to the
mentoring relationship.

## 4. Perform Roles

The fourth step is to perform the appropriate roles. Talk to your
protégé about the different roles of a mentor and protégé. Your protégé
may not be aware of the roles he or she is expected to perform. During
this step of the mentoring process, you and your protégé begin to assume
your roles.

## 5. Evaluate Relationship

The fifth step is to informally evaluate your mentoring relationship.
Meet with your protégé, from time to time, to find out if expectations
are being met and if both you and your protégé are satisfied. When you
evaluate your mentoring relationship, you may find that there are issues
or obstacles you need to discuss. The mentor, as the senior and more
experienced partner, should take the initiative for monitoring the
health of the mentoring relationship. Your protégé is responsible for
acknowledging and discussing problems as they arise.

## 6. End Relationship

Finally, the sixth step of the mentoring process involves ending the
mentoring relationship. Plan a final meeting or celebration. It is
healthy for a mentoring relationship to end. Both the mentor and the
protégé should think carefully about whether their expectations were
realistic and if their behaviors were appropriate. This reflection is
beneficial if the mentor or protégé begins a new mentoring relationship
with another individual.

# IV. The Four Stages of Mentoring

Mentoring, as a dynamic and ever-changing process, consists of different
stages that provide a protégé with the opportunity to learn and grow. A
mentor needs to be aware that each stage requires that different roles
be assumed. The four stages of mentoring are prescriptive, persuasive,
collaborative, and confirmative.

## 1. The Prescriptive Stage

In the first stage of mentoring, the protégé usually has little or no
experience at the organization or in the workplace. This stage is most
comfortable for the novice protégé, who depends heavily on you for
support and direction. This is where you are prescribing, ordering, and
advising your protégé.

During this stage you give a lot of praise and attention to build your
protégé\'s self-confidence. You will devote more time to your protégé in
this stage than in any of the other stages. You will provide detailed
guidance and advice to your protégé on many, if not all, workplace
issues and procedures. At this stage, think of the protégé as a
\"sponge\"\--soaking up every new piece of information you provide. You
will share many of your experiences, trials, and anecdotes during this
stage.

## 2. The Persuasive Stage

This second stage requires you to take a strong approach with your
protégé. In this stage, you actively persuade your protégé to find
answers and seek challenges. The protégé usually has some experience,
but needs firm direction to be successful. During this stage, you
protégé may need to be prodded into taking risks. Suggest new
strategies, coach, question, and push your protégé into discoveries.

## 3. The Collaborative Stage

In the Collaborative Stage, the protégé has enough experience and
ability that he or she can work together with the mentor to jointly
solve problems and participate in more equal communication. In this
stage, the protégé actively cooperates with the mentor in his or her
professional development. In this stage, you may allow your protégé, at
times, to take control by having him/her a chance to work independently.
For instance, a protégé can be given a piece of an important project to
do on his or her own, with little or no guidance from the mentor.

## 4. The Confirmative Stage

This stage is suitable for protégés with a lot of experience who have
mastered the job requirements, but require your insight into the
organization\'s policies and people. In this stage, you act more as a
sounding board or empathetic listener. One mentor asserts, \"my protégé"
presents career questions to me. I give her my advice and encouragement
in a non-judgmental manner about her career decisions.\" While everyone
can benefit from a mentor at any point in his or her career, the
ultimate goal of the mentoring stages is to produce a well-rounded,
competent employee who outgrows the tutelage of a mentor. Your
relationship should evolve to the point where you protégé is
self-motivated, confident, and polished. Ideally, you want your protégé
to move on to become a mentor to another colleague.

Each mentoring stage is characterized by the degree of dependence your
protégé has on you as a mentor. The degree of protégé dependency is
greatest at the Prescriptive Stage, with dependency decreasing with each
subsequent stage. This means that a protégé who is successfully capable
of working independently most of the time would be comfortable in the
Confirmative Stage. As the protégé grows professionally, the amount of
dependence decreases, until the protégé is shaped into an independent
and competent employee.

Mentoring relationships may follow all four stages, or only several of
these stages. In fact, there is such a fine line between each stage that
frequently it is difficult to tell when one stage ends and another
begins. Your protégé should give you verbal and non-verbal signs to
indicate when he or she is ready to move to the next mentoring stage.
You need to continually evaluate your mentoring relationship as it
evolves. Determine when it is time to alter your mentoring style. Keep
in mind that your relationship will stagnate if your mentoring style
remains in a stage your protégé has outgrown.

# V. Characteristics, Roles, and Responsibilities of a Good Mentor 

Similar to marks around a compass, the roles you assume as a mentor
point you in many different directions. There are ten different roles a
mentor can assume:

  ------------- ------------- ------------------ --------------- ----------------
  **TEACHER**   **GUIDE**     **COUNSELOR**      **MOTIVATOR**   **SPONSOR**

  **COACH**     **ADVISOR**   **REFERRAL AGENT** **ROLE MODEL**  **DOOR OPENER**
  ------------- ------------- ------------------ --------------- ----------------

Which role you assume depends on the needs of your protégé and on the
relationship you build with your protégé. On any given day, your protégé
may require you to perform one of these roles, or all of them. You
change direction to fulfill your role as coach, steering slightly toward
the role of advisor as your protégé asks for advice on a satisfactory
course of action. Over time, and with experience, you will learn how to
assume different roles more easily. Each of the roles is explained in
the next section to help you prepare for the different directions that
you will take.

## 1. Teacher

As a teacher, you may need to teach the protégé the skills and knowledge
required to perform the job successfully. This role requires you to
outline the nuts and bolts of the position and to share your experiences
as a seasoned professional. To teach the fundamentals of the position,
you first need to determine what knowledge and skills are necessary to
successfully meet the requirements of the position.

Once you have identified the knowledge and skills that the position
requires, you need to identify what knowledge and skills the protégé
already has and what knowledge and skills require development. Then
concentrate your efforts on helping your protégé develop his or her
knowledge and skills.

It is in your best interest to ensure that your protégé develops
professionally. There are many different ways you can help your protégé
develop. You should make a point of explaining, in detail, what you
expect from your protégé. If you are helping your protégé develop
critical job tasks, provide examples or samples, when possible, for the
protégé to follow.

The most important developmental method you can use is to answer the
questions your protégé poses. Keep in mind that you are not required to
be the expert on everything. A good mentor knows when to direct the
protégé to a knowledgeable source. Knowledgeable sources can be people
or materials (e.g., handbook, diagram, chart, and computer).

As a teacher, it is important that you share the wisdom of past
mistakes. A protégé cannot only learn from your errors, but also can
realize that no one is perfect. Make a point to relate these learning
experiences, special anecdotes, and trials whenever appropriate. It is
this sharing of information that strengthens the mentor- protégé
relationship.

## 2. Guide

As a guide, you help navigate through the inner workings of the
organization and decipher the unwritten office rules for your protégé.
This information is usually the basis of knowledge that one only
acquires over a period of time. The inner workings of the organization
are simply the dynamics, or office politics, that are not always
apparent, but are crucial to know. The unwritten rules can include the
special procedures your office follows, the guidelines that are not
always documented, and policies under consideration.

As a mentor, it is important that you explain the inner workings and
unwritten rules to your protégé. Brief your protégé on who does what,
the critical responsibilities that each performs, and the office
personalities involved.

## 3. Counselor

The role of counselor requires you to establish a trusting and open
relationship. In order to create a trusting relationship, you need to
stress confidentiality and show respect for the protégé. You can promote
confidentiality by not disclosing personal information that the protégé
shares with you. Show respect by listening carefully and attentively to
the protégé and by not interrupting while your protégé is talking. To
establish a trusting and open relationship, you need to make the protégé
feel comfortable.

The counselor role also encourages a protégé to develop problem-solving
skills. A protégé must be able to think through a problem rather than
always depending on you to provide a solution. You can develop the
protégé\'s problem-solving skills by advising the protégé to attempt to
solve a problem before seeking assistance.

## 4. Motivator

As a motivator, you may at times need to generate motivation in your
protégé. Motivation is an inner drive that compels a person to succeed.
It is not often that you will find an unmotivated protégé. In general,
most protégés are enthusiastic about their jobs. After all, protégés
tend to be characterized as highly motivated individuals with a thirst
for success. You usually perform the role of motivator only when you
need to motivate your protégé to complete a difficult assignment or to
pursue an ambitious goal.

Through encouragement, support, and incentives, you can motivate your
protégé to succeed. One of the most effective ways to encourage your
protégé is to provide frequent positive feedback during an assigned task
or while the protégé strives toward a goal. Positive feedback is a great
morale booster that removes doubt, builds self-esteem and results in
your protégé feeling a sense of accomplishment. Concentrate on what the
protégé is doing well and tell your protégé about these successes.

You can also motivate your protégé by showing your support. Show your
support by making yourself available to your protégé, especially during
stressful periods. An open door policy is perhaps the best way to show
your support. Keep in mind that an open door policy means that your door
is always open to your protégé and not just open when it is convenient
for you. You need to be consistent about your availability. A protégé
who knows you are always available will not be afraid to ask questions
and seek guidance. Motivate your protégé by creating incentives. To
create an incentive, you need to explain what the protégé can gain from
completing a task or fine tuning a skill. If you are your protégé\'s
supervisor, then offer an opportunity to work on an interesting project.

## 5. Sponsor

A sponsor creates opportunities for the protégé \-- opportunities that
may not otherwise be made available. These opportunities can relate
directly to the job or indirectly to the protégé\'s overall professional
development. The goal of a mentor is to provide as much exposure for the
protégé as possible, with a minimum of risks. Opportunities should
challenge and instruct without eroding the protégé\'s self-esteem. A
protégé should not be set up for failure. New opportunities can increase
the visibility of your protégé, but you must be careful in selecting
these opportunities.

Only you know when your protégé is ready to take on new opportunities.
It will be apparent to you when your protégé has mastered all required
tasks and seeks new responsibilities.

## 6. Coach

At times you may need to perform the role of coach to help a protégé
overcome performance difficulties. Coaching is a complex and extensive
process. Before you begin, you need to answer three questions:

-   Does the protégé have the capacity to do the job?

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-   Is coaching likely to upgrade the protégé\'s skills?

-   Is there sufficient time to coach?

Coaching is not an easy skill to perform. Specifically, coaching
involves feedback. Mentors need to give different kinds of feedback, as
the situation demands. Behavior that you want to reinforce requires
positive feedback. Behavior you wish to change requires constructive
feedback.

Both types of feedback are critical to your protégé\'s professional
growth. If you know how to provide feedback to your protégé, you can
perform the role of coach more easily. There are four factors to
consider when providing feedback:

-   You need to give frequent feedback. By getting feedback often, your
    protégé will have a clear understanding of his or her progress.

-   You need to give quality feedback. If you offer quality feedback,
    your protégé will appreciate the feedback more.

-   You need to give specific feedback. You should focus the feedback on
    how, when, and why.

-   You need to give direct feedback on what you have observed. You
    shouldn\'t discuss matters you have heard secondhand.

Factors to consider when giving constructive feedback are:

-   Describe the behavior you observed

-   Don\'t use labels such as \"immature\" or \"unprofessional\"

-   Don\'t exaggerate

-   Don\'t be judgmental

-   Phrase the issue as a statement, not a question.

When giving feedback to your protégé, concentrate on the behavior that
you would like your protégé to do more of, do less of, or continue. It
is important that you do not give feedback when: You don\'t know much
about the circumstances of the behavior. The time, place, or
circumstances are inappropriate (for example, in the presence of
others).

## 7. Advisor

This role requires you to help the protégé develop professional
interests and set realistic career goals. As the old saying goes, \"If
you don\'t know where you are going, you won\'t know how to get there.\"
This saying holds true for protégé\'s professional development. In the
role of advisor, you need to think about where the protégé wants to go
professionally. That is, you need to help the protégé set career goals.
Please see Section 8 on goal setting.

## 8. Referral Agent

Once career goals are set, you are likely to assume the role of referral
agent. As a referral agent, work with your protégé to develop an action
plan that outlines what knowledge, skills, and abilities a protégé needs
to meet his or her career goals. There are several steps that you and
your protégé should follow when developing a career action plan.

Target the areas that require development. To target developmental
areas, know the requirements of the future positions. Perhaps talk to
people who hold the position, or visit your personnel office to obtain
written information about the position.

You should identify the critical knowledge, skills, and abilities that
are required of the future position. Weigh these against the knowledge,
skills, and abilities that your protégé already possesses. Are there any
that required developments? What knowledge needs to be acquired and
skills honed to meet the demands of the future position? Select
developmental activities. Choose or recommend activities (tasks) that
your protégé can undertake to develop the critical knowledge, skills,
and abilities required of the future position. Examples of developmental
activities for your protégé include:

-   Assigning job enrichment responsibilities

-   Participating in a temporary assignment

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-   Attending workshops, conferences, or seminars

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-   Enrolling in college and university courses

-   Participating in cross training or job rotation.

Determine success indicators. Your protégé needs a clear vision of the
desired results of the developmental activity. Your protégé needs to be
able to answer the question \"How will I know I\'ve succeeded?\" It\'s
not important what indicators you use, except that these indicators must
be measurable and meaningful to the protégé. For example, if the
developmental area is writing skills, success indicators might include
writing clear/concise proposals, proper use of the principles of speech,
and good sentence structure. Once you and your protégé has an action
plan in place, you can use the action plan as an enabler to move your
protégé toward the career goals that you help to set in the role of
advisor.

## 9. Role Model

As a role model, you are a living example of the values, ethics, and
professional practices of your organization. Most protégés, in time,
imitate their mentors; as the saying goes, \"Imitation is the sincerest
flattery.\"

Learning by example may be your most effective teaching tool. Your
protégé will learn a lot about you while he or she observes how you
handle situations or interact with others. For this reason, you should
be careful how you come across to your protégé. You must strive for high
standards of professionalism, solid work ethics, and a positive
attitude. You should give your protégé an opportunity to learn the
positive qualities of an experienced professional.

## 10. Door Opener

In the role of door opener, you will help the protégé establish a
network of contacts. A protégé needs a chance to meet other people to
spur professional, as well as, social development. As a door opener, you
can introduce your protégé to many of your own contacts to help build
the protégé\'s own network structure. Stress to your protégé that
networking is directly related to the number of people at your
organization from whom you can seek assistance or advice. To increase
your protégé\'s awareness of personal contacts, ask your protégé to
consider the number of people he or she knows within the organization.
Your protégé may want to consider:

-   With whom do I talk frequently?

-   With whom do I take lunch breaks?

-   With whom do I discuss my problems or concerns?

As a door opener, you also open doors of information for your protégé by
steering the protégé to resources that he or she may require.

[]{#refheading___toc510849646 .anchor}**VI. Five Essentials of a
Mentoring Relationship**

As you begin your mentoring journey, there are several essentials that
you should know to make your journey a success. These essential factors
are respect, trust, partnership building, self-esteem, and time.

## 1. Respect

The first essential of a successful mentoring relationship is respect.
Respect is established when the protégé recognizes knowledge, skills,
and abilities in the mentor that he or she would like to possess. The
protégé then attempts to acquire these much-admired characteristics.
Respect usually increases over time.

## 2. Trust

## Trust is another essential of a successful mentoring relationship. Trust is a two-way street\--both mentors and protégés need to work together to build trust. There are four factors to building trust.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Communication + Availability + Predictability + Loyalty**

  ***TRUST***
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------

**Communication**

You need to talk and actively listen to your protégé. It is important to
value your protégé\'s opinions and let your protégé know that he or she
is being taken seriously. Your protégé can help to build trust in the
relationship by honestly relaying his or her goals and concerns and by
listening to your opinions.

**Availability**

You should be willing to meet with your protégé whenever he or she needs
you. Remember the open door policy\--that is, you should keep the door
open as often as possible. Your protégé should also make time for this
relationship.

**Predictability**

Your protégé needs you to be dependable and reliable. You should make a
point to give consistent feedback, direction, and advice. You should
also be able to predict the needs of your protégé. Conversely, your
protégé needs to be consistent in his or her actions and behavior.
Although your protégé will grow and change during the mentoring
relationship, drastic changes in behavior or attitude could signal a
problem. Look for these indicators of potential trouble in your
mentoring relationship:

-   Frequent switches in direction

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-   Frequent arguments

-   Frustration at lack of progress

-   Excessive questioning of each decision or action taken

-   Floundering

    **Loyalty**

Never compromise your relationship by discussing your protégé\'s
problems or concerns with others. In addition, instruct your protégé not
to discuss your relationship with others. Keep the information discussed
between the two of you in strict confidence. Avoid criticizing or
complaining about your organization. Disloyalty to the organization may
cause confusion on the part of your protégé.

## 3. Partnership Building

The third essential is partnership-building activities. When you enter a
mentoring relationship, you and your protégé become professional
partners. There are natural barriers that all partnerships face. Natural
barriers may include miscommunication or an uncertainty of each other\'s
expectations. Five improvement activities can help you overcome these
barriers:

-   Maintain communication

-   Fix obvious problems

-   Forecast how decisions could affect goals

-   Discuss progress

-   Monitor changes.

You and your protégé can use the following activities to help build a
successful partnership.

Show enthusiasm. Create a positive atmosphere by showing enthusiasm and
excitement for your protégé\'s efforts.

Create an atmosphere for emotional acceptance. Since a person can resist
being changed, transformation is a campaign for the heart as well as the
mind. Help your protégé feel accepted as he or she experiences
professional growth.

Approach change slowly. Listen to your protégé and be responsive to his
or her concerns. When drastic changes occur, a person needs time to
accept and experiment with these changes.

Partnership-building activities are not only useful when building a
mentoring partnership, but also are helpful to your protégé when
interacting with others.

## 4. Self-esteem

The fourth essential to a successful mentoring relationship is to build
your protégé\'s self-esteem. All people have the desire to believe that
they are worthwhile and valuable. There are several steps you can take
to build your protégé\'s self-esteem. Encourage your protégé to have
realistic expectations of him or her, the mentoring relationship, and
the position. Dissatisfaction can result if the protégé expects too much
of him/herself, the mentoring relationship, or the position. Discuss
realistic expectations together. Encourage your protégé to have a
realistic self-perception. You can help define your protégé\'s
self-perception by identifying your protégé\'s social traits,
intellectual capacity, beliefs, talents, and roles.

## 5. Time

The fifth essential is time. During the mentoring relationship, make
time to interact with your protégé. Specifically set aside time for your
protégé. Try not to let routine tasks exclude your protégé. Here are
some ways to make time:

-   Set meeting times with your protégé and don\'t change these times
    unless absolutely necessary.

-   Meet periodically, at mutually convenient times and at times when
    you know you won\'t be interrupted.

-   In addition to making time in your schedule, realize that you need
    to give your protégé adequate time to grow professionally.

# VII. Information Technology Specific Skills

The CIO Council, Federal IT Workforce Committee, is responsible for
developing strategies to upgrade the IT skills of the current workforce.
A key element in obtaining and retaining people is ensuring their
professional development through training and organizational support.
While many agencies have mentoring programs in place, this supplement
focuses the mentor-protégé relationship on developing the technical and
business skills necessary for the new IT workforce.

This section is applicable to employees whose agencies consider them
part of the IT workforce. The CIO Council\'s focus is in the development
of the ability to integrate IT competencies (e.g., telecommunications,
architecture, systems integration, programming languages, and database
administration). Other objectives are the building of knowledge and
expertise in the following Clinger-Cohen Core Competencies:

> 1\. Policy and Organizational
>
> 2\. Leadership/Managerial
>
> 3\. Process/Change Management
>
> 4\. Information Resources Strategy and Planning
>
> 5\. Performance Assessment: Models and Methods
>
> 6\. Project/Program Management
>
> 7\. Capital Planning and Investment Assessment
>
> 8\. Acquisition
>
> 9\. E-Government/Electronic Business/Electronic Commerce

10\. IT security/information

11\. Technical

12\. Desk Top Technology Tools

-   CIO Vision for the IT Workforce \-- To be the Government\'s IT
    leaders.

-   CIO Mission of the IT Workforce \-- As the Government\'s IT leaders,
    we, provide strategic business advice to agency leaders for spending
    and managing billions of taxpayers\' dollars annually.

-   Apply the most effective IT practices from the public and private
    sectors.

    **Technical and IT Skills Mentoring**

The training and education requirements established by Clinger-Cohen
have altered the types of skills needed to perform effectively in the IT
workforce. As the focus changes from strictly technical and management
based skills to a broader IT skill set, the new and legacy workforce
must expand their skills to meet the changing scope of their work.

The following list suggests personal attributes, skills, and activities
that mentors and protégés should discuss to ensure that employees are
progressing toward their career goals, meeting the new training and
educational requirements, and broadening their skills to encompass the
new business emphasis.

The mentor should ensure that the protégé is acquiring training,
education, and/or work experience to gain the attributes and IT skills
listed below. The suggested activities can facilitate the learning
process and will help the protégé make career connections to further
their professional development.

**Personal Attributes and Skills:** These will be based on the skill
sets determination of the CIO Council Committee Co-chair(s) based on
review of each candidate\'s resume, interview, and assignment request.

**Personal Attributes:**

-   Strong mission orientation

-   Management

-   Risk Management

-   Ethics

-   Integrity

-   Leadership

-   Emotional Intelligence

-   Dedication

-   Flexibility and adaptability

    **Technical or Business Skills and Competencies**:

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-   Information based competencies and computer literacy

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-   Communication skills

-   Analytical skills

-   Decision-making skills

-   Team orientation

-   Partnering techniques

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-   Technical understanding and commodity orientation

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-   Performance and results orientation

-   Process orientation

-   Customer focus

-   Supply chain management

-   Negotiation skill

-   Human relations skills

-   Marketing skills

-   Interpersonal skills

-   Knowledge of the Federal IT Regulation

-   Performance Measurement

    **Activities:**

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-   Internal internships

-   Industry rotations

-   Shadowing

**VIII. Hints for Successful Assignments**

The ***host*** organization should:

-   Provide meaningful assignments for appropriate duration that will
    apply and/or expand a participant's IT, acquisition, business,
    and/or managerial competencies.

-   Consider available space. Ensure that a workstation and appropriate
    office accommodations (desk, phone, and supplies) are available upon
    protégé's arrival.

-   Provide a packet of agency information including an organizational
    chart, phone book, security information, pertinent facility
    information, mission statement, and strategic plan (if applicable).

-   Coordinate any security requirements prior to beginning of
    assignment.

-   Coordinate any IT logon/password requirements prior to beginning of
    assignment.

-   Offer a shadowing opportunity to allow protégé to follow a
    high-level agency official for a day or so.

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-   Assign a mentor who will be responsible for the daily operational
    aspects of the assignment.

The mentor should:

-   Arrange special assignments and/or opportunities for the protégé

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-   Develop a work plan with realistic milestones to be used by the
    protégé to manage the projects assigned;

-   Provide direction and guidance and assist in identifying appropriate
    resources and contacts internally and externally;

-   Provide progress reports to appropriate managers.

# The protégé should:

-   Discuss with the home supervisor what the return assignment will be,
    especially if the detail is for an extended period of time.

-   Communicate periodically with the home supervisor.

# IX. Goal Setting

A mentor will be most effective if he or she understands the
professional goals of the protégé. Goals should be specific. A protégé
needs to clearly explain his or her goals. Goals must be time-framed.
You both need to plan an overall time frame for goals with interim
deadlines to ensure that your protégé is moving toward these goals. It
is important not to make goals too future oriented. Most mentors
recommend that you keep goal time frames within a three-year range.

Goals must be results-oriented. You need to concentrate on the results
of your efforts, not so much on the activities that are required to
accomplish them. An activity provides a way of reaching the goal, but
the end result (the goal) should

not be neglected. Goals must be relevant. The goals must be appropriate,
yet move the protégé closer to the type of IT work that he or she finds
challenging and enjoyable.

Goals must be reachable. The goals must be within the protégé\'s reach.
The protégé needs to feel challenged, but not incapable of reaching the
goals. You must consider the special talents of your protégé and weigh
these talents with the requirements of the goal for which your protégé
strives. You need to create the right career fit for your protégé.

You may want to create several career goals to eliminate the possibility
of your protégé feeling trapped. However, goals should be limited in
number. You need to avoid setting too many goals at once. Concentrate
first on setting goals that will help your protégé accomplish what needs
to be done.

Keep in mind that set goals must be flexible enough to accommodate
changes in the workplace and changes in your protégé\'s interests. Goals
shouldn\'t be so rigid that adjustments can\'t be made. Sometimes
changes in the organization will require alterations in your protégé\'s
goals.

Think of how your protégé will reach his or her career goals. There are
several career-building alternatives you can offer your protégé.

-   Enrichment - enhancing skills and responsibilities of the current
    job. Reassignment - moving to another position with the same or new
    duties, without a change in pay.

-   Detail - a temporary assignment with the employee returning to his
    or her regular duties at the end of the detail.

Once you have determined your protégé\'s interests, knowledge, skills,
and abilities, help your protégé develop or isolate developmental goals.
Developmental goals are desires to enhance one\'s career, social
interaction, and personal endeavors.

Developmental goals are difficult to identify because they are more
abstract than tasks. To identify developmental goals, start with a
long-term goal-setting plan (no more than three years) and work
backward. You need to work backward because it\'s easier to identify
short-term goals once you know what the long-term goals are. Ask your
protégé:

-   Where would you like to be in three years (long-term goals)?

-   What series of one-year goals (short-term goals) could lead you to
    these objectives?

-   What are the education and training requirements of your position or
    your targeting position?

You can set a formalized career structure for your protégé by writing
the long-term and short-term goals on a planning worksheet. (A sample
goal setting worksheet follows this section.) Keep in mind that your
protégé\'s career goals must be realistic and flexible. You also should
ensure that the protégé\'s career goals coincide with your
organization\'s philosophy and culture. Once you have identified the
developmental goals, organize these goals in one of the following
categories:

-   Career goals

-   Target Areas

-   Social goals

-   Personal Goals

Career goals are desires to advance one\'s profession. To attain career
goals, one must use his or her knowledge, skills, and abilities. To
accomplish some career goals, employees must complete certain training
and education requirements. Social goals are aspirations to meet other
professionals to build a network of contacts. For instance, one protégé
joined a professional organization to meet people in his field.

Personal goals are strong desires to improve oneself. One protégé wanted
to concentrate on improving her organizational skills so that she could
perform her job more effectively. She decided to attend a time
management course to reach her goal.

Lastly, once your protégé\'s career goals are established, you need to
meet at least every six months to evaluate them. You and your protégé
may want to adjust developmental goals as your protégé\'s interests
change, or changes occur in your organization.

**SAMPLE GOAL- SETTING WORKSHEET**

+--------+-----------+------------+------------+---------------------+
| **Ca   | *         | **Social** | **         | **Training and      |
| reer** | *Target** |            | Personal** | Education Goals**   |
|        |           | **Goals**  |            |                     |
| **G    | **Goals** |            | **Goals**  |                     |
| oals** |           |            |            |                     |
+--------+-----------+------------+------------+---------------------+
| **T    |           |            |            |                     |
| hird** |           |            |            |                     |
|        |           |            |            |                     |
| **     |           |            |            |                     |
| Year** |           |            |            |                     |
+--------+-----------+------------+------------+---------------------+
| **     |           |            |            |                     |
| Second |           |            |            |                     |
| Year** |           |            |            |                     |
+--------+-----------+------------+------------+---------------------+
| **F    |           |            |            |                     |
| irst** |           |            |            |                     |
|        |           |            |            |                     |
| **     |           |            |            |                     |
| Year** |           |            |            |                     |
+--------+-----------+------------+------------+---------------------+

# 

# X. Characteristics, Roles, and Responsibilities of a Good Protégé 

Mentoring creates a partnership between two individuals\--the mentor and
the protégé. In the previous section you learned the roles of the
mentor, but a mentor is not the only one that must wear many hats. A
protégé must also perform several roles as explained below.

A protégé provides a gauge to measure how interactive a mentoring
partnership will be. This means that a protégé determines the capacity
of the mentoring relationship. Your protégé decides upon the amount of
dependence and guidance he or she needs. A protégé should take the
initiative to ask for help or advice and to tackle more challenging
work.

A protégé is also a student who needs to absorb the mentor\'s knowledge
and have the ambition to know what to do with this knowledge. As a
student, the protégé needs to practice and demonstrate what has been
learned. A protégé should be able to interpret the regulations, not just
recite regulations.

Finally, a protégé is a trainee who should blend agency mentoring with
other training approaches. The protégé must participate in training
programs, in addition to seeking your professional advice. By
participating in other programs, the protégé becomes a better rounded
and versatile employee.

# XI. Tips to Good Mentoring

Watch for signs of lopsided mentoring. This occurs when one party is
devoting more time and energy to the mentoring process than the other
is. In most cases, efforts should be equal. Make sure you both are
committing time and energy to the process.

Give examples of how you or other people handled similar situations and
what consequences resulted. Influence actions by asking questions
challenging your protégé. Alternate leadership roles to give your
protégé more experience with working independently.

Assign your protégé independent work projects. Always provide honest
feedback. Your protégé deserves the truth, and honest feedback helps
your protégé keep a realistic self-perception.

Self-esteem building is an important part of your job as a mentor. The
most effective way to build your protégé\'s self-esteem is to listen and
give positive feedback. One way to set goals is through an Individual
Development Plan (IDP). The IDP is a written plan designed to meet
particular developmental goals. Review the position description and
performance standards of the job to help you identify the knowledge and
skills required for the position. If you are your protégé\'s supervisor,
you may assign specific tasks, set deadlines, and frequently review your
protégé\'s work to discover what knowledge and skills need to be
developed.

Instruct your protégé to review key policy handbooks. Begin a
question/answer session with the protégé about the rules and regulations
contained in the handbook. This session can lead into a discussion about
the inner workings and unwritten rules of the organization.

Ask your protégé questions such as: \"How would you solve the problem?\"
or \"What do you think the solution is?\" in order to sharpen
problem-solving abilities. Remember that incentives extend beyond the
tangible. Offer incentives such as praise, a chance to attend an
interesting seminar, or verbal recognition to peers at a staff meeting.
Speak to people in other positions to identify projects for your
protégé.

Set up a time to provide feedback to your protégé. These feedback
sessions can be scheduled on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis,
depending on need. When possible, take your protégé to various meetings
or workgroups so that the protégé can observe you in different settings
or situations.

# XII. Conclusion

Mentoring can be an effective tool in bridging the knowledge and
experience gap between new hires and veterans of the IT workforce.
Successful implementation depends on a commitment to creating a program
that fosters the needs of young people entering the workforce for the
first time, and the needs of employees changing career paths. This
guidebook is meant to be a tool to help explain the methodology used by
the CIO Council\'s Co-chairs in mentoring their protégés.