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Mentoring at ANU
ANU strives to foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth for its employees. Mentoring can play an important role in an individual's career development through the sharing of experience and expertise. There are many types of mentoring relationships and their success depends upon the ability to recognize and respect each other's strengths and differences, clarify expectations and roles, establish clear goals and manage the mentoring process to ensure effective meetings take place.
The benefits of mentoringMentoring offers a range of benefits for ANU and its employees including: - Improved communication across the organisation and building a greater sense of community
- Support for succession planning
- Retention of talent and the development of future ANU leaders
- Enhanced career development and acquisition of knowledge and skills
- Fostering a diverse workplace
Types of mentoringThere are a range of types of mentoring including: - Informal - conversations that happen by chance or by arrangement
- Formal - relationships in a structured program
- Peer mentoring - two colleagues mentoring each other
- Group mentoring - one mentor meets with several mentees
- Mentoring round-tables - peers interact in a group mentoring conversation
Tips for mentorsMentors play an important role in the lives of successful people - their advice can be invaluable at every stage of career. Mentoring is a special and unique relationship that allows each person to benefit from the experience of another. An effective mentor will assist greatly with networking skills and gaining the support of strategically placed influential people.
Guidelines for Mentors |
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Tips for menteesRecognizing that a mentor is bringing a significant wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to the table, a mentee must be prepared to equally contribute to the relationship. Guidelines for Mentees
Getting started - finding a mentor at ANU
While ANU offers formal mentoring programs, (listed below) many mentoring relationships are initiated on an individual basis. Identifying and approaching an appropriate mentor can be daunting - the following tips will help to get you started Begin by identifying what your development needs are and your objectives for a mentoring relationship - what are you seeking to learn?; what skills do you need to develop? what contacts and networks will assist you? Consider also the qualities you are looking for in a mentor - in broad terms that person will need to be able to offer you time, probably share a common value system, and have specific knowledge or skills that you want to learn. Many people find that a mentor that is outside of their immediate discipline or work area to be desirable as they introduce different ways of looking at problems and offer new perspectives and contacts. Age and/or experience may also be a factor. Take into account the people you know at ANU, seek advice and suggestions from colleagues and search the ANU web for potential mentors. Is there a particular individual who you admire and respect? Someone who has always impressed you with their insight and perceptiveness? It may be someone in your own College or Division or outside of it, someone with specialised knowledge or someone who has an extensive amount of experience. Approach that individual and ask if they would consider being your mentor. Depending on the individual, and your current relationship, your proposal will vary in the amount of detail and how it is delivered. At the very least, let them know what why you selected them and what you hope to learn from the association. If appropriate for the specific individual, you can also discuss amounts of time to be committed and what you will contribute. [see also Guidelines for mentees] Don't put it off. What can you lose? Even if they decline to be your mentor, they will be flattered that you asked. Remember that mentors have particular knowledge base and skills sets and that it is may be desirable to have several mentors over a period of time to bounce ideas off and to learn from.
The Mentoring Program for Early Career Academic Women This program is being offered to assist women to improve their research careers. The University is committed to increasing the number of women in more senior positions and as such supports the mentoring scheme as a means of achieving this outcome. For further information contact Inge Saris, Manager Diversity and Inclusion: Inge.Saris@anu.edu.au Mentoring also forms part of ANU's leadership programs.
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