A New Strategy for Mentoring That Bridges Traditional and Contemporary Mentoring Styles

by Dale Howe.

A developmental model of mentoring provides mentors with a strategy for guiding their protégés into opportunities to gain new skills and discard inappropriate behaviors. In this approach, traditional and contemporary mentoring styles are not mutually exclusive because they reflect developmental levels. The best mentoring style is the one that reflects the developmental level of the mentoring pair.

Mentoring has become a popular strategy for career development. The University of North Texas implemented an Executive Mentoring Program with the following mission statement.

For top business executives in the DFW area to provide coaching, mentoring, objectivity and sound guidance on issues affecting career and professional development to members of PLP [Professional Leadership Program] . ( Professional Mentoring Program Handbook, University of North Texas. August 2008, p. 2)

Participation is voluntary for university students and their mentors. In the 2008 – 2009 academic year, the program provided oversight for approximately 60 mentoring pairs. Invite Dale to speak to your group. [click]

Typical of recent model of mentoring, the program handbook states:

As more and more mentoring programs are implemented in organizations, mentoring is be defined in a broader, more fluid way, i.e., colleagues, peers and even subordinates can be mentors and these relationships may last only days to weeks to months, not always years. The goal of many of these programs is for each individual to have many mentors. ( Professional Mentoring Program Handbook, University of North Texas. August 2008, p. 4)

Traditional mentoring styles emphasize the experienced mentor and inexperienced mentee (protégé). These traditional and contemporary mentoring styles mutually exclusive if one is looking for the “best mentoring style.” However, a variety of mentoring styles can be embraced if mentors and mentees embrace a developmental model of mentoring.

Mentoring Levels in the Developmental Model

Developmental mentoring recognizes that mentor-mentee relationship may take many forms. The relationship and activities reflect the developmental level of the mentoring pair. It is vital to note that one level of mentoring is not inherently better than others. The better mentoring style is the one that fits the developmental level of the mentoring pair.

Level 1: Anti-mentors

Anti-mentors are the negative role models whose behavior is so distasteful that they drive us to find a style that is radically different from the one they modeled for us. The impact of the anti-mentor has gone largely unnoticed.

“The influence of anti-mentors—potential role models who had been unkind to their employees or who had shown behavior that others would not want to emulate—and a lack of mentors is something that we underestimated in our studies. Negative role models may be more powerful than is usually acknowledged.” (Howard Gardner, Harvard Business Review. March 2007)

Anti-mentors are terminally selfish, draining hope from others, like “vision vampires.”

The good that comes from interacting with an anti-mentor is that we decide to be different. The thing we gain by their example is a desire for self preservation. We all need a healthy desire to live – it is the drive that keeps us going when life is difficult. The thing that we need to lose from their example is selfishness.

Level 2: Parent-Child

Parent-child mentoring emphasizes tradition and gender roles. The mentor nurtures the mentee, like a parent nurtures a child. Mentors share their wisdom through “this is who we are” stories and by showing how things “have always been done this way.” Mentees learn by memorization and imitation.

Things to gain in a parent-child mentoring relationship include life-long friendships, life skills, rituals (e.g., handshake), appreciation for the mystical and spiritual, and a sense of awe. Negative attributes that can be discarded in this level include fear of strangers, fear of the unknown, and phobias (e.g., fear of public speaking, fear of flying).

The goal of parent-child mentoring is to develop wise leaders, i.e., leaders that live according to the commonly held traditions of the group.

Level 3: Commander-Soldier

Commander-soldier mentoring emphasizes winning and strength (especially physical strength). The mentor confronts the mentee, like a drill sergeant confronts a new recruit. Mentees learn by repetition and kinesthetics (carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or merely watching a demonstration).

Things to gain in a commander-soldier mentoring relationship include a desire to win, courage, spontaneity, strategic thinking, the ability to confront, and the ability to intimidate. Negative attributes that can be discarded in this level include hedonism, feelings of superiority (racist, sexist, ethnic, etc.), anger disproportionate to the problem, profanity, cheating, and lying.

The goal of the commander-soldier mentoring level is to develop courageous leaders.

Level 4: Teacher-Student

Teacher-student mentoring emphasizes knowledge. The mentor disciplines the mentee for as long as it takes for the mentee to develop self-discipline. Mentors share their knowledge through instruction and lectures. Mentees learn by listening and reading.

Things to gain in a teacher-student mentoring relationship include knowledge, etiquette, management skills, integrity, morality, orderliness, logic, and the ability to delay gratification. Negative attributes that can be discarded in this level include various “-isms” (judgmentalism, legalism, intellectualism, perfectionism, dogmatism, etc.) and class consciousness.

The goal of the teacher-student mentoring level is to develop organized leaders (i.e., managers).

Level 5: Coach-Team Member

Coach-team member mentoring emphasizes skills. The mentor encourages the mentee to strive to do better. Mentees learn by role playing and emulation. (Emulation strives to excel beyond the mentor, while imitation strives to be equal to the mentor.)

Things to gain in a coach-team member mentoring relationship include visioneering, networking skills, teambuilding skills, marketing & business development skills, creativity, innovation, and the use of technology. Negative attributes that can be discarded in this level include materialism, sacrificing relationships (this group tend to build networks rather than friendships), craving for fame, and fear of missing an opportunity.

The goal of the coach-team member mentoring level is to develop visionary leaders.

Level 6: Peer-Peer

Peer-Peer mentoring emphasizes the relationship. The mentor accepts mentee (as is); and vice versa. The mentoring pair learns by feeling (emotional intelligence).

Things to gain in a peer-peer mentoring relationship include collaboration, openness, honesty, compassion, volunteerism, commitment to a cause. Negative attributes that can be discarded in this level include relativism and entitlement.

The goal of the peer-peer mentoring level is to develop compassionate leaders.

Level 7: Catalyst

Catalyst mentoring emphasizes competence. The mentor-mentee roles are interchangeable. The guide is the person that is most competent in the area being explored. Catalyst mentor-mentees learn by any of the processes of the previous levels. The desire is for discovery of new competencies.

Things to gain in a catalyst mentoring relationship include pragmatism, flexibility, adaptability, competence, systemic models, and contentment with less. Negative attributes that can be discarded in this level include elitism, emotional detachment, and impatience with people whose behavior emphasizes the negative attitudes of previous levels.

The goal of the catalyst mentoring level is to develop adaptive leaders.

Next Levels

The developmental model does not end with seven levels. It continues to evolve as people seek answers to new issues. Clare W. Graves commented, “So long as humans continue to solve heir problems of existence, they will create new problems” ( The Never Ending Quest ). These new problems will require new solutions, and so, a new mentoring level will emerge.

Sequential Levels

The greatest benefit results from experiencing the mentoring levels sequentially. While this is the general pattern of social development, we are often unaware of the strengths and weakness that we carry from one developmental level to the next. Therefore, mentors and mentees must be willing to look back to expose gaps in their development in order to gain skills that were missed and to discard negative attitudes and behaviors that should have been left behind.

Conclusion

A developmental model of mentoring provides mentors with a strategy for guiding their protégés into opportunities to gain new skills and discard inappropriate behaviors. In this approach, traditional and contemporary mentoring styles are not mutually exclusive because they reflect developmental levels. The best mentoring style is the one that reflects the developmental level of the mentoring pair.

Dale Howe is a leadership and communications consultant, with the law firm of Campbell & Chadwick in Dallas, where he provides guidance in methods for communicating complex legal issues to juries . He is the author of Visual Persuasion , a newsletter about the use of demonstrative evidence in the courtroom.

He regularly speaks to groups of business and legal professionals about corporate culture and leadership styles.

Dale has served in organizations at entry-level, mid-level, and executive-level positions. Prior to returning to Dallas, he served as Executive Director and Associate Director of nonprofit organizations, specializing in helping to train leaders.

Dale’s work ranges from interpersonal to international. He has trained leaders in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Haiti. He is as comfortable in adobe huts as he is in five-star hotels.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Theology.

Dale and his wife, Karen, have been married 36 years; they have two children and two grandchildren. They returned to Dallas in 2004 in order to invest in their children and grandchildren.