This document discusses a process to develop mentors, from orientation to initial training to ongoing development. It links the LSN Toolbox to the process. Note that green text highlights resources that are not currently on-line but freely available upon request.

Background: Volunteer mentors have various starting points. It could be as basic as never mentoring or some experience as a mentor in a corporate setting or being a very experienced but informal mentor of a teen child. Moving from this variable starting point to being an impactful mentor requires guidance and structure.

The Life Solutions Network can support you in mentor development. It starts with a choice to make quality (skills and effectiveness) an important goal as well as quantity (more mentor relationships).

Recommended Process:

• Provide orientation to the organizations mission and mentor role.
  • Expectations. A clear role description guides the needs.
• Provide initial training.
  • Mentoring skills. Review and align on the essential skills and then offer the Mentor for Purpose Overview
  • Contextual skills. These include mental health, trauma, abuse, recovery and poverty.
• Establish an expectation for ongoing development.
  • Offer ongoing workshops. See the Mentor for Purpose Workshop series.
  • Encourage self-learning. Explore the Life Skills Wiki, subscribe to internet newsletters or just read a book or short article.
  • Offer individualized coaching. Consider assigning an experienced mentor as a “sponsor” to a new mentor.
  • Consider assigning a lead volunteer. Coordination of training and development requires “capacity”.
• Establish tracking and communication systems.
  • Self-assess skills once or twice per year. Use the Principles and Skills Assessment Tool.
  • Attendance at required 2-4 development sessions per year. Bringing your volunteers together as a group can include social, informational and development agenda topics.
  • Implement Best Practices. See the Mentoring.org web site.
  • Testing. Consider a Mentor Resource Page to insure awareness of available resources. Follow-up with an initial and then annual on-line quiz of content and policies.

Further Discussion:

• Guiding mentor development requires resources and the focus of a Volunteer Coordinator or Mentor Program Leader. It requires the structure of a good Process Design and tools, e.g. a Volunteer Dashboard or Mentor Development Tracking tool.
• Leadership must insist on mentor development; make it a priority.