Operations

Elements of Good Program Operations

Building the Right Structure

The day-to-day procedures you establish for operating your mentoring program define the environment in which your program staff, mentors, mentees and other stakeholders work to build safe and effective mentoring relationships and a sustainable mentoring program. Your program operations must reflect and nurture the key characteristics of such relationships: consistency, compatibility, support and accountability.

From mentor recruitment to mentor/mentee matching, from orientation to relationship closure, participants should clearly understand what's expected of them-and what they can expect from the program in terms of training and support. Frequent and honest communication from program coordinators about your program's policies and processes is key to fostering adherence.

There are eight essential functions for program operations as identified in the Elements of Effective Practice. Let's now explore an overview of each. Please note, additional details on each of these eight functions can be accessed via the left-hand navigation menu on this page.

Recruiting Mentors

Recruiting mentors for your mentoring program should be driven by quality over quantity. Your mentor recruitment plan should focus on how well each prospective mentor can relate to the mentees in your program and "fit in" with its goals, structure and general culture. You may find, for instance, that your mentees respond better to adults who overcame similar barriers to reaching their goals than they would to adults who did not face such hurdles. You'll also need to consider the practical matters that determine how well potential mentors will adapt to your program structure and/or adhere to program expectations and boundaries, including time commitment for the mentor/mentee meetings, duration of the mentoring relationship and ongoing training and support sessions.

The key to effective mentor recruitment is to provide clear expectations to prospective mentors throughout every step of your mentor recruitment plan-from the marketing of your program through mentor orientation and training.

Defining Mentor Eligibility

The first step in recruiting mentors is to define eligibility for participation: Develop and write a mentor position description. Define the qualifications and attributes that mentors should have in order to successfully create and maintain an effective mentoring relationship. Share them with peers or colleagues for feedback. When you're confident you've identified the right criteria, create a position description that includes:

The position title;
A complete list of the qualifications and required attributes;
A clear description of the functions the mentor will perform (including the required training for potential mentors);
Specific time commitments required (including frequency and duration of each visit; the minimum length of time the mentor is expected to maintain the relationship with the mentee and time to provide feedback to the mentoring program coordinator about mentoring activities and progress of the mentoring relationship); and
Location of the mentor/mentee meetings.

Keep in mind that not all people are suited to be mentors or will be compatible with your program's culture and expectations. Refer to one of the tools in the Elements of Effective Practice Tool Kit, that details "Qualities of Successful Mentors" to help determine the criteria and attributes you'll require of your mentors.

Select Sources of Mentors Efficiently

You don't have to "go it alone" to recruit mentors and volunteers. Trying to blanket the general community with recruiting promotions can be costly, complex and time-consuming. Instead, partner with local organizations that have established volunteer networks, such as your State and Local Mentoring Partnership or Volunteer Center. In addition, target organizations that have an employee base and market the benefits of employee mentoring to their bottom line-seventy-five percent of employees in a corporate mentoring program reported that the activity (mentoring) improved their attitude at work². Also remember to use your advisory group-ask your group's leadership what organizations they can assist you in recruiting from, based on their contacts. Many individuals get involved in mentoring through their participation in other organizations3-their employers, community groups, places of worship, etc. Types of local organizations that are valuable resources include:

Local business community;
Civic organizations (Kiwanis, Junior League, Jaycees);
Minority professional associations;
Special-interest groups (Retired Senior Volunteer Program, American Association of Retired Persons);
Universities and schools;
Fraternities and sororities;
Council of Churches; and
Corporate volunteer councils.

Select Mentors Who Support the Mission of Your Program

Remember that individual motives affect the quality of the mentoring relationship. Good mentors don't view themselves as "rescuers" or as superior to participants. They simply understand that less experienced persons in tough situations need someone who really listens and cares.⁴ When screening and interviewing mentor candidates, try to discern their motives and personal agendas. What do they hope to gain from the experience? What do they think they bring to a mentoring relationship?

Use Existing Research to Determine Who is Most Likely to Mentor

Studies by MENTOR, Big Brothers Big Sisters and other groups have identified which types of individuals are most likely to volunteer for and sustain mentoring relationships. Their findings:

Women are most likely than men to volunteer as mentors;
Senior citizens are more likely to volunteer for school-based programs;
Adults cite lack of time as the biggest barrier to mentoring, followed by the perception that they lack the necessary expertise to help a child;
Individuals with higher incomes tend to sustain longer commitments than lower income individuals, most likely because they have adequate resources to overcome barriers, such as transportation;
College students, while likely to volunteer, are more likely to have less stable mentoring relationships due to college holiday schedules, exams etc.;
Married volunteers aged 26-30 are more likely to terminate the relationship prematurely, probably due to the demands of their own family situations;
Corporate, municipal and state employees often prefer school-based mentoring and make sustained commitments because their employers support their involvement;
Flexible models, like buddy mentoring where two individuals share mentoring a child, make it easier for employed volunteers to mentor.

Advocate the Benefits of Mentoring to Prospects

For adult mentors, the benefits of mentoring go both ways⁶. Time and time again, adult mentors report that their mentoring experiences have improved their lives in tangible ways. Not only do they feel better about themselves for playing a positive role in a child's life, but they also find that mentoring teaches them more about themselves. Mentoring increases their sense of responsibility and accomplishment. It also lays the foundation for better morale at work and better relationships with family, friends and coworkers. In fact, in a national survey of adults who mentored young people, 83 percent indicated that they learned or gained something personally from their mentoring experience. They reported feeling that they had become a better person, developed more patience, developed new friendships, felt more effective and acquired new skills.⁷

Marketing the Program to Prospective Mentors

The Program Management section at Mentoring.org, covers how to establish a public relations/communications effort to market your program to a variety of audiences. Promotion is only one part of an overall strategy to educate the public about your program and its value to the community. Promotion is about building your organization's image and inspiring people to act and is key to developing and implementing an effective volunteer recruitment plan.⁸ While an overall public relations/communications strategy may include some materials, such as colorful brochures or video productions, promoting your program to potential mentors, volunteers and even potential partner organizations doesn't need to be costly. Single-sheet flyers and direct-mail letters can be just as effective if written well and tailored for a specific audience.

Here are some basic guidelines that have been proven to increase the likelihood of response in most promotions and recruitment campaigns:

Ask your mentors to recruit their friends and colleagues to mentor. Mentors are the best sales people to sell your program and volunteer opportunities. Research has shown that being personally asked to mentor or volunteer is one of the most effective recruitment strategies.
Use testimonials. Your audience will likely pay attention to a message from current mentors-someone who has enjoyed mentoring and would be willing to recommend it to others-or from mentees themselves. Ask a mentor or mentee (or both) to write a sentence or two describing what they've gained from or enjoy about their mentoring relationship and ask for permission to use the statement in your promotions. Place such testimonials in quotes prominently at the beginning or top of a letter or flyer, perhaps centered in bigger, bolder type.
Be concise! Keep it to one or two pages, whether it's a letter or a flyer.
Be clear! Avoid complex words or sentences. Vague "50-cent" words and long sentences disrupt the reader's attention. Use short sentences with everyday terms that get to the point.
Use informal, plain English. Use language that your audience will recognize and feel comfortable with. Stick to concrete, straightforward words and terms.
Make it stand out. Use a splash of color if you can. Use bright, colored paper for flyers and use a color other than black for important phrases or words in a letter. Avoid, however, creativity that will distract the audience from the message.
Be concrete. Use statistics or accomplishments of your program to bring your message to life.
Use sales principles. First, identify the problem or need briefly, then focus on what you want the reader to do specifically. Identify the value/benefits to the reader of participating in your program.
Don't forget the call to action! Always clearly spell out the action you want readers to take (call, write, join, etc.). Include the "call to action" at the beginning of the document and repeat it at the end. Using words like "now" or "today," such as in "call now," gives the need a sense of urgency.

(This section is excerpted from How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice, Section VI. How to Structure Effective Program Operations.)

Program Operations Resources

Additional information, resources and tools are available in the Find Resources section and in the How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice Toolkit.