Mentoring, Networking, and Leadership Development in Graduate Information Systems Education

January 1, 2013
M. CarleyL. ZanettaA. Chin

Abstract

The failure rate for newly appointed leaders is alarmingly high. According to a Harvard Business Review study, two out of every five new executives fail in the first 18 months (Charan, 2005).  Some of the reasons for this include inability to handle internal politics, uncertainty about company expectations, and failure to build appropriate networks. Virginia Commonwealth University’s “Fast Track” Executive Master of Science in Information Systems (FTEMS-IS) program combines an aggressive academic curriculum with practical industry insight, coaching, leadership development, mentoring, and numerous networking opportunities. This unique combination of elements helps our students understand the decision making process, how to develop effective communication strategies, and the powerful new role IS and IS leaders can play in an organization.  The entire program – from concept to content development and delivery – has been done in direct collaboration with area IT executives, who also serve as mentors for our students.  Students are paired one-on-one with a Chief Information Officer (CIO), with whom they meet once a month.  Students and their mentors discuss career aspirations, and how best to achieve them; leadership challenges (both student and mentor) and how best to beat them; and general personal and professional development goals. Students have an opportunity to go beyond the program requirements and build deep, lasting relationships with their mentors.  Our CIO mentors have mastered the business, technical, and leadership skills necessary to be outstanding IT leaders. They have agreed to share their time and experiences with our students to help them master these skills as well.

Paper

Introduction

Mentoring matters.  A 1995 study of the Big Brother, Big Sister program found that youths who are mentored by a respected adult are less likely to skip school, to lie to their parents, or to begin using alcohol or illegal drugs (DegreeSearch.org, 2006-2013).  Mentoring also matters in the corporate world.  In a 2007 survey of private sector executives, 75% said that mentoring was critical in helping them reach their current position.  This study also found that employees who were mentored reported greater job satisfaction and earnings of up to $22K more annually than their non-mentored counterparts (McNichols, DegreeSearch).  Whether an adult mentoring a young person, or an experienced leader mentoring an aspiring one, the insight, support, advice, and guidance gained from a mentor can be a “comfort and a compass for both the inexperienced and the ambitious” (DegreeSearch).

 

What is Mentoring?

Although increasingly popular in recent years as an important career development tool, mentoring is far from a new concept.  The first known use of the word dates back to 1616. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus appoints a wise man, named Mentor, to educate his son Telemachus during the Trojan War (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mentor).

A mentor is broadly defined as a “trusted counselor or guide”.   A mentee is defined as “one whose welfare, training, or career is advanced by an influential person”.  Although both parties must be committed to making the relationship work, the mentoring relationship is designed primarily to promote the growth and development of the mentee.  Thus, the mentee is expected to take the major initiative (NYSACCE4-HE, 1996/2010).

The corporate mentoring relationship is a professional association whereby a seasoned leader assists a less experienced individual to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to enhance the aspirant’s professional and personal growth (Management Mentors, 2013).

 

How does it work? 

The US Navy implemented a mentoring program for all of its military personnel in 2003.  Several top naval officers interviewed at the time supported the idea that “having a mentor at the right moment in one’s career can help steer a promising junior officer on a course ending in flag rank” (Johnson & Anderson, 2009).

Similarly, in the corporate world, having a mentor at a fundamental point in one’s career can be a critical success factor.  Not fully understanding corporate culture and politics is a major reason 40% of newly appointed leaders fail in their first 18 months (Charan, 2005).  A mentor can help new employees and newly appointed leaders assimilate the unspoken rules and inner workings of the organization more quickly than they could perhaps manage on their own (Management Mentors).  Newly promoted individuals can better understand and fulfill their new responsibilities, and employee networks can be strengthened through the mentoring process (McNichols).  Gay (2011) points out that

“Mentors offer insights that can only come with experience, teach people things that can not be taught in school, advise people on complex situations that may not have a single right answer or approach, and offer observations that help people learn” (Gay, 2011).

 

Mentoring Relationships 

Mentors can take on many roles for their protégés.  These can include master, counselor, role model, developer of talent, and “opener of doors”, among others.  A mentor’s primary role, however, is that of enabler, not necessarily an assurer of success (Gay).  By respectfully challenging unproductive strategies and behaviors, mentors can help reframe a situation and offer their protégés a new perspective, thus stimulating critical thinking around their future, and more fully developing their own personal and professional potential (Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai).

The stages of a successful mentoring relationship are orientation, development, and separation (Mees, 2009).  The orientation stage consists of getting to know one another and setting the parameters for the mentoring engagement.  Research shows that an important key to a successful mentoring relationship begins with a “contract for learning around which the Mentor and Mentee are aligned” (Mees, 2009).  The “contract” should include a list of realistic, achievable goals to be completed over the course of the engagement (Mees, 2009).

There are various types of mentoring relationships.  Formal, structured, facilitated mentoring is where a specific mentor is assigned to a specific mentee based on some desired set of characteristics or objectives (Navy Career Wise and United States Navy [USN]).  Goals are determined at the beginning of the relationship by the organization (Management Mentors).

With formal mentoring, making an appropriate match is critical (Johnson).  An important consideration in the matchmaking process is to not have managers mentor their direct reports.  The management role is much different from the mentoring role.  Managers have significant influence over an employee’s work life.  Their relationship is focused on specific tasks required to achieve the organization’s objectives.  Mentors focus on the individual’s development, but have no direct power over the employee’s salary or career path (Management Mentors). In the US Navy mentoring program, sailors were deliberately not matched with an officer within their own chain-of-command as it could “raise the risk of conflicts between the mentor’s supervisory / evaluative and developmental roles… and protégé’s legitimate concern of confidentiality” (Johnson).

Another type of mentoring relationship is Informal/Natural, or resource based mentoring, where the partners are responsible for their own participation (McNichols). Historically, this relationship has been the most widely adopted.  This interaction is voluntary, informal, and mutually desirable (Gay) where one person reaches out to another and a career enhancing relationship develops (USN).

 

VCU’S FTEMS program

The FTEMS program at VCU is designed for emerging – and even established – leaders, specifically in information technology (IT) or a related field, who are at a pivotal point in their career and are looking to gain an advantage that will help take them to the next level.  The program combines an aggressive academic curriculum and practical industry insights and applications with mentoring, coaching and leadership development, and extensive networking opportunities to address the unique challenges of technology management and leadership.

 

Why FTEMS? 

IT management requires a broader mix of skills and expertise than any other career.  The paradox of the CIO role is that CIOs are expected to be both strategic thinkers – contributing to the business’ vision and overall mission, while at the same time tactical executors – responsible for the complex systems that keep the business running (Tucci, 2010). 

No academic program or training seminar by itself can completely prepare one for these wide ranging challenges. The key to becoming an outstanding IT Manager is finding a mentor who has mastered the business, technical and leadership skills needed to advance.

 

FTEMS Mentoring

The primary objectives of the FTEMS mentoring program are to help students:

  • Enhance the FTEMS learning experience by leveraging mentor expertise and experiences to gain greater insights and practical knowledge in leading people, leveraging technology, and ensuring success in operations and execution.
  • Develop the initiative and skills needed to self-motivate and self manage students’ professional development and to motivate their commitment to life-long learning.
  • Establish a productive, sustainable business network and polish the skills necessary for effective professional networking.
  • Build confidence and self-awareness through meaningful interactions with a seasoned leader who can provide reflections and insights on students’ perspectives, concerns and aspirations.

 

To accomplish these objectives, the FTEMS program draws from an extensive and distinguished network of IT executives from major companies, organizations, and agencies in the region. These executives share a passion for developing leaders and for giving back to the IT community.  Our mentors have agreed to share their time and experiences with our students to help guide them on their leadership journey.

The FTEMS mentoring program is – or can be, depending on the student – both formal and resource based.  With the formal aspect, students are assigned to one specific mentor with whom their interactions are part of their graded coursework.

The matchmaking process.  Our Mentoring Director solicits feedback from the students (mentees) at the beginning of the class year.  Students are asked to provide the characteristics they desire in a mentor. Characteristics can and should be based on where the student is in his or her career development, the student’s career objectives, and the student’s objectives for the mentoring relationship.  Desired characteristics can include title or position of the mentor, how “networked” or “plugged in” the mentor is to the external community, industry sector, organization size, or any number of other characteristics. Students may not request a specific individual or organization as a mentor, nor are students matched with the CIO or technology leader from their own workplace, or with that of a direct competitor. 

The structure.  After a review of students’ desired mentor characteristics, a preliminary match is made and suggested to the mentor.  Mentors are chosen based on their interest, availability, and the students’ desired characteristics. Upon agreement, the Mentoring Director introduces the mentor and the student electronically.  Both the mentor and the mentee receive a set of basic “ground rules” that set the tone for the duration of the formal part of the engagement.  Mentors are expected to be available and to assist the students with their career and personal development goals.  However, as part of the learning and development process, students are expected to take an active role in their own leaning (USN).  The onus to initiate contact and to drive the relationship is on the student, not the mentor.

The minimum academic requirement for the formal engagement is that students meet with their assigned mentors for at least one hour, at least once a month.  Students submit a monthly report on their mentor interactions and other networking activity.  Reports are graded on both an objective (did the student meet or exceed the minimum requirement) and subjective (was the quality of the student’s efforts and insights noteworthy) scale.  Students who meet only the minimum requirement generally earn a grade of “B”.

Students have the option to seek out additional mentors.  We have a number of CIOs and other business and technology leaders who have agreed to serve as “supplemental” or ad hoc mentors, with whom students can meet on an informal basis as desired.  Students can select these supplemental resources from identified mentors or find similar resources on their own. 

Students are encouraged to continually build their professional network.  This can be done by participating in a variety of professional networking opportunities designed to create additional connections with peers and leaders in the community.  These opportunities are external to VCU, and provided by various networking groups in the area.  Participation in these supplemental activities is factored into the grading criteria.  Students who exceed the minimum requirements by engaging in external networking or supplemental mentor activities generally earn a grade of “A”.

Orientation stage.  In their initial meetings, mentor and student discuss and mutually agree to the ground rules for their ongoing interactions. They are to define meeting frequency and scheduling, preferred location(s) for in-person meetings, and alternative communication methods when necessary. They also agree on the general approach for their meetings, including any expectations for preparation and follow-up.  Very early in the relationship, students and mentors must discuss how to recognize and protect sensitive, personal, proprietary and/or confidential information that either of them may share.  Sensitive information can safely be included in the student’s monthly report but they must exercise sound judgment about the specificity and level of detail. Often, they will be able to speak to the insights and benefits gained from sensitive discussions without delving into inappropriate details.

Development stage.  In the development stage, the student and mentor work on building and maintaining trust (Murdoch).  Trust is a critical component of the relationship for both parties.  Trust involves not only the confidentiality of sensitive information, but also willingness of both parties to open up and share personal and professional learning experiences – both positive and negative.  Experience is the richest source for adult learning (Murdoch), and both failure and success are powerful teachers (Mees).  Mutual respect, confidentiality, trust, and joint accountability are the foundation for a successful mentoring relationship (USN).

Mentoring is goal oriented (Gafoor), and recognition of the current reality is an important milestone toward achieving one’s goals.  During the development stage, mentors can help students identify appropriate goals and fill in the gaps between those goals and the student’s current state (Gay).  One important question that mentors can help students answer is whose goals is the student attempting to meet?  Are these the student’s goals, or someone else’s goals for the student (USN)?  Mentors help students with their development by providing guidance, not answers (Gay).

Students in the FTEMS program also receive guidance, feedback, and assistance in goal setting from coaching.  FTEMS coaches are certified executive coaches, not VCU faculty. The students begin their program with a comprehensive 360° Leadership Profile assessment. This assessment tool provides structured, empirically based feedback on key variables required for executive success. This feedback is used to help students develop a profile of their personal leadership style, to come to a better understanding of themselves, and to appreciate how others view them.  Students and coaches work together to identify opportunities for growth, based on their profiles, and formulate specific objectives and create strategies to reach their goals. Though not part of the graded mentor assignment, this assessment and the resulting objectives provide excellent material for the mentoring discussions.

Separation stage.  The formal FTEMS mentoring relationship ends when the student graduates from the program.  Continued interactions after graduation are completely voluntary. Many students establish lasting relationships with their mentors that continue to thrive and yield benefits well beyond graduation from the FTEMS program. The FTEMS program graduated its first class in 2007.  Many students from that class, as well as students from subsequent classes, continue to meet and communicate with their mentors.

 

Benefits of Mentoring

A strong mentoring relationship provides an opportunity for both parties to learn from each other and to benefit from the interaction (Hagenbuch, 2013).  The value proposition will differ for each participant.  A principal benefit to the mentee is the opportunity to strengthen his or her relationships with other leaders (Zentis, Value of mentoring).  Relationships and communications change as one advances in an organization.  Learning how to interact effectively with other leaders, peers, and subordinates is a must for newly appointed leaders.

An additional benefit to the mentee is insight into the pros and cons of various career options (USN).  With FTEMS, students explore career – not necessarily job – options with their mentors.  Although mentors do occasionally hire their student if an appropriate opening exists, more often they guide the students in exploring career paths and options that may open or change as a result of their new knowledge, experiences and self-awareness.  Mentors may open other doors for their protégés by providing access to their own extensive network.  Access to the mentor’s network can give emerging leaders a chance to meet important people at a crucial time in their careers and broaden their range of possible professional opportunities (Hagenbuch).

Benefits to the mentor may include simply the fulfillment and satisfaction that comes with watching promising junior talent grow in their confidence and job skills, and the pride of helping to guide them (Gay). “When you invest in someone else’s success, it becomes your own success” (McNichols).  Mentoring can also serve to re-energize the mentor’s career.  The mentor may gain a fresh perspective on the development process (USN), and can learn from their mentee’s background and history (Management Mentors).  Our mentors often tell us that they learned from the interactions as well as the mentee.  Another benefit to the mentor is the opportunity to give back for support received from others during the mentor’s own career evolution (Gay).  Several of our graduates who have since achieved leadership roles are now mentoring new students.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the mentoring process is the development of future leaders (McNichols).  According to the CIO Executive Council’s survey and report on Best Practices for Advancing the Strategic Impact of IT and the CIO, CIOs overwhelmingly point to “the lack of depth in leadership skills of their staff” (Schiller, 2012) as the biggest impediment to their own career advancement.  Mentoring sharpens skills that can be applied in mentoring developing leaders on the mentor’s own staff or within their own organizations.        

Research shows that organizations can also benefit directly from corporate mentoring programs.  Mentoring provides a 20% reduction in employee turnover (DegreeSearch).  Reduced turnover directly impacts the bottom line. The costs to replace a lost employee can be as much as 150% of the annual salary of the departing employee.  Additional costs include the loss of productivity, knowledge, skills and contacts (McNichols).  Mentoring increases productivity as well.  Training alone increased managerial productivity by 24%; when mentoring was added that number jumped to 88%.  95% of mentoring participants say the experience motivates them to do their very best (DegreeSearch).  Lastly, mentoring also results in greater hiring potential.  More than 60% of college graduates listed mentoring as a criterion for selecting an employer. 

As an organization, VCU benefits tremendously from the mentoring aspect of the FTEMS program.  Mentoring has been and continues to be a draw for prospective students.  In a survey (2010) of our FTEMS alumni, 90% of respondents cited mentoring and the opportunity to personally interact with high level area industry executives among the top three contributors to their overall FTEMS experience.  Nearly 40% have kept in touch with their mentor post graduation.  On average, 20 – 25% of our new students come through alumni referrals.

The mentors have a strong appreciation of the leadership influence in this program.  When looking for a development source for their high potential leadership staff, they look favorably at the VCU FTEMS program.  Increasing, and perhaps formalizing, these referrals is a major goal for future growth.  The relationships between the school and the leadership community have led to other collaborative projects.  Many of our mentors also serve on our Department of Information Systems Advisory Board, assisting with curriculum development for all programs, and offering advice on various initiatives being considered.

 

Conclusion

Through monthly meetings with their mentors, FTEMS students have invaluable opportunities to discuss their personal growth and professional development. They can establish safe, supportive relationships to explore their own workplace and academic challenges and learn how their mentors handle strategic initiatives as well as day-to-day issues. They learn from seasoned IT executives about their unique career paths, their opportunities and challenges, and their specific approaches to leadership, management and effective execution.

Mentoring is “a stimulating journey of self-discovery and development” (Zentis, Mentoring Training Program) which will provide all participants that are willing to invest in the journey exposure to opportunities for tremendous personal fulfillment and achievement.  Done well, mentoring creates a culture of continuous, transformational learning (Zentis, Mentoring Training Program).

 

REFERENCES

Charan, R. (2005).  Ending the CEO succession crisis.  Harvard Business Review.

DegreeSearch.org (2006-2013).  Mentors make a difference. Retrieved from http://degreesearch.org/blog/mentors-make-a-difference/

Gafoor, Abdul.  Mentoring [Word document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/pureoranges/mentoring-8941054

Gay, Rick.  (2011) School business leadership & management:  the mentoring process [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/rickgay/leadership-mentoring-052411

Hagenbuch, D.  (2013).  Finding a guide:  the value of having a professional mentor.  Experience, Inc.

Johnson, W. B., & Anderson, G.  (2009). Proceedings, US Naval Institute. How to make mentoring work.  Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/mcponpao/proceedings-mentorship

Management Mentors.  (2013).  Definition of mentoring, benefits of mentoring, & other FAQs.  Retrieved from http://www.management-mentors.com/resources/corporate-mentoring-programs-faqs/

McNichols, D.  Launching an effective mentoring program [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/cogdebby/mentoring-presentation

Mees, M.  (2009).  Effective and successful mentoring [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/michelemees/effective-and-successful-mentoring-2239120

Murdoch University International Study Centre Dubai.  Mentoring and leadership development seminar. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/muiscd/mentoring-leadership-development-seminar

Navy Career Wise and United States Navy.  Mentoring optimizing the mentor-protégé relationship [PowerPoint slides].  Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/tonyastro/how2-mentor

Saathoff, R N. (1996).  The mentoring relationship.  Adapted by NYSACCE4-HE (March 2010) with permission from the Department of 4-H Youth Development, Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Schiller, M.  (2012).  IT leadership is nothing special.  CIOInsight, www.cioinsight.com/

Tucci, L.  (2010). The CIO job under a microscope at MIT Sloan CIO Symposium.  SearchCIO.com. http://searchcio.techtarget.com/

Zentis, N R Ph.D.  Mentoring training program for protégés and mentors [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/nancyreh/developing-high-potentialspresentation-presentation

Zentis.  Value of mentoring [PowerPoint slides].  Fort Lauderdale ASTD. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/nancyreh/Value-of-Mentoring