Transcript UPDATED Kroll GM (IMA Webinar)

Group Mentorship:
What is it?
Jonathan Kroll, PhD
[email protected]
Traditional Mentorship
Understood by the “apprenticeship model”
 One-to-one experience where a typically older,
more experienced individual provides a
developmental learning/growth experience for
a typically younger, less experienced individual.
Traditional Mentorship
“Mentor” Archetype (universally recognized symbol)
 Represents knowledge, reflection, insight, wisdom,
cleverness, and intuition. These “guides” appear
when discernment, understanding, good advice,
motivation, discipline, and planning are needed
(Jung, 1958).
 The mentor is often expected to transmit
knowledge—the mentee receives the wisdom.
Traditional Mentorship
Popularly recognized by characters in myths,
folklore, fairytales, and pop culture:
 Merlin the Magician – mentor to King Arthur
 Fairy Godmother – mentor to Cinderella
 Mr. Miyagi – mentor to Daniel (Karate Kid)
Traditional Mentorship
 This one-to-one model of mentoring is commonly
researched in work-place, youth, and higher
education contexts.
(Although it is prevalent in many different spaces:
veterans, religious communities, addiction, etc.)
 Often results in positive outcomes for mentees,
mentors, and organizations.
Traditional Mentorship
As powerful and important as traditional
mentoring has been…
 it can also be destructive to the mentee’s
development, exclusive, and can perpetuate
the socializing forces that produce inequities.
Traditional Mentorship
This has happened in the following ways…
 Limited access for those typically underrepresented (i.e., women and minorities)
 Mentorship as ‘banking’ (Freire, 1970)
(mentees are repositories for information…)
 The hierarchical structure and locus of power
(mentor) can result in actions that are oppressive,
degrading, and dehumanizing…
Traditional Mentorship
Negative/Dysfunctional Mentoring
 Individual Implications include:
 Less learning
 Lower amounts of support
 Depressed mood
 Job withdrawal
 Higher stress
Traditional Mentorship
Negative/Dysfunctional Mentoring
Organizational implications include
reductions in
 New ideas
 Cooperation amongst colleagues
 Zest for self-improvement
 Positive attitude towards organization
Group Mentoring
 A Constructivist approach to mentorship where…
 Learning, growth, and development is actively
composed through the social engagement of
the participants.
Group Mentoring
 A Constructivist approach to mentorship where…
 Knowledge is imbedded within each of the
participants’ own experiences, values, attitudes
and beliefs. (Each participant is expected to
contribute their knowledge to assist the others in
their learning, growth, and development.)
Group Mentoring
 A Constructivist approach to mentorship where…
 Power dynamics are purposefully challenged
and authority is shared.
Mentoring Models
Collaborator
Collaborator
Mentor
Collaborator
Traditional
one-to-one
mentoring
relationship
Collaborator
Collaborator
Collaborator
Collaborator
Mentee
Constructivist
group
mentoring
relationships
Group Mentoring
Huizing (2012) identified 4 structures:
 One-to-Many
 Many-to-One
 Team-Based
 Peer Group Mentoring
Group Mentoring
Historical Example:
 Benjamin Franklin and the Leather Apron Club
Contemporary Examples:
 Lean In Groups
 TEMPO Milwaukee
 True North Groups
 Women in Film
Article:
What is meant by the term
Group Mentoring
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13611267
.2016.1165488
Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning
http://mentoringassociation.org/
Questions
Comments
([email protected])
http://mentoringassociation.org/