The Art of Being Mentored

by Sarah Gutowski, Chair, New Member Mentoring Program

You may have noticed that earlier this week, we were all sent an email from Chris Gherardi, College Associate Dean of the Office of Faculty & Professional Advancement, about a workshop on mentoring that will be held this Friday, October 18, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Mildred Green Room of the Babylon Student Center (Ammerman Campus).

Being a new member, the act of mentoring may be the last thing on your mind. (For instance, if you're out East, you may be more preoccupied with the plague of flies that have taken up residence in your office, and wonder whether this is a sign of End Times. If you're at Ammerman or Grant, you may be wondering if the plague of VERYIMPORTANTWHATEVERYOUDOMAKESUREYOU'RETHERE meetings is a sign of End Times.) You may be -- and rightly so -- more interested in being the mentee. And you may think that, as a mentee, there's really very little work to be done on your part.

At least, that's what I thought before I took part in a similar mentoring workshop last year, which was co-sponsored by The Office of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and the Faculty Association. At this workshop, many of the FA mentors, and some of the academic chairs and administrators across the three campuses, were led through a seminar by members of ELT (NYSUT's Education and Learning Trust) where we discussed the importance of mentor-mentee relationships and ways to help those relationships be really useful to both parties.

Go ahead. Cast a long shadow.

That's where I was introduced to the idea of "being mentored' as an engagement, as opposed to something that just happens to you. At the back of the ELT booklet on mentoring, there were two pages of a handout titled “For the Mentee: Getting the Most Out of Being Mentored” – and these were what changed my perspective. So I thought YOU, the new members, might find some of this information useful, too. After all, I think most of us regard being mentored as a passive role, when really (and as we learned in the seminar) it’s much more dynamic than that. 

The ELT handout, quoting the author Hal Portner in his book “Being Mentored: A Guide for Protégés” (Corwin Press), states that in order to get the most out of mentoring, you should “be” the following:

• Be ready – “Wholeheartedly accept the opportunity to be mentored”
• Be willing – You need to “believe that you have an ongoing need to learn . . . When you are doing something you believe in – when what you are doing sits well with your set of values and is relevant to your life – you will do it better; you will do it with passion.” Additionally, you need to “have confidence that being mentored . . . can make a difference between success and failure.” And lastly, you must  believe that “being mentored can help you remain in the profession and have a satisfying and gratifying career.”
• Be able – “Whether you have a mentor who offers little help or support, or a mentor who throws so much information and help your way that you are constantly overwhelmed [Blog Author’s note: Funny, that sounds like somebody I know . . .], or a mentor who is . . . experienced [and] who understands how to work effectively with a protégé, you will still get more out of being mentored if you are ‘able’. Being able means having the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to be proactive in the mentoring process. Being proactive means not only being ready and willing to access the resources available to you, but also being empowered to do so.”

And finally, the handout offers these “Principles for Success”:

• Take the initiative when it comes to having your needs met as a protégé.
• Avoid making assumptions about your mentor’s plans and expectations.
• Solicit feedback from your mentor as a way to improve.
• Receive feedback objectively.
• Attempt to construct ways to learn from seemingly untenable situations.
• Take responsibility for your personal well-being.
• Contribute to the learning of other educators.

I think that first point about taking initiative is really important at this stage in the game. Make sure you have what you need as you begin your career here at SCCC, and your path will be far less rocky and intimidating. After all, the adage "You're your own best advocate" rings true here, too. Please don't misunderstand -- your mentor is here for you, the New Member Mentoring Program Campus Coordinators are here for you, I'm here for you, and the FA officers are here for you -- but none of us can even begin to help you if we're unaware of what's going on. If you need us, please ask us for our ideas, advice, feedback, and/or time. 

And we're not just offering to help out of the goodness of our hearts. That'd be nice, but ultimately there's a more practical reason: if your needs are being met, you're going to be more productive. You'll perform better, and chances are you'll be more ready, willing, and able to step up and help the college when the college requires it.