Mentoring Program for Senior Women
Project status: Current
Background
In 2007 Universities Australia Executive Women was granted a WPP grant for the project The Second AVCC Action Plan for Women Employed in Australian Universities 2006-2010. One component of this grant was:
Developing leadership skills in female university staff, particularly at senior levels.
This together with the readiness of a group of senior colleagues who have significant leadership experience at the highest levels to share their knowledge and experience lead the UAEW Executive to agree in February 2007 to progress a mentoring programme for senior women that would draw on the expertise of recently retired (male and female) Vice-Chancellors who remain active participants in the sector.
On the basis of member feedback it was also decided to include recently retired DVCs and Registrars in the program and also develop a shadowing component with current VCs/DVCs/Registrars.
In recognition of the synergies that exist with the proposed program and the mandate of the newly established LH Martin Institute, UAEW felt it was highly desirable to have the proposed program co-ordinated through the institutional ‘home’ of LH Martin.
Why mentor senior women leaders?
The continuing imperative to maximise the participation and success of women in senior university management and leadership roles is clearly articulated in the Second AVCC Action Plan For Women Employed in Australian Universities – 2006-2010:
‘…universities must draw more upon under-represented groups, particularly their women staff. They must attract, appoint and retain more women in professional and management positions. They must improve the participation, success, and leadership of women in research in order “to capitalise on the intellectual capital and potential of significant numbers of successful female undergraduates, honours students and research higher degree students”. They must develop their staff to take on leadership positions which involve management of significant financial and human resources and working in a competitive entrepreneurial and political environment.’ (AVCC, April 2006)
Recent research suggests that (generally unintentional) gender bias in universities operates below levels of consciousness generating ‘micro-inequities’ that generate significant cumulative disadvantage. These ‘micro-inequities’ in tandem with outmoded institutional structures hinder the advancement of women. It is in this context that resistance to women’s leadership also persists and presents particular challenges for women:
‘Study after study has affirmed that people associate women and men with different traits and link men with more of the traits that connote leadership… Mentoring is one of the primary means available to individual women to traverse the ‘labyrinth of leadership’ in a context where “the lessening of activism on behalf of all women puts pressure on each woman to find her own way.’ (Eagly and Carli, 2007, 67).
What value can a UAEW/LH Martin Mentoring Program Add?
Surveys of Australian universities show that close to half have mentoring programs for women and that groups such as ATN-WEXDEV and its constituent universities have been leaders in this field in Australia. Yet there is also evidence that women may not always be well placed to develop relationships with influential mentors.
In this program our response to the significant change in our sector is firmly directed towards future needs whilst drawing on the wealth of experience of the past. This future orientation generates one of the most significant challenges for a mentoring program: the capacity to draw on past experience whilst simultaneously transforming that experience into leadership responses appropriate to current and future contexts. It is our hope that both mentors and mentees will use their knowledge and share their experience whilst doubting what they know.
Devos (2005) argues that the growth of mentoring of women in Australian universities may be seen as linked to the development of the enterprise university in which individualism and competitiveness are increasingly valued. If this is the case one important objective of the program will be to provide women with the strategies to negotiate this competitive environment whilst remaining simultaneously collaborative.
The UAEW/L.H.Martin Mentoring Program aims to implement an evidence based approach to implement positive and effective change through strategic targeting of specific obstacles in the ‘career labyrinth’ of senior university women; and to therefore advance the cause of their professional development.
The LH Martin/UAEW mentoring scheme will be structured on the basis of matching mentors’ experience and potential to address specific challenges identified by mentees. It will have three components:
- The mentoring relationship with a recently retired VC/DVC/Registrar
- A shadowing component with a current VC/DVC/Registrar
- Peer networks facilitated through shared experience and workshops.
What are the assumptions that inform the design of the program?
There are a number of assumptions that underpin the objectives and design of this program. In particular it is assumed that:
- women experience universities differently to their male colleagues and that, as a minority in most institutions, women as leaders face particular challenges
- the program, operating outside the institutional context, is designed to complement other supportive relationships and institutional programs, and is one component of a range of support and learning opportunities
- a mentoring relationship is thus neither exclusive nor necessarily enduring, it is time and need specific
- a mentor in this context is a wise and trusted counsellor and confidant
- the relationship between the mentor and the mentee is premised on mutual trust and respect
- whilst each party brings to the relationship different levels of experience, knowledge and status this should not result in an inherent imbalance of power or a hierarchical relationship
- women leaders do not have particular deficits that have to be addressed, it is their identified challenges that are the focus of the relationship
- mentoring does not necessarily involve identifying with a mentor, thus a mentor is not necessarily a ‘role model’
- mentoring offers an opportunity to learn through association, insight and reflection
Whilst the program is focused on indentified challenges it is not intended to be narrowly instrumentalist in terms of career progression. Our intent is to assist mentees to look through new windows rather than expecting mentors to open doors.
- Mentors and mentees will be given the opportunity to share their experiences through annual workshops, which will in turn inform the design of the program.
- Evaluation will be an integral component of the program.
What are the Benefits of Mentoring?
From the literature it is proposed that the following benefits may be expected from the program:
For the mentee
- Improved leadership strategies and problem solving skills
- Extended networks
- Increased and nuanced knowledge of the sector
- Enhanced self-knowledge, confidence and professional identity
- Understanding of ethical leadership and decision-making
- Improved understanding of the importance of the leadership role, and the capacity to contribute to the sector, leading to greater career satisfaction
- Identification of areas for professional growth
- The competence and wisdom to negotiate institutional and sectoral politics
- Greater understanding of senior appointment processes and how to negotiate these
- Greater understanding of the mentoring process and therefore improved capacity to mentor.
For the mentor
- The opportunity to extend contribution to the sector through a new initiative
- The satisfaction of sharing knowledge and experience
- The opportunity to have a formal role in developing the next generation of female leaders in Higher Education
- A context for productive reflection on their own leadership and enduring contribution
- A learning opportunity through relationships with mentees whose experience may be very different to their own
- Increased knowledge of change in the sector, particularly of the impact on institutions of the new policy environment
- The opportunity to see a familiar world through a different lens
- Greater understanding of the mentoring process and therefore improved capacity to mentor
- Enhanced self-esteem through recognition of continuing professional contribution.
- Recognition through the L.H. Martin ‘Associates’ Program.
For the sector
- A new avenue for formal support and development of women leaders
- Great awareness and visibility of senior women in the sector
- Enhanced contribution and broadened links with past leaders
- Evaluation and research that will lead to stronger conceptualisation of the mentoring process and improvements in program design.
How do I Manage a Successful Mentoring Relationship?
Zachary (2000) identifies four key stages of the mentoring relationship:
- preparation of the mentor, preparation of the relationship
- negotiation of the relationship- a conversation to reach mutual understanding which becomes the “road map” for the relationship
- the enabling phase
- coming to closure – continuation of the process until goals are achieved and a decision is made to end or renegotiate the relationship.
Responsibilities of the mentee
- Develop a framework for working together: identify challenges; be clear about needs and expectations and communicate these to the mentor; negotiate a meeting schedule, format and boundaries of availability and respect these.
- Generate a simple statement of agreement on the basis of the above.
- Communicate any planned absences/variations in schedule in advance if possible.
- Respect difference and remain open to learn from experience.
- Prepare to be challenged.
- Seek feedback and respond respectfully.
- Embrace opportunities.
- Continue to learn about effective mentoring to maximise the benefits and improve capacity as mentors.
- Communicate clearly and honestly and respect confidentiality.
- Communicate your involvement in the program to your university as a way of encouraging other senior women to participate in the program.
Responsibilities of the mentor
- Model good leadership in the relationship consistent with the program.
- Be available within negotiated parameters (minimally once per month for a 12 month period) and renegotiate as necessary.
- Communicate any planned absences/variations in schedule in advance if possible.
- Use the skills of active and empathetic listening that your leadership roles have demanded.
- Provide constructive feedback.
- Allow for difference and recognise differing learning styles.
- Prepare to be challenged.
- Share experience generously.
- Continue to learn about effective mentoring to maximise the benefits and improve capacity as mentors.
- Communicate clearly and honestly and respect confidentiality.
Dealing with problems in the mentor/mentee relationship
- Communicate difficulties directly and in a timely fashion – mismatches do occur in mentoring programs generally and it is possible that they will do so in this program.
- The length of the mentoring relationship should be confirmed at the first meeting and there should be no expectation that it will continue longer than this time. However, this does not preclude a longer relationship if both parties agree.
- Revisit expectations regularly in an open and frank manner. Ensure they are shared and remain realistic.
- Agree on a ‘no blame exit strategy’ that is premised on maintaining respect, dignity and confidentiality.
Who will be Responsible for Program Development and Monitoring?
Development of the program will be overseen by a National Steering Group and the mentor database will be maintained by LH Martin. The LH Martin Institute will also facilitate workshops, maintain an online resource site for mentors and mentees and provide an information contact point, currently through Dr Joyce Kirk.
How do I Apply?
This mentoring program is available to UAEW Members.
UAEW Membership
The UAEW consists of all women in Australian universities who have significant executive responsibilities such as Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Executive Deans, Executive Directors, Chairs of Academic Senate/Board or who are in positions of equivalent status and;
- have institution-wide responsibilities,
- report to the Vice-Chancellor, and/or
- are regarded as a member of the institution’s executive/central management group.
Download application form in either PDF or Word format.
Expressions of interest will be sought twice a year from UAEW members.
The UAEW Executive will engage in a matching process based on mentee needs and mentor experience. Together with staff at LH Martin potential shadowing opportunities will also be identified.
How do become a mentor?
In developing programs for new educational leaders, the Institute will offer a mentor service. If you would like to offer your services as a mentor to a recently appointed leader, please contact us to express your interest at martin-institute@unimelb.edu.au or call +61 3 8344 0756.
We also encourage people who are no longer employed by an educational institution as a senior leader and manager but have a continuing interest in educational leadership to please contact us about becoming a mentor.
