Indiana NEEDS Initiative Toolkits

In a peer-to-peer mentoring program, both mentors and mentees will need early clarification of the program’s expectations and responsibilities. They will also need guidance on the logistical and interpersonal components of their participation. Participants may be hesitant to sign on without a clear idea of the time commitment. Appropriate timing of training activities supports engagement, eases the assessment process, and improves the participant experience. This section includes research findings pertinent to developing peer-to-peer mentor training and examples of mentoring program training timelines.

Training Timelines

Your program’s needs and goals will be central to developing your timeline. To plan when you are going to take each step in the process, you need to know the intended outcome. It may be helpful to work backward by addressing the following questions. When do you hope to implement your program? What structures and processes need to be in place from the beginning and what can be developed as you go? Who will be responsible for carrying out the required tasks? How will you be assessing your program?

These questions uncover the “what,” “who,” and “when” for your program. First, you will need to know what you want to happen and how you will assess when and how well it happened. Then you will need to coordinate with the people who will be responsible for making it happen. They are your collaborators in setting up a timeline that works and drive the “when,” allowing you to develop a realistic timeline for training your mentors.

As you are collaborating with mentors, consider the following factors in your timeline.

• Mentor schedules
  As you are developing mentor training schedules, consider what timing would be most open for them. In a peer based, or even a faculty based, mentoring program, the calendar of the academic year could impact the availability and engagement of your mentors.
• Modality Determining whether your training will be online, hybrid, or in-person should be very intentional. An online modality is very convenient but gives less control over the training environment. Hybrid or in-person training provides program staff with more direct engagement with the mentors and greater control over the learning environment. However, hybrid and in- person training may be less convenient for the mentors and require an increased flexibility from the trainers.
• Marketing and Recruiting How you choose to train your mentors should be directly linked to the intended outcomes of the training and likewise to the program’s intended outcomes. The selected method to train mentors should be a key marketing and recruiting strategy for obtaining mentors. Communicating how you will prepare mentors to have fulfilling experiences can be a powerful recruiting tool. Good mentors want to know that they will have the tools they need to be successful. However, you should be deliberate about deciding the best timeframe to deliver that information in a reasonable way. A yearlong training commitment is likely to dissuade some high-quality mentors, especially if they do not see the extended training value. Similarly, if all training is held in person and during business hours only, mentors in certain life situations willSelf-select out, even if the training can be completed in a short timeframe. As you develop your training timeline, consider who your processes will attract and who they will dissuade. Securing a diverse, well-qualified mentor pool without early attention to how to market the mentor experience to the candidates you hope to attract may be challenging.

Execution of the Timeline

Identifying a designated point of person for your mentoring program will benefit the execution of the training timelines. When one person or a small team is actively engaged in maintaining the program’s momentum, mentors will be more engaged, and actions and details will be prevented from falling through the cracks. You may also consider the use of technology to manage your timeline. Using learning management systems, task centers, dashboards, and other technology-driven organizational strategies may keep the project on track. Technology can also create a history of the project, allowing it to continue with minimal disruption if the person coordinating the process is no longer available to you. The use of technology may also aid in creating data sources for future evaluation.

Continued Training

In general, a short-term initial training schedule is recommended to support effective, marketable training requirements, but you must also consider your mentors’ long-term needs. In a peer mentoring program, there should be a distinct benefit to the mentor and the mentee. As you consider the goals of your program, you should build objectives related to the mentors’ development. Then integrate check- ins, communication points, workshops, or other activities that support the intended goals for mentors in your long-term training plan.

Related Research
Frank, B. H. (2018). Implementation of a peer mentoring program for undergraduate student nurses. [Doctoral dissertation, North Dakota State University]. North Dakota State University Repository. https://library.ndsu.edu/ir/handle/10365/28077
(The author describes implementation of a peer-to-peer mentoring program for pre-licensure nursing students at an urban university school of nursing. Discussion of the training procedure begins on page 30.)

Resource Links
Queens University. (2016). M2 Peer Mentoring Program Training Manual. M. Dineen & M. Condra (Eds.). https://campusmentalhealth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Queens-University-Peer- Mentoring-Training-Manual.pdf

Wayne State University. (2019). Peer Mentor Training. https://wayne.edu/learning-communities/peer- mentors/training/

Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

CQ is more than cultural competence. It is the capability to function and relate effectively in culturally diverse situations. Cultural diversity includes: Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation/sexual preference, life experiences, age, educational access, and other personal characteristics. CQ builds on IQ and Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Before one can understand other cultural values, they must understand their own values. Developing CQ will help students and nursing professionals to work effectively across cultures. CQ predicts personal adjustment and adaptability, judgment and decision-making, and leadership effectiveness as well as trust, idea sharing, and innovation (Cultural Intelligence, 2020).

As described in Livermore’s research (2015), there are four components to CQ: drive, knowledge, strategy, and action. Drive, or motivation, involves having interest, confidence, and determination to adapt cross-culturally. Knowledge, or cognition, is the understanding of intercultural norms and differences. Strategy, or metacognition, is making sense of culturally diverse experiences and planning accordingly. Action, or behavior, involves changing verbal and nonverbal actions appropriately when interacting cross-culturally.

Resource link
Livermore, D. (2015). Leading with cultural intelligence: The real secret to success [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2C7Mfft9OY

Cultural Intelligence in Mentor Matching

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is an essential factor to consider when designing and implementing mentoring training for administrators and participants. By incorporating CQ principles into mentor training, both mentors and mentees are introduced to this valuable concept and learn how CQ principles can enrich the mentoring relationship. To support diverse student groups, administrators must consider the contexts and prior experiences that participants bring to practice. Likewise, participants may still be learning what it means to incorporate various worldviews into their perspective. They will need guidance on utilizing differences to build positive momentum in mentoring relationships. This section includes scholarly articles on the cultural components of mentoring training and examples of CQ training for mentoring program participants.

Importance of CQ in Matching

The concept of cultural intelligence is interwoven throughout our discussion of how to build an effective mentoring program. Matching is an area where CQ is a necessary skill for everyone involved, including the mentors and mentees and the staff and faculty working with mentors and mentees throughout the program. It is not possible to know whether a pair will “hit it off” in advance. There is no reasonable way to predict a perfect personality match, even between people you know well. Capitalizing on CQ strategies during matching increases the odds of a successful match by infusing a positive perspective on differences from the beginning.

Ways to Infuse CQ

One of the best ways to learn about your participants’ cultural needs is to ask them. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the AACN’s Mentoring Toolkit (2012) recommends having participants meet and provide input into their matches. Participants who feel that they had a say in their match tend to be more satisfied with the match and with the program overall (Packard, 2003.) If a meeting is not possible, you can gather information about participant’s perspectives and values through surveys.

Another critical factor in engaging CQ in matching is to bring a diverse range of participants to the table. Marketing and recruiting strategies should involve attracting people from a broad range of experiences and backgrounds, both as mentors and mentees. The more experiences are represented, the more those experiences can be leveraged to foster culturally engaging, mutually beneficial relationships among your participants. This is especially true if your participants will be engaging with the larger group rather than just their mentor or mentee. While a mentee may prefer a mentor with a similar background, they could benefit from engaging with other participants with different perspectives in other settings, such as meetups or training events.

Managing Assumptions in CQ Focused Matching

A holistic perspective to matching, including the application of CQ, is supported by research. There is some evidence that matches based on similarity are necessarily more successful than matches between people who are demographically different. Yet when a pair is demographically different, the relationship may take longer to build trust (Johnson-Bailey & Cervero, 2002). As you are creating a pairing mechanism, you must balance these considerations. Even demographically similar students will need to engage in culturally intelligent approaches to get the maximum benefit from mentoring relationships.

Pairing demographically similar students does not absolve the responsibility to ensure that participants have the tools they need to navigate cultural and personal differences. Likewise, pairing demographically dissimilar participants may require more attention to building rapport and cultural knowledge development, yet it still allows participants to have helpful and meaningful interactions.

Related Research
Packard, B.W. (2003). Student Training Promotes Mentoring Awareness and Action. The Career Development Quarterly, 51(4), 335-345. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-0045.2003.tb00614.x (This article describes qualitative student outcomes in a composite mentoring program that established mentor pairings with multiple people and was designed to engage students with a strategically diverse mentor pool.)

Johnson-Bailey, J., & Cervero, R.M. (2002). Cross-cultural mentoring as a context for learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 96.
https://content-calpoly-edu.s3.amazonaws.com/beaconmentors/1/documents/Resources/Cross-Cultural-Mentorship/Johnson-Bailey%20and%20Cervero%202002%20Cross-Cultural%20Mentoring%20as%20a%20Context%20for%20Learning.pdf
(This article qualitatively discusses various aspects of cross-cultural mentoring relationships, specifically across race, and describes some of the potential benefits and challenges for the mentor and mentee.)

Coordination of Training and Matching

Training and matching are some of the more labor-intensive portions of coordinating a mentorship program. The coordination responsibility falls to the participants during active mentoring, while the program bears the responsibility for preparing them for the mentoring phase of the process. Training for both mentors and mentees sets the tone for the mentoring relationship and prepares participants for their roles, expectations, and challenges. Matching is also an essential part of setting the tone. Effective coordination of the matching activities can significantly improve the experience for mentors and mentees.

If you have the option to do so, designate a single person or office to be the point of contact for training and match coordination. While many people can, and often should, share in the decision making and execution of a successful mentoring program, coordinating the logistics through a central source will avoid misunderstandings and create consistency for participants as they onboard into the program.

Coordination of Training

Training should be intentionally designed to facilitate engagement with the most critical takeaway points. Those points should be communicated to the participants frequently. Consider your program’s priorities and how you can embed those priorities into the training structure. Then, identify multiple communication methods for sharing those priorities. For instance, consider if there are opportunities to convey critical points in person and in writing, or if on-demand videos would be a good resource for your population. Also, you will need to identify the follow-up needs of your participants.

Important takeaway points for a nursing undergraduate mentoring program may include:

• Basic understanding of the purpose and process of mentoring
• Expected commitment for the program
• Ethical expectations
• Cultural intelligence considerations
• Resources available to participants

In addition to the overall main takeaway points that you choose to emphasize during training, you will want to ensure that the program’s goals are transparent. Mentors and mentees should have a clear idea of the expected outcomes and their role in achieving them. Furthermore, keeping participants involved in the program’s mission encourages them to fully engage in its success.

Coordination of Matching

Coordination of matching should also be intentionally linked to the goals and mission of the program. For example, suppose one of the goals of your program is to help students in a particular ethnic or cultural group meet successful peers who are also members of those groups. In that case, your recruitment and matching strategies should reflect that goal. Thereby, assessment of your program’s success will be connected to your goals. It may not be feasible for every pair to be matched in a way that reflects each goal, but each match should be set up for success as measured by the program assessment strategies.

As you are constructing the matching process, select tools that will best reflect your desired outcomes for the pairs. First you will need to determine if you are aiming to match participants who are demographically similar or different. A survey tool may be an effective way to compare demographic characteristics. If continuing friendships are a desirable outcome, then face to face matching strategies may help to gauge chemistry. No matter what strategies you use, matches tend to be more successful when the participants feel that they have a say in the match. While easy for the coordinator, random pairing does not contribute to a feeling of connection between participants.

Whether or not the participants meet prior to matching, matching should include elements specific to the participants’ personalities and goals. Also, you should ensure that the participants are aware of how their information is used in the matching process.

Fostering Engagement During Training

Engagement of mentors and mentees during training sets a positive tone for the entire program. By facilitating strong participant buy-in early on, you encourage the participants to engage with the program and their mentoring partners. Engaged mentors and mentees develop skill and efficiency in their role. As they gain confidence and begin to see the effectiveness of the program, they may become strong advocates for the program. Training is not one-and-done; it is a powerful support and engagement tool that evolves throughout the mentoring program experience.

According to Comer (1980), people are generally motivated to learn by connection to a significant person, connection to the material, or connection to their sense of purpose. Mentoring is, at its core, a relationship-based learning experience for both mentor and mentee. In theory, the participants will develop a connection to a person in the mentoring relationship. However, that connection is notautomatic. By reinforcing the connection to the tasks, the experience of mentoring, and the participant’s personal mission during training, the mentor can facilitate an experience that will support the development of the personal connection that pushes the participant to learn about themselves and their role within the profession of nursing.

Sharing the program’s goals, purpose, and benefits early on supports engagement of the participant’s sense of purpose. Participants need to know how the program will support their personal objectives. Participants who feel that their goals are aligned with those of the program are more likely to remain fully engaged. For example, suppose one of your program goals is to support leadership development. In that case, your training materials might include information on using the leadership experience they have gained in the program to market themselves to employers. By sharing your objectives early and reinforcing how those objectives are being addressed, your participants can see what they are getting from the experience in real time.
Connecting to the material manifests in two ways for program participants: engagement with the skills of mentoring and engagement with the relationship. The training coordinator’s role is linked to mentoring skills which allow participants to effectively engage with their partner and learn and grow from the relationship. As the participants move through the program, consider:

• How much guidance do participants want and need?
• What training needs will be different between mentors and mentees?
• Where are opportunities for fun and relationship building?
• What drew your participants to the mentoring program?
• How can you ensure they are getting what they wanted out from this experience?

Related Research
Comer, J. P. (1980). School power: Implications of an intervention project. New York: Free Press.
Althoff, S. E., Linde, K. J., Mason, J. D, Nagel, N. M, & O’Reilly, K. A. (2007) Learning objectives: Posting and communicating daily learning objectives to increase student achievement and motivation. Saint Xavier University & Pearson Achievement Solutions. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED496125.pdf

Modulating Unconscious Bias – Bias, although inherent, can be managed. Affinity bias is the tendency to gravitate or give preference to people in our in-group or people like us. Having self-awareness of how we think and act can help to prevent harmful actions, thoughts, and feelings. Most people function with a fast-thinking brain which involves intuitive thinking. Fast thinking is characterized as unconscious, automatic, emotional, fast, and effortless. On the other hand, a slow thinking brain lends to rational thinking which is conscious, deliberate, systematic, slow, and effortful (Kahneman, 2013).

Resource links
Kahneman, D. (2013). Thinking fast vs thinking slow [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PirFrDVRBo4

Resource links Implicit Bias
Harvard University. (2011). Project Implicit. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Minority Nurse. (2018). Recognizing Implicit Bias in Health Care Setting. https://minoritynurse.com/recognizing-implicit-bias-health-care-settings/

Madva, A. (2014, May 6). Understanding Implicit Bias in Higher Education. https://www.csueastbay.edu/dsj/highlights/understanding-implicit-bias.html