AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

Transcription

1 Mentorship toolkit District VI AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY 2012 Authored by: Tamara Helfer, MD, MBA

2 Mentorship toolkit District VI TOOLBOX: Start: First, one should call the mentorship director and let them know they are embarking on a mentorship program. Define your objectives and secure leadership support. Second, start collecting and filling out profiles to be placed into the database. Appendix A and B. Ask the mentorship director investigate if mentors have already been delineated. This electronic database is kept at ACOG headquarters by the districts mentorship director. Third, the district would send out blast s to the district, place on facebook, and link from your district page to the ACOG mentorship page. Appendix C and D. Fourth, continue reviewing and enhancing with program feedback. The mentee should fill out a survey to provide feedback on their experience with the mentorship program. The mentorship coordinator will send a link to the survey to all mentees every six months. 1

3 SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM: 1. Define your objectives and secure leadership support. You would be surprised by the number of mentoring programs without clear objectives or strong buy-in. Such programs often struggle because there is no consensus of what success looks like. Good objectives are SMART specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. For example, The goal of our mentoring program is to help physicians become 80 percent productive by the end of their first six months. Objectives provide direction to program participants and help organizational leaders understand why they should offer their support. Make sure to identify a senior leader who believes strongly in the program and is willing serve as its executive champion. This person will prove to be a critical resource and advocate. 2. Find a strong, passionate program manager. Selecting the right program manager is critical to your mentoring program. A strong program manager doesn t guarantee success. But a weak one will guarantee underwhelming results. Program managers provide essential ongoing support, training and coaching to participants. They identify opportunities and troubleshoot issues, working with stakeholders to make ongoing adjustments to keep the program thriving. They also are instrumental in promoting the program to potential participants and serve as the programs ambassador (along with the executive champion) to the organization. Passion, excellent communication and organizational skills are a must. Prior experience in serving as a mentor is bonus. 3. Build flexibility into the program. Successful mentoring programs balance the dueling needs of structure and flexibility. A level of formality is needed within the mentoring process, participant training, progress tracking, and communication to help the program run smoothly. Yet mentoring is about individual learning and growth, which means participant needs will vary in outcomes sought and preferred methods of learning. When planning a mentoring program, identify areas that require flexibility and build them into the program. Areas to consider include: mentoring format (one-to-one, group), duration, and participant interaction tools. 4. Put your marketing hat on. When new mentoring programs are introduced in organizations, there is generally natural enthusiasm. Yet this enthusiasm doesn t always translate into high participation rates. A common reason is the absence of effective promotion. Don t assume potential mentors and mentees understand the benefits. For many, this will be their first opportunity to participate in mentoring. You will need to convince them participating is worth their time and effort. Beyond participants, key leaders and stakeholders need to be educated on the benefits of the program and strategic value to the organization. 2

4 5. Think win-win. Consider the needs of mentors. Building a solid base of mentors can be a challenge. A key is to understand the positive and negative factors that impact mentor participation. Once you have identified them, look for creative ways to reinforce positive drivers and lower the hurdles of negative ones throughout the mentoring process. For example, mentors are often busy people with limited time to spend. How can you help mentors be more efficient with the time they have to dedicate to mentoring? Also consider recognition and reward strategies. Formally recognizing mentor involvement can be very motivating to those mentors and help attract new ones. 6. Prepare participants for success. Productive mentoring doesn t just happen. Provide training to mentors and mentees regarding the programs goals, participant roles, mentoring best practices, and your mentoring process. Help mentors and mentees clarify their own objectives. The need for training and guidance doesn t end after the initial orientation. Provide tips and best practices throughout the mentoring program to help participants stay on track and get the most out of the program. 7. Embrace the role of matchmaker. For mentoring to thrive, a solid relationship needs to form between mentor and mentee. A critical step in the mentoring process is matching mentors to mentees. Consider giving mentees a say in the matching process by allowing them to select a particular mentor or list their top three choices. Mentoring management software can improve and speed up the matching process. Through intelligent profile matching functionality, suitable mentors are recommended based on learning needs and compatibility Track, measure, listen and tune. How will you know if your mentoring program is a success? You won t unless you track program and connection metrics and ask for feedback. At the program level, build metrics around defined objectives (see Tip #1 above). Also, be sure to assess the outcomes of individual mentor and mentee connections. One of the easiest ways to measure success and capture feedback is through surveys. Ask participants and stakeholders how well the mentoring program met their goals and the goals of the organization. Also ask them for their ideas for improving the program. 9. Bring closure to individual mentoring connections. Entrepreneurs are advised to develop a clear exit strategy for their business to help them focus upon a tangible outcome. Mentoring is similar in the sense that without defining a closure point, the mentoring process can wander aimlessly. As a mentoring connection progresses, work with the mentor and mentee to identify mileposts that indicate when mutually established goals have

5 been reached. Establish a formal process that brings closure to the mentoring experience. Within this process, provide an opportunity for both the mentor and mentee to reflect upon what was learned, discuss next steps for the mentee, and provide feedback. 10. Broadcast successes. After a mentoring program begins, the focus naturally shifts into operating the program and keeping it running smoothly. Keep in mind, there are likely many more potential participants out there waiting for signs that joining the program is worth their time and effort. Continually demonstrate the value of the program, recognize participant contributions and spotlight successes. These efforts will bring energy to the program, expand participation and increase overall support within the organization. APPENDIX A: Mentor Profile MENTOR PROFILE First name: Last name: ACOG/ VOLUNTEER HISTORY: Active in ACOG: _ Previous or current positions held within ACOG: Other volunteer work: What meetings are you planning to attend in ? PRACTICE BACKGROUND: Year completed residency: Practice type interested in joining: Academic Full time Urban Hospital Private Part time Rural Self employed Other: Previous Experience: _ Subspecialty interest: yes no If yes, type of subspecialty interested in pursuing: MFM Gyn-ONC Urogyn REI Not board certified Specify specialty: _ 4

6 Year completed subspecialty: SPECIAL INTERESTS: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: Hours Per week available: # Hours per month available: # Location: City: State: Facebook page: _ Phone number: _ Preferred type of communication: phone text facebook If by phone: Preferred day of the week to communicate with the mentee: _ Preferred hours of communication: APPENDIX B: Mentee Profile MENTEE PROFILE First name: Last name: ACOG/ VOLUNTEER HISTORY: Active in ACOG: _ Previous or current positions held within ACOG: Other volunteer work: What meetings are you planning to attend in ? PRACTICE BACKGROUND: Year completed or to complete residency: Practice type interested in joining: Academic Full time Urban Hospital Private Part time Rural Self employed Other: Previous Experience: _ Subspecialty interest: yes no If yes, type of subspecialty interested in pursuing: MFM Gyn-ONC Urogyn REI Other: Currently in training (year to complete): SPECIAL INTERESTS: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: Expectations of weekly hours to talk to mentor: Expectations of hours per month to talk with mentor: Would like mentor only as recourse for questions: Yes No If yes, what specific area of interest: Getting involved in ACOG Guidance for practice Guidance for residency or specialty Other Location: City: State: Facebook page: _ Phone number: _ Preferred type of communication: phone text facebook If by phone: Preferred day of the week to communicate with the mentor: Preferred hours of communication: 5

7 APPENDIX C: Chair Letter Dear District VI, Happy Holidays and best wishes to you and your family. As an individual who has demonstrated leadership in District VI of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, you are being contacted to see if you would be interested in participating in an exciting new mentorship program District VI is developing for our Junior Fellows (JF) and Young Physicians (YP). ACOG District VI is in the process of developing a double armed mentoring program to assist Junior Fellows in Training, Junior Fellows in Practice and Young Physicians as they enter the next phase of their professional lives. As you well remember, there are many fears that develop and questions that arise and these questions are often answered by someone who has played the role of your mentor. The program's two arms will be an electronic data base component and a "human" component. We are asking you to consider becoming a mentor for this program. The mentoring program's two components are: 1) an easily accessible electronic data base which would answer timely mentee questions. Examples include-for 1st and 2nd year residents-"how do you achieve specific research goals", for 3rd and 4th year residents-"how do you choose a practice or fellowship opportunity", for 4th year residents-"what is it like to practice in rural Iowa", for young physicians-what is necessary for maintenance of certification, etc. and 2) a cadre of physician leaders interested in becoming a mentor and formally interacting with medical students, Junior Fellows and Young Physicians on a regular basis to assist them in their career development. Attention would be directed to creating a diverse group of mentors to better fulfill the objectives of the program. General Ob/Gyn practice and all subspecialties would be represented and all District VI Sections would provide mentors. Mentor diversity would include Academic/Private Practice, Rural/Urban, Part-time/Full-time, female/male, Hospital employed/self employed, etc. Mentors would be asked to provide their characteristic profile (subspecialty status, practice location, contact information, etc.) and areas of special interest and would allow that profile to be accessed electronically by JFs and YPs. This access would be granted only through a District Advisory Council gatekeeper who would facilitate communication between the mentor and mentee. Suggested guidelines would be available concerning commitment specifics on both individual's part, but it is hoped that the relationship between the mentor and mentee develops in its own unique way to best accomplish the objectives of the program. The program is entirely voluntary and, with respect to the changing physician practices, is not permanently binding. At this time we are asking that you, as a leader in ACOG, consider participating in this exciting new District VI program. It will help us create a more seamless transition for future generations of Ob/Gyn physicians. If you are interested in participating in this program, please respond to me at the address above or contact Stephanie Williams, District VI Manager SEWilliams@acog.org. APPENDIX D: Mentorship directors letter 6

8 Dear District VI, ACOG District VI is in the process of developing a double armed mentoring program to assist the full spectrum of future physicians from senior medical students, to Junior Fellows in Training, to Junior Fellows in Practice to Young Physicians. Its intent is to ease the transitions from medical school to early residency, from early residency to late residency, from residency to fellowship and from residency/fellowship to practice. The program s two arms will be an electronic database element and a personal mentor element. Attention will be directed to creating a diverse group of mentors to better meet the objectives of the program. General Ob/Gyn practice and all subspecialties would be represented, and all District VI Sections will be providing mentors. Mentors will be asked to provide their characteristic profile and areas of special interest and would allow that profile to be accessed by Junior Fellows. It is hoped that the relationship between the mentor and mentee would develop in its own unique way to best accomplish the objectives of the program. The program is entirely voluntary, and with respect to the changing physician practices, is not permanently binding. District VI is in the final steps of initiating the mentorship program. We are requesting some assistance to expand our database and select fellows that would be considered good mentors to Junior Fellows and young physicians. If you know of an attending or private practice physician that you admire, hope to emulate, or has assisted in preparing you for the real life practice, we would like to know. Dr. Thomas Arnold, the District VI Chair, or the Mentorship Program Coordinator will contact them to see if they are interested in being mentors to others. All we need for you to do is provide their name and any contact information to the District VI Manager, Stephanie Williams, directly at sewilliams@acog.org. 7