Overview
If you are interested in helping to identify and develop strengths in employees at KCI, then you have the basic requirements of a Mentor. Mentoring also requires some special qualities like respect for individuals and for their abilities and their right to make their own choices, a flexible and open attitude, a willingness to share one’s own personal experiences, sensitivity to differences, and respect for individual perspectives. Finally, as a Mentor you should have persistence and willingness to "hang in there" through the ups and downs of a relationship.
Being a Mentor can be both beneficial and rewarding. Mentoring a new employee gives you access to additional organizational information as new employees and their ideas are incorporated into the corporate culture. The mentoring experience provides the Mentor with the following rewards:
Being a Mentor can be both beneficial and rewarding. Mentoring a new employee gives you access to additional organizational information as new employees and their ideas are incorporated into the corporate culture. The mentoring experience provides the Mentor with the following rewards:
- Satisfaction of having helped younger professionals
- A sense of being needed
- Professional recognition
- Increased self-esteem
General Requirements
To be a Mentor, a KCI employee must have at least 5 years work experience in the industry with a minimum of one year within KCI. A maximum of two Mentees are allowed per Mentor. To be a Mentor, a KCI employee must first complete a Mentor Profile.
Summary of Requirements
Summary of Requirements
- Minimum qualifications: 5 years in industry with a minimum 1 year with KCI
- Maximum of two Mentees per Mentor
Frequently Asked Questions
- What am I expected to do? Mentors are expected to provide their mentee with about one hour of support and interaction per month. Most of this interaction will take place via email, Teams, video, and other web-related tools (for example, instant messaging), phone call or face-to-face, as appropriate. Mentors should work with their mentee to determine what kind of support will be most useful—specific feedback related to career development, general career advice, information on higher education and personal development, technical information, personal encouragement, and so on.
- How long will the commitment be? We ask our mentors to make commitments of six months in order to ensure that the mentee is able to fully benefit from the relationship. If a mentor must leave the relationship early, we request at least one month's notice in order to search for a replacement mentor with similar background.
- Are there any potential risks to me or my company? No. It is not appropriate for mentors to engage in any business transactions with their mentees; instead, the relationship should only involve the flow of general information and advice.
- Relationship is not going well or I am concerned about mentorship, what to do? We encourage letting the mentee know about the situation and contact the Mentor Administrator immediately. We will provide our full support to resolve the situation in a positive and satisfactory manner.
Mentor DOs
- COMMIT AT LEAST ONE INTERACTION/HOUR OF SUPPORT per month.
- Take responsibility to initiate the relationship.
- Set aside time for the mentoring process and honor all appointments.
- Invite the mentee to meetings or activities, as appropriate. Schedule meetings with planned topics.
- Be flexible on meeting times and places.
- Arrange frequent contacts through telephone, email, face-to-face, etc., as appropriate.
- Respond to emails from your mentee within 2 days of receipt.
- Keep information that your mentee has shared with you confidential. If something concerning the mentee needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship.
- Establish open and honest communication and a forum for idea exchange.
- Foster creativity and independence. Help build self-confidence and offer encouragement.
- Provide honest and timely feedback to your mentee.
- Provide opportunities for your mentee to talk about concerns and ask questions.
- Above all, LISTEN.
Mentor DON'Ts
- Try to give advice on everything.
- Encourage mentee to be totally dependent upon you.
- Provide your personal history, problems, animosities, successes, failures, etc unless they are constructive contributions.
- Be too busy when the mentee needs your friendship or your support. If you do not have time, give the mentee a heads up, so that they know when they can reach you.
- Criticize.