social mentoring for government

Using Social Learning to Mentor

Agency Professionals

Andrew Krzmarzick, GovLoopDirector of Community

Engagement

• 14 years raising money and awareness for non-profits, educational institutions and social businesses

• Raised $100 million during career through proposals, fundraising and marketing

• Design and deliver presentations on social media, generational diversity, telework, and social learning

• Launched, lead first-of-its-kind, government-wide mentors program

• Manage a team of full-time and part-time employees and fellows to deploy a comprehensive digital engagement strategy

Andrew Krzmarzickandrew@govloop.com

GovLoop.com/profile/AndrewKrzmarzick

LinkedIn.com/in/andrewkrzmarzick

@krazykriz

“Mentoring” When you

hear that word what image

comes to mind?

?

?

Minerva came close up to him in the likeness and with the voice of Mentor.

"Telemachus," said she, "if you are made of the same stuff as your father you will be neither fool nor coward henceforward, for Ulysses never broke his word nor left his work half done. If, then, you take after him, your voyage will not be fruitless….

Now, however, return home, and go about among the suitors; begin getting provisions ready for your voyage…while I go round the town and beat up volunteers at once. There are many ships in Ithaca both old and new; I will run my eye over them for you and will choose the best; we will get her ready and will put out to sea without delay."

Thus spoke Minerva daughter of Jove, and Telemachus lost no time in doing as the goddess told him.

Book 2, Homer’s “The Odyssey”

Advice

Admonition

Assistance

“Mentoring”

“Mentoring” varies…

“Mentoring”

Formal: matched by a program

“Mentoring”

Informal: matched by a personal connection

“Mentoring”

Group: matched by a project

“Mentoring”

Situational: matched by a problem

“Mentoring”

Flash: matched by a pint or pinot

“Mentoring”

Social:Group: matched by a project

Situational: matched by a problem

Flash: matched by a pint or pinot

http://www.horsesmouth.co.uk/

~60,000 ~60,000 MembersMembers~60,000 ~60,000 MembersMembers

online community of government colleagues

helping each other to do their jobs better.

“knowledge network”

Advice

Admonition

Assistance

“Mentoring”Social

Advice

Admonition

Assistance

“Mentoring”Social

Advice

Admonition

Assistance

“Mentoring”Social

isn’t the only place…

“Mentoring”Social

Why aren’t you leveraging the

Advice,Admonition &Assistanceof the crowd?

Photo Credit: http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/10/ancient-cell-phone-call.html

• Impending departure of Baby Boomers…

• Several mentoring programs at individual agencies and local level…

• …but nothing government-wide.

“Mentoring”Social

Why became formal.

Pilot Program Timeline• Apr 2011: Strategic planning, program design

activities

• May 2011: Customized The Mentoring Connection, a competency-based matching software

• Jun 2011: Initiated the program with mentors

• Jul 2011: Launched the program to mentees at the Next Generation of Government event

• Aug 2011: Live + web-based kick-off session

▫50 pairings (100 participants total)

Pilot Program Timeline

• Sep-Oct 2011: Posted blogs on GovLoop with tips for hosting a successful mentoring relationship

▫ shared by email every two weeks

▫ 3 month duration, at least 2 meetings per month

▫ no set content to cover in each meeting

• Nov 2011: Administered a program evaluation survey and hosted a live + web-based closeout session

Geographic LocationsMentees Mentors

California (3)District of Columbia (20)Florida (1)Georgia (2)Illinois (1)Maryland (4)New Jersey (2)New York (1)Ohio (1)Oklahoma (1)Pennsylvania (2)Texas (3)Virginia (9)

California (2)Colorado (2)District of Columbia (23)Florida (1)Maryland (1)Nevada (1)North Carolina (2)Ontario (1)Pennsylvania (1)

Representative Career Fields/Titles

Mentees MentorsAssistant City SolicitorAssistant Project EngineerBudget AnalystCompany CommanderContract SpecialistEconomistGrants Management SpecialistLibrarianMPA StudentPassport SpecialistPresidential Management FellowPublic Health AdvisorQuality Assurance SpecialistSenior CounselSocial Media StrategistWeb Communications DeveloperWorkforce Development Specialist

Acquisition Projects Program ManagerAmbassadorAssistant Chief Financial OfficerAssistant City ManagerAssociate General CounselChief Learning OfficerChief of Business Transformation DivisionDeputy for Entrepreneurship EducationDirector of Web CommunicationsEconomist DirectorInformation ArchitectKnowledge Leadership Team CoordinatorManager of Civic Innovation and ParticipationPEO Deputy DirectorProgram Manager, Apps DevelopmentSenior Technical WriterSupervisory Special Agent

Mentee Feedback

MENTEES: Was the program effective in helping you grow

personally and professionally?

93% reported the program was either “effective”, or “very effective”

MENTEES: Specific Gains or Successes

• “My mentor helped me develop new contacts, as well as sharpen my soft skills.”

• “Professionally – guidance on how to successfully move up/lead in the public sector.”

• “Self‑awareness and self‑assessment.”

Did the program strengthen your ability to mentor and assist rising government

leaders?

Did it give you a sense of optimism about the future

of government?

75% =

Yes!

81% = Yes!

MENTORS:

MENTORS: Specific Gains or Successes

• My mentee is very wise and I learned a great deal from him/her over the last three months.

• The relationship provided me the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge gained from many years dealing with issues and learning from my mistakes.

Do you plan to continue an informal mentoring relationship?

90% of pairings responded “yes”!

300applied

for theFall Program

57selectedbased on

completeness, quality and career

and mentoring goals

30matched

and participatingin the Fall cohort

Fall 2012: Best of the Best

More about the pilot…

http://www.thepublicmanager.org/docs_articles/current/Vol41,2012/Vol41,Issue02/Vol41N2_CanaGovernment.pdf

“Mentoring” When you

hear that word what image

comes to mind?

?

“Mentoring”Social

Here to Help

Email: Andrew@GovLoop.com

Mentors Program:GovLoop.com/page/

govloop-mentors-program