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welcome

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What’s in it for me?

Take 2 minutes to record what you want to achieve from this session in your learning diary.

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Module 8 contents:

We will look at:

The advantages and disadvantages of e-mentoring�
Some top tips for e-mentoring effectively and safely

By the end you will you will be able to:�

Appreciate when, and when not to, use an online or e-mentoring approach�
Be able to adapt and apply e-mentoring to suit the needs of your mentee.

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Online Mentoring (e-Mentoring)

e-mentoring follows the same process as ‘offline’ mentoring but there are some additional considerations to cover in the mentoring agreement and include in the process.

Clearly, you and your mentee must firstly agree to use an online mentoring approach and have the technology and ability to use whatever e-mentoring media you select for the purpose.

Online mentoring, also known as virtual mentoring or e-mentoring can be offered using one or a combination of electronic media: for example, email, Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype and of course, the phone.

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Some advantages

e-mentoring is available to people who cannot get to a physical meeting. In the COVID-19 lockdowns across the world, for example, the popularity of online activities soared.	It can save time travelling to meetings and be fitted into busy schedules.
Some online media does not reveal individuals’ race, gender, disability and social status etc., so you can focus on what they are saying rather than their status.	Asynchronous e-mentoring (e.g. email/WhatsApp) is useful as it doesn’t need the mentor/mentee to give an immediate response. This gives them both time to organise their thoughts before they meet together online.

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Some disadvantages

Face-to-face communication has a richness of non-verbal cues - body language and tone that not even video-conferencing fully captures.

Some people find it difficult to build rapport using only e-mentoring.

Some may find particular forms of digital media challenging e.g. those requiring writing skills

Research shows that engagement and retention is more of an issue with e-mentoring and it is easier to walk away from it than face-to-face mentoring.

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Take 30 minutes to think about how you will e-mentor. What platform(s) will you use? Will you also use the telephone/email?

Do you have the right equipment and private space?

Would you like to include any face-to-face sessions?

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Quick Break

Let’s take a break and afterwards we will look at tips for e-mentoring.

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e-Mentoring Checklist

Use this che c klist to help with planning your e-mentoring sessions with your mentee.

We’ll look at each point on the next slides.

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e-Mentoring Checklist Tips #1

Technology�

How will you communicate? Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom, Email, phone … etc – a combination of these?�
Are you both able to use your selected digital media? E.g. one person may be very confident on Facebook but not Instagram. �
The quality of the online environment and equipment (e.g. reasonable internet connection, suitable smartphone/tablet/laptop etc, a quiet space to work from).

�

Can you ensure that your privacy settings are secure and you don’t accidentally share your mentee’s details with other people (and your mentee should do the same)

Do you have a good enough WiFi connection or data allowance to use video?

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e-Mentoring Checklist Tips #2

Process�

Are you both comfortable communicating electronically (for example, email and other written media may challenge those who are dyslexic; using video calls may not work for people who are self-conscious about being on camera.�
The mentoring agreement is just as important in e-mentoring, make sure you include the e-mentoring aspects such as the media you will use and how/when etc.

�

e-mentoring works better with shorter, more frequent meetings than face-to-face because it is easier to drop out of e-mentoring. Instead of monthly 1 hour meetings, try half-an-hour every two weeks, for example.�
Send regular reminders to your mentee to help maintain their commitment. �
If practical, offer one or two face-to-face sessions – perhaps at the start and end of the mentoring.

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E-mentoring is becoming increasingly popular.

Take 30 minutes to research different online mentoring courses on the internet.

Make a note of any that appeal to you (and why).

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e-Mentoring Checklist Tips #3

Process cont.�

Agree boundaries: e.g. length of time to respond to an email or voicemail; time limits for Zooms etc�
Encourage your mentees to make contact with other e-Advantage mentees online and to use the resources on the platform.�
If possible, hold a joint event (to focus on a particular topic or to hear a guest speaker) with other mentees – it’s motivating for everyone.

�

Live webinars are another great way to bring mentees together to network and share ideas.�
Check the e-Advantage platform for pre-recorded webinars you can use on a range of topics.

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e-Mentoring Checklist Tips #4

Process cont.�

Keep checking-in with your mentee – how is the mentoring working for them? Would they be happier using another form of e-mentoring media for a while? Is the frequency and length of your meetings right for them?

�

Finally, don’t forget to check-in with yourself – do you feel that the e-mentoring media and approach is working for you? It’s OK to ask your mentee if you can try another medium. For example, if you are going through a particularly busy period, you might want to use email because you can respond in your own time but be sure to create a structure around this e.g. you will reply within x time.

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e-Mentoring

In this session you looked at the advantages and disadvantages of e-mentoring and some top tips for mentoring effectively.

��

This is the last module of the training.

You should now be able to:�

Appreciate when, and when not to, use an online or e-mentoring approach�
Be able to adapt and apply e-mentoring to suit the needs of your mentee

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Learning Diary

What are the 2 main things you’ll remember from this session? Make a note in your learning log.

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End of Module 8

Did you achieve the goals you set for yourself at the start of this module? If not, can you pinpoint why and what you need to do to achieve them? ��Look through the module again, perhaps with your mentor or a learning buddy and compete the self assessment to compare your progress with the one you did at the beginning.

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You’ve completed Module 8: e-Mentoring

For further information on mentoring, look here

For some local sources of support & information, look here

In memory and with gratitude to Sam Robb-McKinlay for her inspiration as a great mentor and trainer.

Congratulations!

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The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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