Empowerment of academic staff
through mentoring and coaching
Angela Benzies, Caroline Turnbull, Elaine Mowat
Edinburgh Napier University
Growth
Growth
Achievement
Growth
Growth
Responsibility
Growth
Self-direction
Growth
‘Flow’
Growth
Choice
Growth
Support
Growth
Sharing
Growth
Growth
Encouragement
Growth
Vision
Growth
Celebration
Growth
Empowerment
Growth
Empowerment
• Gaining control
• Enhancing one’s contribution
• Taking opportunities for
personal growth
Mentoring and coaching
• One-to-one developmental relationships
• Space and time for reflective dialogue
• Challenge and support
• Win-Win
Our approach
• To enhance academic practice
• Developmental, non-directive
• ‘Off-line’
• Mentoring AND coaching (M&C)
(but mentoring more typical)
Edinburgh Napier Mentoring &
Coaching Award (ENMCA)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
4 one-day workshops over 8 months
10 hours mentoring practice
Supervision
Skills development plus scholarship
Sharing of experiences and mutual support
Reflective assessments
Accredited
Why this research?
• Power is an issue
• The power of empowerment
• Strength of academic staff taking opportunities
for empowerment in their work
• M&C as a powerful and efficient format for
engagement
Research Aims
• Explore how mentors participating in the ENMCA
report empowerment through the learning and
practice on programme
• Impact this has on supporting the achievement of
organisational strategic aims
• Demonstration of organisational values
– professionalism, ambition, inclusion, innovation
Research Methodology
• An ethnographic approach
• A convenience sample
• Current ENMCA participants – analysis of 4
out of 9 to date
• Individual interviews
• Thematic analysis for key issues
• Further research planned with mentors and
their mentees
Emerging Themes
• Mentors
• Mentees
• Mechanisms of empowerment
• Organisation
Mentors
• Increased confidence in abilities
• Understanding self and others
– e.g. through Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
and application to M&C
• Unexpected benefits of empowerment
– ‘empowered in ways that she did not realise she
needed empowering in’
• Feeling valued and on a journey
• Working with colleagues from across the
University
Reported mentee outcomes
• Some evidence of mentees feeling
empowered
– Obtaining an academic post
– Publishing an article
• “Eureka!” moments
Mechanisms of empowerment
• Programme design
– Sequence & sense of progressing through stages
– Participatory nature of workshops
– Reflective nature of learning
– Assessment aligned to learning and practice
• Professional supervision
• MBTI assessment and follow up
Organisational implications
• Potential for direct and indirect benefits
• Fresh perspective and enhanced performance
• Stronger working relationships
• Mixed messages on organisational support
• Empowered staff who challenge the status quo
Effect on student experience
• Direct measurement is challenging
• However:
– Indications that academic practice of mentees is
improving
– How staff feel and present to students is seen as
important
• More empowered staff may lead to more
empowered students
Strategic aspects
• Clear links to University corporate and
academic strategies
• Senior management support
– Recognition and usage of M&C
– Enabling participation in ENMCA
– Avoidance of managerialism
• Challenges
– Continued commitment of time and money
– Is the organisation ready for this?
Next steps
• Research
– further mentor analysis and mentee interviews
• Community of M&C practice: SIG-M
• Scheme(s) development
Conclusions
•
•
•
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Programme of study benefits
Flexibility of the mentoring process
Immense personal significance for participants
Enjoyment, satisfaction and value!
Programme + people = more value than you imagine!
References
‘Hacia el cielo’
CC BY 2.0 Some rights reserved by Zyllan Fotografía
‘Unity!!!’
CC BY 2.0 Some rights reserved by VinothChandar
‘Learning to roller skate’
©The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk
‘School children and crossing guide’
© East Lothian Council Library Service. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk
‘Anna Pavlova’
©By courtesy of Felix Rosentiel's Widow & Son Ltd, London on behalf of the Estate
of Sir John Lavery. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk.
‘How fascinating! Que fascinante!’
‘Graduation’
Edinburgh Napier Image Bank
‘An Teallach, Wester Ross - A Charitable Record’
©Alan Thomson. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk.
‘Hidden smiles’
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Some rights reserved by Pensiero
‘Female supporters of the Scottish rugby team’
©Hulton Getty. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk.
‘Untitled’
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Some rights reserved by Mark Plummer
‘Empowerment’
CC BY-SA 2.0 Some rights reserved by Lincolnian (Brian)
Music:
Sunshine (version 2) by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a CC Attribution 3.0.
http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100628.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available
at http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/.
M