The Ask Max code for of conduct for e-mentoring is based upon coaching ‘best practice’ as defined in this document. There is one major difference. We MAY offer three or more different advice strategies, BUT, only after the client has been assisted to properly define and reframe their issue.
We acknowledge that the method of e-communication is limited if we only use questioning to help the client define and reframe their issue. Having gone through a process of ensuring the client has completely defined and explored their issue using all resources available to them (other people, source materials, agencies, personal experiences in other contexts etc) it MAY be that the client has not moved forward. Then, it may seem appropriate to offer ‘advice strategies’.
Ask Max will only offer advice after the definition and reframing stages and the advice provided shall ALWAYS offer a minimum of THREE differing strategies/options. In this way, we hope the client will find a solution nearer to their own preferred motivational strategies or, better still, will be encouraged to come up with a derivative or new solution, all their own.
Coaching Coaching presupposes that every one of us
has a greater potential than we use on a day-to-day basis. The coach is
responsible for facilitating the development of excellent performance from
their client. The coach does this helping the client to discover and exploit
inner resources.
Coach The person responsible for guiding
the process and helping the client achieve their goals.
Mentor Mentors may use personal experience
to offer 3+ solution options to clients
E-mentor Net use to provide coaching and
mentoring strategies as above
Client The person wanting to achieve a
particular goal or goals.
Sponsor The person who pays for the coaching
intervention (sometimes but not always, the client).
Stakeholder Any other person who has a legitimate interest
in the coaching assignment - for example the client’s line manager.
• To define the responsibility of e-mentors
and their accountability to the client and sponsor
• To set the client’s and sponsor’s
expectations appropriately
• To provide a consistent approach from all
e-mentors abiding by the Code
• To establish a consistently high standard
for professional e-mentoring
E-mentoring assignments are
driven by the needs of the client and as such are all different in approach and
content. However, effective e-mentoring assignments utilize best techniques and
highest ethical standards. The ground rules, laid out below, provide our
framework for all assignments.
• E-mentor’s should never work beyond the
bounds of their capability, experience and expertise to the point where they do
not feel confident in providing the client with proper support. When
appropriate, e-mentors should seek advice from Ask Max master
mentors who may pool resources and offer suggestions.
• The
confidentiality of the client remains paramount at all times. At no time will an e-mentor disclose any part of the relationship
to any person whosoever, without the explicit agreement of the client. Any
notes or other records of e-mentoring sessions shall remain at all time the
property of the client. They may, for convenience, be retained by the e-mentor
but may be requested by the client at any time. Master mentors have access to
all e-mentor communications.
• E-mentor’s
have a responsibility to highlight any ethical issues (such as conflicts of
interest) that may arise during an assignment at the earliest opportunity.
• E-mentor’s
must not attempt to do the clients job for them - the clients have the ability
and the potential, the e-mentor’s’ job is to help them realize it.
• E-mentor’s
may be challenging but never rude.
• E-mentor’s should not take on the client’s problems. E-Mentors need to stay objective: disinterested but not uninterested.
In our e-mentoring assignments, the basis of the relationship with the
sponsor and stakeholders will be detailed separately. Where we are offering the
possibility of telephone and/or personal face-to-face support, the guidelines
and methodologies for this are provided to e-mentors on a sponsor-specific
basis.
• The e-mentor will
always agree clear, measurable outcomes with the client.
• It is the
e-mentor’s responsibility to ensure that the client is clear about their
responsibilities in the relationship and what is expected of them between
e-mentoring communications.
• Where an
e-mentoring session strays into other areas (e.g. counseling), the e-mentor
should make clear that this has happened and only continue if they have
appropriate skills and experience, If the area entered falls outside of the agreed
objectives or boundaries of the e-mentoring assignment, the e-mentor should
point this out and only continue with the agreement of the client. If the
diversion becomes a major one and the client wishes to continue, the e-mentor
should return to the contracting process before continuing.
• In general, e-mentors will facilitate the
learning process for the client. It may, however, be appropriate for the
e-mentor to provide advice or lead the client from time to time. The e-mentor should always make clear to the client that
this is what they are doing.
E-mentors will check for feedback that the defined goal(s) have been met or that an alternate and satisfactory outcome has been achieved. E-mentors may offer clients the possibility of completion (for that issue). There are separate feedback mechanisms for clients concerning quality of the service provided my e-mentors.
• The client retains the right to stop the
assignment at any time if they feel it is not helping them.
• The e-mentor has a responsibility to complete
the assignment as contracted and has
a responsibility to ensure that they can work effectively with the client. If this is not the case then an Ask
Max master mentor should be contacted immediately.
• If the e-mentor has, for some reason, to
terminate an e-mentoring relationship unexpectedly, they must contact an ASK MAX master mentor immediately.
If while working for ASK MAX on an e-mentoring
assignment, an associate is found to have contravened the terms of this code
then ASK MAX will offer the associate no further work.
This code of conduct was
developed by the founder members of ASK
MAX (see footnote). We are constantly working to make
this code more useful and effective and would value any suggestions that you
may wish to contribute. Please forward your
suggestions to:
ASK MAX E-mentoring at:
www.angusmcleod.com/
Acknowledgement to TSO Coaching Group and Steve Breibart