University of Louisville

From the SelectedWorks of Tiffney A. Gipson

Spring May, 2019

Mentoring the Next Generation of Librarians Tiffney Gipson, University of Louisville

Available at: https://works.bepress.com/tiffney-gipson/8/ FRESH PERSPECTIVES K en t u c k y L i b r a r y A ss o c i a t i o n

MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LIBRARIANS By Tiffney A. Gipson Librarian, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, University of Louisville

Library mentoring programs can impact both experienced and ronment. According to an article by Ross, benefits of mentoring new librarians. While many librarians have benefited both person- include “reducing employee turnover, exposing new academic ally and professionally from mentoring relationships, the author librarians to organizational patterns of functioning, and increas- argues that the next generation of librarians may not respond to ing leadership effectiveness throughout the organization” (10). typical traditional or classic mentoring techniques. As a millennial Mentoring can also serve as a learning experience for both the who has had many in-depth discussions on this topic, the author mentor and the mentee, providing reciprocal educational oppor- believes that many of the mentoring tools that worked so well in tunities during the mentor-mentee relationship. Mentoring plays a the past do not seem to resonate with millennial librarians today. significant role in cultivating the next generation of librarians, but For example, members of the baby-boom generation may have library staffs need to identify the learning needs of each generation had one or two separate mentoring relationships throughout their and then transfer that information into relatable mentoring tools. career. However, as the author will show in this discussion, the Utilizing alternative models of mentoring is necessary for culti- millennial generation may respond better to multiple, simultane- vating the next generation. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, ous mentoring relationships. rather than a generational-targeted one, does not allow library organizations to realize the full potential that mentoring programs Modernized and properly implemented mentoring techniques offer. “Knowing that there need not be a one-size-fits-all approach are vital in easing the transition into new positions, increasing to mentoring can free up young professionals to pursue growth” employee retention, and creating an organization-wide team envi- (Zimmerman).

18 Kentucky Libraries • Volume 83 • Number 2 INTRODUCTION The next generation requires a more non-traditional, interactive, According to a 2017 report from the “Librarians: Occupational and inclusive approach. For many members of the baby-boom Outlook Handbook,” approximately 126,800 individuals iden- generation, their experiences with mentoring will look different tified themselves as librarians (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). from that of millennials. Baby boomers may think of mentoring Imagine how many ages and generations that number represents. as occasional meetings with a senior manager who provides reli- Out of that large group, one commonality emerges: in some way able advice on career advancement. “However, this classic model they all shared a mentoring experience. Whether mentor or of mentoring strikes most millennials as stodgy and inefficient” mentee, whether that experience was formal or informal, whether (Buchholz). In fact, “traditional mentoring is becoming more the experience was permanent or temporary, positive or negative, uncommon as new employee development methods gain trac- mentoring somehow played a role in librarians’ careers. tion” (Zimmerman). If mentoring is to serve as a retention tool, it must be re-evaluated to include techniques and tactics that Although the library profession considers mentoring an asset, typi- will create strong bonds between baby boomers and millennials. cally it occurs only twice in a librarian’s career: in the beginning Successful mentoring relationships can increase retention, create when the librarian is new to an organization and at the end when collaborative learning experiences, and encourage professional the librarian is transitioning out of the organization. If mentoring development, but to realize these positive outcomes, libraries is to influence the future of librari- must revamp what mentoring anship, then it must be purposeful. programs look like (McHone- This is why it is so important for the Chase). baby boomers to understand how to mentor the most recent genera- TERMINOLOGY tion of librarians properly (Ross 13). Mentoring is defined as a one-to- By doing so, mentoring programs one relationship in which a can align with the values and ideals mentor voluntarily devotes time of the mentees, allowing them to to teach, support, and encourage build connections that may lead to a a mentee (Inzer and Crawford long-lasting, fruitful relationship with 31). A mentoring relationship the organization. can provide emotional support and guidance, pass on knowl- WHY IS MENTORING edge, facilitate personal devel- IMPORTANT? opment, encourage wise career Mentoring has become increasingly A mentoring relationship choices, and help the mentee important primarily due to the rapid to make a successful transition rate of retirements among librarians can provide emotional support and into his/her position (32). The (Ross 3). Research shows that as many mentoring relationship has as 60% of the baby boomers (those guidance, pass on knowledge, two roles, the mentor and the born between 1946 and 1964) will mentee. Voluntary contributions retire by 2025. Between 2015 and facilitate personal development, from both parties are vital to the 2019, the retirement rate for librar- overall success of the mentoring ians will peak at 23.6%, when at relationship. The mentor and least 45% of today’s librarians will encourage wise career choices, and the mentee should approach the reach the age of 65 (Freedman 172). situation with open minds, and As baby boomers retire, what goes help the mentee to make a successful a willingness both to learn and with them? A retirement not only teach one another as the rela- equates to one less librarian, but transition into his/her position tionship grows. also represents a loss of knowledge, training, and experience, all of which could have helped mentor a The term mentor refers to the senior level person in the relation- next-generation librarian. ship and the one with the most experience. In addition to helping the mentee establish career goals, a mentor’s role is to provide These next generation librarians, categorized as millennials, fall career advice and guidance to the mentee. The intention is for into the age group of 25-34-years-old and make up about 12% of the mentor to be a friend, career guide, intellectual guide, and an the current library workforce (Freedman 172). One can see the information resource (32). On the other side of this relationship discrepancy between the 45% of baby boomers exiting the work- is the mentee, sometimes referred to as the protégé, who has less force and the 12% of millennials (those born between 1980 and experience and is commonly referred to as the junior level person. 1999) starting their careers. The gap between these numbers indi- Traditionally, the mentee has the most to learn from the mentor- cates the urgent need to recruit, retain, and replace retiring librar- ing experience. ians. Mentoring programs can help during these generational staff transitions.

19 Kentucky Libraries • Volume 83 • Number 2 TYPES OF MENTORING MODELS with those of the organization (Deloitte 18). This statistic is Mentoring exists as either a formal or an informal model. interesting because, stereotypically, millennials are not seen as Formal mentoring relationships involve the voluntary but random the generation that stays with an organization for a long time. pairing of senior level mentors with junior level mentees (Ross Consider how mentoring could impact the negative view that 6). This generally happens when new librarians are hired and many have of millennials. The increase in the retention rate paired with experienced faculty members. While the senior level among millennial librarians may be the result of good mentors person can sometimes be the mentee’s supervisor, some literature showing millennial mentees how to incorporate their values into suggests that direct-line supervisors should not serve as formal their work, making their jobs more meaningful (Michel). mentors (Inzer and Crawford 33). While it is possible for an employee and supervisor to come together naturally and create an Millennials also need to feel a sense of purpose in their jobs. They informal mentoring relationship, trying to force a formal mento- want fulfillment from the work they do, which allows them the ring arrangement between a supervisor and an employee may opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills, and connect create an unintentional hurdle in the mentoring relationship. For to a larger purpose. Members of the millennial generation also example, if a supervisor and an employee have a contentious work appreciate feedback; they embrace open and honest communi- relationship, the supervisor may find it difficult to mentor objec- cation (Gallup 4). In mentoring relationships, mentees should tively, and the mentee may not feel comfortable enough to discuss feel comfortable enough with mentors to discuss their goals and concerns in that setting. concerns openly. Mentees may not feel comfortable confiding in their supervisors as they would to non-supervisory mentors. Finally, While formal mentoring programs were very popular in the 1970s millennials desire collaboration. Each mentee wants to feel that the and 1980s and can still be valuable today, the author believes that mentoring relationship is a two-way street: they want to learn, but academic libraries should shift their focus away from using only they also want to feel as if they have something to offer (Michel). formal mentoring models and begin including informal models as Traditionally, mentees are not thought of as being contributors to well. Unlike formal mentoring, informal mentoring is the natural a mentoring relationship, but millennials want to be seen as both coming together of a mentor and mentee (33). This develops learners and contributors. through friendship or a mutual personal and professional respect for one another. Academic libraries should favor these long-term Developing mentoring programs that meet these needs increases relationships because of their flexibility and the personal attach- the chances of millennials staying with the organization and ments formed between the mentor and mentee. Informal rela- becoming successful librarians. Libraries should tailor mentoring tionships are invaluable because they focus on “friendship first, programs to fit the needs of the audience. When considering the learning and career second and third” (35). millennial generation, the focus should shift to include both tradi- tional and non-traditional methods. According to MacKinnon and The author believes that each model has a purpose and a place. In Shepley, “a one size fits all approach to mentorship is not viable in fact, an incoming millennial librarian could benefit greatly from a a time when the career paths of many academic librarians no longer healthy mix of new and traditional models. Millennial librarians follow a direct route. For mentorship to work effectively, it needs to may really enjoy exploring multiple mentoring opportunities. By challenge us to grow while also complementing the particulars of creating a mentoring network or circle, millennials have access to our career and life situations” (2). multiple mentors throughout their career. Ultimately, the mentor and chosen mentoring model should reflect the needs of the indi- MENTORING TACTICS FOR vidual mentee. THE NEXT GENERATION The literature discusses several mentoring tactics that millennials APPEALING TO THE NEEDS OF MILLENNIALS prefer. These tactics include reverse or co-mentoring, group or According to a 2014 Virtuali survey, millennials feel that mento- team mentoring, peer mentoring, anonymous mentoring, and ring is effective and actually desire to be mentored because they micro-mentoring, all of which fall under the umbrella of informal believe it benefits their career development (Brousell). However, mentoring. Reverse or co-mentoring flips the mentoring relation- traditional mentoring programs do not seem to address the needs ship: the mentor becomes the mentee and the mentee becomes of the millennial generation. So, how do libraries develop useful the mentor. In this model, learning becomes a two-way street and and successful mentoring options for the next generation of both parties have a chance to learn from and to teach one another librarians? The first step is to consider what appeals to the millen- (Zimmerman). This strategy addresses the millennial generation’s nial generation. need for feedback, open communication, and collaborative learn- ing. At the same time, the more experienced librarian can keep Millennials put a great deal of stock in their values, and in the abreast of trends of interest to their millennial partner. Group or value an organization places on its employees. A 2016 Gallup team mentoring also offers these same benefits. survey found that millennials want to work for an organization that invests in them as employees and as people (Gallup 30). Group or team mentoring is the pairing of one mentor with a According to a Deloitte survey conducted in 2016, 82% of millen- small group of mentees (Zimmerman). In this situation, mentees nials reported that they stayed with the same organization for get the benefit of interacting with each other and their shared more than five years because they felt that their values aligned mentor. This model also helps mentees establish connections

20 Kentucky Libraries • Volume 83 • Number 2 with their peers, while fostering a sense of fulfillment and BENEFITS OF MENTORING PROGRAMS purpose. Another preferred technique is peer mentoring, a rela- Mentoring programs can truly pay off for mentors, mentees, and tionship in which the mentor and mentee consider themselves the organization. Mentoring allows mentors to impact those new equals, regardless of their positions (MacKinnon & Shepley 4). to the library profession, while at the same time giving them- Peer mentoring aims to foster mutual enhancement and learning selves an opportunity to learn something new and keep up with between two people who consider themselves peers. This model the latest trends and emerging technologies (Hardesty 286). In also encourages a collaborative learning environment and a addition, mentors can count their mentorship as service to the concomitant sense of community, again appealing to the millen- profession, allowing them to augment their portfolio or annual nial’s need. performance review.

Anonymous mentoring occurs online and involves the pairing Mentees also realize many benefits. Mentoring can provide of a mentor, who is either a trained coach or seasoned execu- mentees with a source of help, direction, career advancement tive, with a mentee. Pairings are based on psychological testing advice, and professional guidance. Mentees’ participation in and background reviews. Mentors remain anonymous and all mentoring programs gives them the chance to create new network- exchanges happen online. One final tactic, micro-mentoring, ing opportunities and build self-confidence related to their knowl- involves mentoring in small spurts or on a short-term basis edge base and abilities. (Gover). Meetings can be held online and may occur both sporadically and spontaneously. In this scenario, the mentee may Finally, the organization also benefits. Organizational benefits only engage with the mentor when projects arise, as opposed to include “reducing employee turnover, exposing new academic meeting with the mentor in person on a regularly scheduled basis. librarians to the organizational structure, and increasing lead- ership effectiveness” (Ross 10). Strong mentoring relationships When discussing mentoring models, it is important to remember can also yield strong, supportive, and connected faculty and staff that millennials are not wedded to just one type of mentoring. members, reflecting an organizational climate invested in its They tend to do better with mentoring networks or mentoring employees. circles (Schneiders). Mentoring circles can be a combination of the models mentioned above with the addition of a formal CONCLUSION mentoring relationship, allowing a mentee to have different Mentoring helps bridge the gap between librarians who are mentors for different needs. For instance, the mentee may require leaving the profession and those who are entering the work- a mentor to satisfy tenure, to adjust to a new position, or to get force. Older librarians are retiring at an ever-increasing rate, and feedback from a person outside of the organization. Millennials those millennials coming behind them may share their passion value these mentoring networks because they are composed of for librarianship, but not their experience. Strong mentoring diverse mentoring relationships that may include senior level programs can help bridge this experience gap. faculty, junior level faculty, peers, supervisors, staff, and/or outside resources. Libraries should build effective mentoring programs around the needs of the intended audience. Creating programs that focus REVISITING TRADITIONAL on the mentees’ needs are more likely to benefit all involved. MENTORING TACTICS Although this discussion has focused primarily on baby boomers Although millennials benefit primarily from diverse mentoring and millennials, the alternative mentoring techniques discussed relationships, traditional mentoring can still be part of that mix. and the idea of integrating a needs-based mentoring approach can With some revamping of traditional model components, this help succeeding generations as well. form of mentoring can still be impactful. For example, traditional one-to-one mentoring relationships are generally very limited. Mixing formal models with informal models, and traditional Pairing is often limited to senior and junior level members only, tactics with non-traditional tactics, breaks up the monotony of but one-to-one pairings could also include peers (MacKinnon classic mentoring programs. Pursuing a mixed approach to a and Shepley 4). This change not only updates the model, but also mentoring program offers the chance for mentees and mentors makes it more appealing to millennials based on their previously to form strong, long-lasting bonds extending beyond the work- discussed needs. Another issue with traditional one-to-one mento- place. For all involved, the ultimate goals of mentoring should ring relationships involves the lack of diversity. Mentors and be the establishment of trusted relationships and the possibility mentees are usually paired by race and/or gender, but pairings of bonding with peers and superiors that can turn into career-en- could go beyond those two factors to include job duties, career hancing, life-long friendships. paths, or specific areas of interest. These simple changes could make the mentoring experience more effective, benefiting both the mentor and the mentee. Tiffney A. Gipson [email protected]

21 Kentucky Libraries • Volume 83 • Number 2 WORKS CITED

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