Coaching or Mentoring as a Capacity Building Strategy in DCSL Software Ltd

Question

Task: You are required to prepare a report on the use of either coaching or mentoring as a capacity building strategy within a selected workplace /professional context.
Part 1: Outline the context, model, processes and procedures used in the coaching or mentoring engagement and justify why they were selected.

Part 2: Critically analyse and evaluate the model and steps used, the process and procedures used, and the effectiveness / success of the engagement.

Part 3: Critically reflect on your new learnings as a result of the coaching or mentoring engagement, and the implications for your future practice as a coach and /or mentor?Part 4: Present an argument as to why coaching or mentoring is an effective capacity building strategy within a workplace /professional context.

Answer

Introduction
Coaching or mentoring is a very effective process for capacity building in the workplace. Various hidden problems can be solved by using the concept of coaching or mentoring. Both coaching and mentoring can be beneficial for a capacity-building organization.Whether coaching or mentoring should be implemented is entirely dependent on the requirement of the workflow. DCSL Software Limited is a famous software company in the UK. The company has decided to arrange a mentorship program for the improvement of performance in the workplace. MR. John has appointed as a mentor of the mentoring and given the responsibility to mentor 50 employees of the company. The report will include the description of the model, processes and procedures of the mentoring. Moreover, the effectiveness of the engagement will also be measured in the report. Critical analysis of the mentoring process as a capacity-building strategy will also be given in this report.

Part 1: The context of mentoring at workplace
Description: DCSL Software Limited wants to build capacity in the workplace by implementing the concept of mentoring. The Company has decided to train some selected employees of the company so that the effectiveness of their work can be enhanced.

Participant: 'The company has almost 100 employees and the support of employees has helped the company to survive in the market for the long run. The company has decided to provide mentorship to 50 employees and most of the 50 employees are freshers.

Timeline: The company has decided to continue the mentorship program for 6 months. According to the blueprint of the company, 6 months will be the perfect time for the psychological and conceptual development of the employees.

Trigger for participation: The main reason behind participation is that the mentorship program will help them to perform better in future and the chances of promotion will also increase for them (Woo, 2017).The trigger has made the participants enrol for the mentoring.

Models and steps of coaching/ mentoring
One on One mentoring model was used here to get the desired outcome from the mentoring. Here, the senior managers of the company provided mentorship to the Juniors. Mr. John was the senior manager of the company and he had experience of many years. Hence, the model was quite beneficial for the mentoring.

The company has to follow three steps to implement the mentorship programs such as investigate, identify and planning -
Investigate: The first step of mentoring is getting known to each other by a successful infraction. It will help to build trust between the mentor and the minutes. The mentor must know about the existing knowledge and qualification of the mentees (Woo, 2017).

Identify: Identification of the strengths, weaknesses and requirements of the mentees is very important. The mentor of the company must train the employees to face the challenges that are going to come in the way of the mentees (Limeri et al., 2019).

Planning: The mentor allows the mentee to think about the problems and find the best way to tackle the problem. The mentor will never make the final decision. Instead, he will make sure that the mentee is able to think in a creative way (Woo, 2017). The selection of the models and steps are also justified as the participants are able to cope up with the steps of mentoring. Moreover, an organized delivery of mentorship program has been possible through the planning.Processes and procedures of coaching and monitoring
The process and procedures of mentoring is also a long-term process. DCSL Software Limited must go through all the four steps of the procedure of mentorship in the workplace. Excellent communication skill, problem solving skills and decision-making skills were included in this mentoring. Besides this assessment of the mentees were also done by some practical tests. To prevent the financial issues, company related works were included in the assessment programs. The four phases of the mentorship process are given below -

Planning for mentoring and finding a mentor: The first step of the process of mentoring is making a proper plan for the mentorship program(Woo, 2017).

Initiation phase meeting: The initiation phase meeting is a crucial process and should be done carefully. DCSL Software Limited must develop the mentorship agreement at the very initial stage.

Middle phase meeting: Development goals are decided in this stage of the process (Lett, 2018). The company must make sure that all the requirements of the workplace are fulfilled.

Ending the formal relationship: Formal relationship of the participants must be ended. Otherwise, there will be a barrier between the mentor and the mentee (Manzi et al., 2017). The mentor is expected to provide a healthy and comfortable atmosphere to the mentees.

The selection of the process for a mentorship program in DCSL software limited is quite justified. The company will find it easier to develop the knowledge and conceptual growth in the participants.

Part 2: Critical analysis of steps, processes and effectiveness of the engagement
The company has selected the steps, processes and procedures of as per the requirement of the workplace. High quality mentoring is desired by the organization. Effectiveness of engagement is also a vital thing that should be kept in mind. As opined by Hamburg &Vladut (2018), a specific amount of money will be invested in implementing the mentorship program. Moreover, the employees will also have to invest their precious times to take participation in this mentorship. Hence, besides analysing the selection of process and steps of mentorship, it is also important to analyse the effectiveness of the mentorship program.

Critical analysis of models and steps of coaching or monitoring
Effectiveness: According to Washington & Cox (2016), DCSL Software limited has chosen the model and steps of mentoring after making detailed research on the workplace status of the company. Mr John was chosen as the mentor who was a very efficient and skilled person in the software industry. Strength: The best thing about the mentorship program was that the decision-making power of the participants was increased to a great extent. The creative thinking ability of the employees was also increased

Appropriateness: DCSL software limited has made it possible to develop the knowledge of the employees by arranging mentorship programs for them. Investigation of the employees was the first step of mentoring. It was found that many of the employees are not feeling comfortable to interact with the mentor without any hesitation. Hamburg &Vladut (2018) state that this hesitation was working as a barrier between the mentor and those mentees. The effectiveness of the mentorship program was also impacted by these issues.

Limitations and difficulties: The one problem that was observed in the workplace was that many employees were not ready to disclose their personal data. It was creating a huge problem for Mr John as without knowing about the required personal information of the employees the mentor cannot make changes in the behaviour of the employees.

Adaptation: Limeri et al. (2019), said that only adaption that was taken intheworkplace was that the employees had to give extra time for their working hours. Though the employees were not dissatisfied with thisaspect as the decision of participation in thismentoring program was taken by the participants. It will help the employees to get promotions easily in the coming future. The mentorship program will not only help them in professional growth but their personal growth will also be possible with the help of this mentoring. Each activity of this program was so interesting that the participants did not getbored or tired even afterattending the whole session. The effectiveness of this capacity-building strategy was also made possible by making the steps easier and interesting. Boring training programs will make the employees drained instead of building creative thinking in them.

Critical analysis of processes and procedures of coaching and mentoring Effectiveness: As opined by Lett (2018), finding the right mentor is one of the crucial steps in process of mentoring. The company deals with software services. Hence, it was a major requirement from the side of the company that the mentor must be skilled enough to deal with software services. Mr John was the perfect mentor for the company and he had made it possible to make psychological as well as the conceptual development of the employees who have participated in the mentoring process. The communication skill of the mentor must be excellent to make the employees feel comfortable during the entire process. Mr John was an experienced mentor and also aware of the facts that are required to get the trust of the mentees.

Appropriateness: Dashper (2019) argued that identification of the goals of mentoring was also a crucial part. The entire procedure of mentoring cannot be organized without developing the blueprint of the mentorship program.

Strength: The main strength of the process is that the steps of this process are very organized and can be changed with time.

Limitations and difficulties: The mentor will also face a problem to organize the activities of the mentoring of proper planning is not given to him. The company has managed the entire procedure very well but the identification and development of goals could be more efficient.

Adaptations: DCSL software limited had to make many changes in the legal rules and regulations of the company. As a mentorship agreement is required to make the mentoring successful, the company made some changes in the legal procedures. The compliance will again change once the mentorship program is finished. An informal atmosphere was also created in the workplace. The adaption was found very effective as the employees got a healthy atmosphere due to this adaption. Moreover, the penetration of knowledge was also made possible due to making a comfortable atmosphere in the workplace. The participants of the company stated that they had never thought about such an impactful mentorship program. The thinking power of the employees has also increased due to the innovative mentorship program.

Critical analysis of effectiveness/success of engagement
As opined by Manzi et al. (2017), the plan of mentoring was made by the company for capacity building in the workplace. It was found that employees of the company were able to make spontaneous decisions after taking part in this mentorship program. The engagement of both mentor and mentees must be effective. After analysing the outcome of the mentorship program, it was found that the problem-solving capacity of the employees has also been increased. As above mentioned, only 50 employees participated in the mentorship program. The comparison of the participant and the non-participants was also helpful for measuring the effectiveness of the engagement.

As stated by Cleary (2017), the communication skill of the mentor is also very vital in this aspect. Mr John has made it possible by his excellent communication skill and the mentorship program has been proved effective for the employees of the DCSL Software Limited. The engagement of the participants was more enthusiastic and passionate as the mentor has made the program attractive. The informal atmosphere of the workplace has also made it possible to make the program more effective. The participants found the workplace atmosphere more effective and successful.

Part 3: Critical reflection on new learning
I have found that the participants of the mentoring have learnt many new things that are helpful for the employees. The mentees can apply the new learnings to enhance the performance level. As a consequence, the growth of the organization will also be made possible. The first thing that that was taught in the mentorship program was that problem-solving skill is the most desired skill in the workplace. The employees must not be dependent on someone else to make their decisions. It will not reduce their thinking power but there is a high chance of making wrong decisions.

The mentorship program has also changed the point of views of the participants on various issues at the workplace. When I analysed the outcome of the mentorship program, I found that creative thinking is infused in them with the help of this mentorship program. Various tests were also taken to judge the efficiency of mentoring. It is found after evaluation of the employees, it is found that they have acquired variousimportantskillssuchas problem-solving skills, risk managementskills, creative thinking and stress management. All the skills and abilities will help them in the coming future. DCSL Software Limited is a software company and the threat of cyber-attack is a major concern for it. Hence, the mentorship program also taught about the details of cyber-attacks and the skills that are required to prevent and mitigate such situations.

Part 4: Effectiveness of coaching or mentoring as capacity building strategy
Availability of proper guidance on career advancement
According to Oji et al. (2018), availability of proper guidance is very much needed in the businessorganization and mentoring is the best way to provide that guidance. The mentorship program is proved to be highly beneficial for the company. If some small mistakes in this mentoring can be overlooked, the entire outcome of the mentoring is quite impressive. The need for proper education is everywhere. The need for proper guidance cannot be neglected in the workplace. The company has managed to select the proper process and steps for mentoring as per the organizational structure of the company.Ismail (2019), argued that Mentors are responsible for bringing out the nest from their mentees. The support of the mentees if also very important here. The participants of the mentorship program pf the company has accepted that the mentoring was very beneficial for them. The interest of career advancement is grown after the mentorship program. The employees are found to be looking for promotion and improving their skills to get the best position in the workplace. This competition is healthy and can be proved beneficial for the company. Before the mentoring, the employees were quite discouraged to make improvements in their careers. Mr John has made it possible to encourage the employees to get advancements in their careers. It will be beneficial for both the organisation and the employees. The importance of career advancement was already known to them but lack of enthusiasm has made them lazy. The mentorship program was proved to be an energy drink for the participants. It is found that more than 70% of the participantsareworkingon skill development after the mentorshipprogram.

Pesut,&Greig (2018) stated that the capacity building is all about enhancing the existing abilities and skills of the employees. The objectives of the company can only be fulfilled by the support of the employees; Hence, it is quite important to enhance the performance of the employees. Mentoring is one of the crucial strategies for capacity building. Mentoring is being widely used in many organizations to increase the performance of the participants. The ability of problem-solving skill, risk management, creative thinking is already hidden in almost every participant. The main objective of the mentor is to bring out the hidden talents of the individuals by guiding them. Both theory and practical Knowledge are important for capacity building at the workplace. All the participants of the mentoring program of the company have found that they were not aware of their hidden talents and abilities before attending the mentoring program. Hence, Mr, John has made it possible to make the employees aware of their abilities. Many employees have accepted that they were quite lazy and discouraged before but after the mentorship program, they have found they have become more energetic and passionate about their work.

Inclusiveness of Organizational socialization
As opined by Kelleher (2020), Capacity building also requires organizational socialization in the workplace. It is difficult for the new employees to know about the culture, compliance and regulation of the company. Hence, mentoring can be very beneficial to them. The participants of the mentorship program have managed to know about each small detail of the company. The mentor has discussed the organizational culture and structure in his mentorship program. The participants also got guidance on preforming better socialization in the workplace. Capacity building can never be possible if organizational culture is damaged by conflicts in the workplace. If the mentorship outcome of DCSL Software is analysed, it can be found that the rate of conflicts has reduced by 29% in the workplace.

On the other hand, Ibeme (2020) said that the role of mentoring can be seen in friendship building, knowledge sharing and also professional development. It is natural that the efficiency and productivity of the employees will be increased if there is less conflict in the workplace. The focus of the employees can be directed to performance enhancement when the workplace atmosphere is healthy and friendly. Excellent customer service is also an outcome of capacity building. Organizationalsocialization will help to increase contacts and use the contacts for better performance. Excellent communication skill has also built through the mentorship program. Good communication skill has also helped the organization in capacity building at the workplace.

Increased Self-efficacy
As stated by DeCorby-Watson et al. (2018), self-efficacy is the belief in one's capabilities to achieve something great. Without self-efficacy, individuals can never get long term success. The mentoring by Mr John has helped to build self-efficacy in the employees who have participated in the mentorship program. Capacity building is also possible when the employees are ready to trust themselves. Without self-confidence, none of them will be able to make proper decisions at the right time. The mentees of the mentorship program have got the courage of working on their skills to deal with various challenges in the workplace. Risk management also becomes easier when there is self-efficacy in the employees. Proper mentoring has helped the participants to believe in themselvesevenat the time of difficulty. As the company faces various programs such as cyber-attacks, data breaches and data leakage, the confidence for dealing with them is highly expected.

Conclusion
Capacity building is enhancing the existing abilities and skills of the employees so that the level of performance can also be enhanced. Both coaching and mentoring are very effective in capacity building at several business organizations. DCSL Software limited organised a mentorship program for capacity building at the workplace. Several procedures, steps and processes are included in the mentoring process. The requirement of the procedures is also varied as per the requirement of the workplace. Critical evaluation of the process, models, procedures and effectiveness of the mentoring has also been done here. The report will help to justify whether mentoring is effective for capacity building or not.

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