INN345 Mentoring in Practice

• Mentoring in entrepreneurship and innovation
• The mentoring process and its framework
• Mentor roles and functions in peer mentoring
• Core skills in mentoring (active listening, effective questions, the difficult conversation, effective communication)
• Own reflection on personal strengths and pitfalls in the role of being mentor

The aim of the course is to strengthen the student in the role as mentor and develop skills to be able to support others in learning and development processes. The course primarily provides training in practical mentoring skills and will address key concepts from research and the literature. A prerequisite for the course is a continuous opportunity to practice mentorship throughout the semester. The course therefore consists of a practice period with participation of at least three teaching days (presentations) during INN340's duration, as well as follow-up as a mentor by a dedicated team where you actively contribute to follow up and guide the team's work as their dedicated mentor. In addition, there will be 7 teaching sessions in mentoring. Reflections on practice are generally provided.

After completing the course, the student has acquired the following:

Knowledge:

• Be able to account for the importance and relevance of mentoring for innovators and entrepreneurs
• Be able to understand and see the relevance of different roles and functions in mentoring in entrepreneurship
• Have a good knowledge base of various core skills in mentoring
• Have knowledge of what inhibits and promotes learning and good team processes through mentoring
• Knowledge and reflection on one's own strengths and weaknesses as a mentor

Skills to:

• plan, facilitate and carry out mentoring
• apply and adapt selected mentoring functions to the situation
• be able to provide effective feedback that contributes to positive development on a professional and personal level
• be able to conduct challenging conversations through effective communication

General competence that enables the student to:

• reflect on one's own behavior and communication as a mentor
• analyze and reflect on own mentoring experiences in a constructive way together with other peer mentors and supervisors
• reflect on the significance of situational factors and factors in the mentee / team that can influence the outcome of the mentor's influence
• contribute to the further development of the peer mentor program in close dialogue with other professionals