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BUSINESS OF
MEDICINE
Human capital investments
through mentoring By Lee W. Bewley, PhD, FACHE
Modern healthcare organizations are perpetually seeking to more Generally, early careerists seek focused training, guidance, or op-
effectively and efficiently provide medical services by acquiring or portunities to achieve competence and a foundation of valid stand-
developing human capital. Pathways to achieve higher levels of ing within an organization, society, or field. Mid-careerists seek
productivity, quality and clinical outcomes may be found in long- development to extend beyond competent standing toward max-
standing and ancient principles of development. imization of their capacity to generate value and achieve career suc-
cess. Finally, senior careerists want validation and confirmation
In 1776, while our founding fathers were creating the founda- that the content and processes of past and present life/career prac-
tion of the United States in Philadelphia, across the Atlantic Ocean tices continue to be appropriate in contemporary settings (and
in Great Britain, the father of modern economics, Adam Smith, then advice or guidance on adjustments, if necessary).4,5,6,7
published “The Wealth of Nations,” and established the frame-
work of modern human capital theory through the proposition How might human capital development principles of mentoring
that investments to enhance the skills, knowledge and abilities of and life/career stage be effectively implemented within an organi-
labor are positively associated with economic returns in the same zational setting ranging from a group practice to a comprehensive
manner that investments in tools, equipment or materials in the healthcare system? Additionally, how might individual healthcare
process of production yield revenue and profits.1 professionals enhance their own personal development?
Even earlier examples of human capital development may be Consider that effective mentoring is usually a voluntary practice.
found in Homer’s “The Odyssey” as Mentor was entrusted to Well-intended professionals who provide a career lecture to a group
groom Telemachus, son of Odysseus, to become a leader of Greece or expect that their own example of success without meaningful,
while Odysseus was away from home fighting the Trojan War. dual interaction would not normally be considered mentoring, but
Mentor served as a guide and confidant to Telemachus, and our rather providing information or serving as a model. Richer devel-
modern human capital development concept of mentoring was de- opment of individuals occurs with dynamic, focused interaction
rived Homer’s account of his example.2 directly between mentor and protégé. Organizations should en-
courage interaction among professionals internally and externally
DEFINING MENTORS to create conditions in which potential protégés and mentors may
The human capital development practice of mentoring is gen- connect on a voluntary basis and therefore, while lectures, guest
speaking and modeling are not mentoring per se, these practices,
erally characterized as the voluntary developmental relationship particularly when complemented with genuine offers by potential
between a mentor and a protégé to achieve enhanced personal mentors to provide personal development, can be useful elements
and/or professional outcomes. Mentoring relationships may be to human capital development. Individuals should seek to engage
short-term, episodic or enduring through a life/career. Develop- potential mentors that have clearly demonstrated development that
ment may be provided by a single mentor or a constellation of might be transferred through engagement, but also be mindful
mentors depending upon needs of the individual. Additionally, that mentoring requires time and action investments that potential
while traditional developmental relationships based on career or mentors may not have (particularly if heightened professional re-
life seniority usually apply to mentor and protégé roles, modern quirements exist and/or multiple potential protégés are seeking de-
examples of peer or even subordinate mentoring exist based on sit- velopment).
uational developmental needs of individuals.3,7
LIFE/CAREER STAGES
Additional consideration for human capital development and Organizations and individual professionals will likely be well-
mentoring should be focused on the needs of individuals during
varying life and career stages. Social science researchers, including served to consider the life/career stage of potential protégés to ap-
Daniel Levinson, Erick Erickson and Donald Super, have articu- propriately tailor development opportunities, as well as
lated and established frameworks for the examination of specific developmental expectations (Mentor did not teach Telemachus ad-
developmental needs based on the life or career stage of an indi- vanced governance techniques on the first day). Early careerists
vidual. In my own research, I confirmed a life/career effect on the will benefit from developmental opportunities that enhance com-
developmental needs of healthcare professionals in the application petencies and provide chances to participate and contribute with
of mentoring. My research findings indicate that early, middle and tolerance for failure or lack of full understanding of contextual
senior healthcare professionals have distinct preferences for devel- considerations coupled with instruction, guidance and support.
opment through mentoring.
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