Corporate Mentoring Matters

We’re happy to have a guest blogger today. Gaby Marcon is the co-founder Shine People & Places, which is a mentoring and training management firm in the UK. Gaby heads up sales of MentoringComplete in the UK.

 

Despite its supposed nine lives, the cat was killed by curiosity. This proverbial expression is used when trying to stop someone asking unwanted questions or when we want to invite somebody to mind their own business. What is associated with this saying is that by being nosy and getting involved in unnecessary things can lead to problems. I would argue that in a mentoring relationship, curiosity opens doors and fosters originality of thinking.  If a mentor is able to facilitate a conversation from a position of curiosity, then he/she is enabling the mentee to think more creatively about possible options and outcomes and he/she is likely to enjoy the process much more. Both mentee and mentor are likely to experience an emotional engagement leading to better involvement, a more satisfying experience and ultimately, better results.

People who are curious are always learning and learning different things. We don’t need to have a great job or a resounding title to learn and stretch ourselves; we don’t even need to become university graduates to prove that we are learning. The reality is that we and only we can dictate our learning curve. A mentor is as good an enabler as his or her mentee is good at entertaining ideas and uncertainty.

 

-Gaby Marcon

www.shinepeopleandplaces.co.uk

 

We are happy to share with you a new While Paper that we have added to our list of resources that explains the five main benefits of online mentoring software.  To get access to it, please click here.

As we continue to celebrate with you Black History Month, we would like to share with you a few quotes on teamwork from several other famous African-American individuals:

 

“You can’t win if you don’t play as a unit.”

-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

 

“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.”

-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

 

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

-Michael Jordan

As we begin Black History Month, we would like to share with you a few quotes on leadership from famous African-American individuals:
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” -Martin Luther King, Jr. “Leadership cannot just go along to get along.  Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day.”-Jesse Jackson “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”-Marian Anderson 

While many managers demonstrate mentoring behavior on an informal basis, it is very different from having a structured mentoring program. There is a qualitative difference between a manager-employee relationship and a mentor-mentoree relationship.

• Managerial Role
  
  The manager-employee relationship focuses on achieving the objectives of the department and the company. The manager assigns tasks, evaluates the outcome, conducts performance reviews, and recommends possible salary increases and promotions.
  
  Because managers hold significant power over employees’ work lives, most employees demonstrate only their strengths and hide their weaknesses in the work environment.
• Mentoring Role
  
  A mentor-mentoree relationship focuses on developing the mentoree professionally and personally. As such, the mentor does not evaluate the mentoree with respect to his or her current job, does not conduct performance reviews of the mentoree, and does not provide input about salary increases and promotions.
  
  This creates a safe learning environment, where the mentoree feels free to discuss issues openly and honestly, without worrying about negative consequences on the job.
  
  The roles of manager and mentor are fundamentally different. That’s why structured mentoring programs never pair mentors with their direct reports.

 

To learn more, please click here.

One of the advantages of mentoring is that it can be adapted to any organization’s culture and resources. There are several mentoring models to choose from when developing a mentoring program, including:

• One-On-One Mentoring
  The most common mentoring model, one-on-one mentoring matches one mentor with one mentoree. Most people prefer this model because it allows both mentor and mentoree to develop a personal relationship and provides individual support for the mentoree. Availability of mentors is the only limitation.
• Resource-Based Mentoring
  Resource-based mentoring offers some of the same features as one-on-one mentoring. The main difference is that mentors and mentorees are not interviewed and matched by a Mentoring Program Manager. Instead, mentors agree to add their names to a list of available mentors from which a mentoree can choose. It is up to the mentoree to initiate the process by asking one of the volunteer mentors for assistance. This model typically has limited support within the organization and may result in mismatched mentor-mentoree pairing.
• Group Mentoring
  Group mentoring requires a mentor to work with 4-6 mentorees at one time. The group meets once or twice a month to discuss various topics. Combining senior and peer mentoring, the mentor and the peers help one another learn and develop appropriate skills and knowledge.
  
  Group mentoring is limited by the difficulty of regularly scheduling meetings for the entire group. It also lacks the personal relationship that most people prefer in mentoring. For this reason, it is often combined with the one-on-one model. For example, some organizations provide each mentoree with a specific mentor. In addition, the organization offers periodic meetings in which a senior executive meets with all of the mentors and mentorees, who then share their knowledge and expertise.
• Training-Based Mentoring
  This model is tied directly to a training program. A mentor is assigned to a mentoree to help that person develop the specific skills being taught in the program. Training-based mentoring is limited, because it focuses on the subject at hand and doesn’t help the mentoree develop a broader skill set.

Executive Mentoring                            
This top-down model may be the most effective way to create a mentoring culture and cultivate skills and knowledge throughout an organization. It is also an effective succession-planning tool, because it prevents the knowledge "brain drain" that would otherwise take place when senior management retires. For further information, click here.

Employers create and implement mentoring programs for generally the following reasons:

•          Retain talent within the organization

•          Help new employees to better acculturate to the company

•          Part of succession planning programs

•          Promotes diversity initiatives

•          Knowledge transfer, especially for retiring employees

 Studies have shown that mentorees tend to remain with a company longer, get promoted faster and are generally more satisfied in their work.  Studies have also shown that in terms of diversity, mentoring programs tend to be more effective than diversity training because it allows people to engage in a meaningful relationship that transforms both partners and challenges their assumptions about diversity.

Given other programs implemented by companies such as leadership development, performance management, etc. mentoring is a lower cost initiative that generally pays for itself if a company saves 1-2 employees from leaving the company.

If you'd like, click here to go back to our website and read some other articles that may provide further information.

 

Maya Angelou is well known as a poet, best-selling author, educator, historian, actress and director.  She was introduced to books at a library of an African-American school which only contained a little over 100 books.  At that library, she came across poetry and instantly became intrigued and was able to translate it at the young age of 8 years old.  Being mentored throughout her whole life by different individuals, Maya Angelou has a very specific view on being a mentor.  She is quoted saying: “In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care.  You must care.  You don't have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don't need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you're sharing with. So if you know how to change a tire and that's all, that's good. But teach them by showing, by caring that they know these things. Then that will be of use some day. And it may never be actually called out. I don't think I'll be called out to change a tire. But I know fundamentally how to change a tire, and if I physically can't do it, I may be able to attract some young person, and tell him how to take the lugs off...See? So a mentor helps the person to interpret the world.” 

As we can see, another great legend recognizes the benefits of mentoring.  When will you become a mentor?

Recognizing that our nation is in need of mentors, on January 4, 2010, President Obama proclaims January 2010 as National Mentoring Month.  In his Presidential Proclamation, President Obama says: “Many of us are fortunate to recall a role model from our own adolescent years who pushed us to succeed or pulled us back from making a poor decision.  We carry their wisdom with us throughout our lives, knowing the unique and timeless gift of mentorship.  During this month, I encourage Americans to give back by mentoring young people in their communities who may lack role models, and pass that precious gift on to the next generation.”  To read the full Presidential Proclamation, please click here.

Choosing the right mentor can be a vital decision in your career, therefore, it is extremely important that you take your time to observe and research your mentor candidates prior to making a selection.  There are many factors for choosing a mentor.  Here are five questions we suggest that you should ask yourself:

 

1. Does the person already have a mentoree? 

It would be more beneficial to choose someone who does not already have a mentoree, or someone who currently has only one or two mentorees.  It’s important to your relationship to choose a person who will have the time to completely dedicate themselves to the mentoring relationship. 

 

2. Is the person well regarded in the organization?

It would be wise to choose a person who is respected by his or her peers and gets along well with many individuals within the organization including individuals from different departments as well as upper management.

 

3. Does this person personify professionalism and leadership?

A professional individual with excellent leadership qualities is usually a great person to consider because they possess skills and knowledge that was acquired either by being mentored themselves, or by years of experience.

 

4. Does this person have the skills and knowledge that you are looking for?

It’s important that you choose a mentor that you are going to be able to learn from and not just someone who is “popular” because the ultimate goal is to have a relationship with someone who will help you gain the skills and knowledge that are beneficial to your career.

 

5. Will this person be open and honest with you?

For a mentoring relationship to work, it is important for the mentor to be honest with you.  As a mentoree, you are in this relationship to gain insight on new skills and knowledge and so it is important to be a good listener and learn from your mistakes.  Therefore, it is sensible to find a person who is willing to be open and honest with you because ultimately they are looking out for your best interest.

 

While there are various types of questions to inquire about, these are just a few for you to consider while on your quest to find the right mentor.  But remember, the most important thing is to find a person who you feel comfortable with.  Good luck!