Business Mentoring Matters

Mentoring benefits the organization, mentors, and mentorees.

A successful mentoring program benefits the organization by:

• Enhancing strategic business initiatives 
• Encouraging retention
• Reducing turnover costs
• Improving productivity
• Breaking down the “silo” mentality that hinders cooperation among company departments or divisions
• Enhancing professional development
• Linking employees with valuable knowledge and information to other employees in need of such information
• Using your own employees, instead of outside consultants, as internal experts for professional development 
• Supporting the creation of a multicultural workforce by creating relationships among diverse employees andallowing equal access to mentoring
• Creating a mentoring culture that continuously promotes individual employee growth and development

Mentors enjoy many benefits, including:

• Gaining insights from the mentoree’s background and history, which can be used in the mentor’s own professional and personal development
• Gaining satisfaction in sharing expertise with others • Re-energizing the mentor’s career
• Gaining an ally in promoting the organization’s well-being
• Learning more about other areas/departments within the organization

Mentorees enjoy many benefits, including:

• Gaining from the mentor’s expertise
• Receiving critical feedback in key areas, such as communications, interpersonal relationships, technical
  abilities, change management, and leadership skills 
• Developing a sharper focus on what is needed to grow professionally within the organization 
• Learning specific skills and knowledge that are relevant to personal goals 
• Networking with a more influential employee 
• Gaining knowledge about the organization’s culture and unspoken rules that can be critical for success 
• Finding a friendly ear with which to share frustrations as well as successes 

"A mentor oversees the career and development of another person (mentoree)...through teaching, counseling, providing psychological support, protecting and, at times, promoting or sponsoring.”—Michael Zey

Choosing mentors who possess the following attributes will provide a greater level of success overall in the mentoring relationship and; therefore, is vital to the success of a corporate mentoring program.

Supportive:  Encourages the mentoree to take risks that are reasonable under the circumstances and that will result in the mentoree's professional and personal development.

Nurturing:  Creates a "risk free" environment whereby the mentoree can share with the mentor the issues that are most critical to him/her knowing that it will only be utilized to aid in the mentoree's development.

Protective:  Makes certain that the mentoree has all the information needed to make informed decisions and provides the mentoree with critical knowledge and understanding of situations so that the mentoree gets the "complete picture" prior to taking any action.

Honest in Feedback:  Provides necessary feedback, which allows the mentoree to know what s/he is doing well and what areas can be further developed for success.

Understands Boundaries:  Is able to set limits with the mentoree and also understand that the mentor's job is not to create a clone of the mentor but to share knowledge and information that can be useful to the mentoree as s/he develops in his/her own unique way.

Balanced Perspective:  Brings a realistic viewpoint in discussions with the mentoree, looking at issues from the company's perspective as well as the mentoree's and is also aware of his/her own blind spots.

Are you a mentor? Do you believe you offer these qualities to your mentoree? If you are not sure, ask your mentoree! It is a great way to start a discussion about how successful you both believe the mentoring relationship is/has been and where you could take it in the future.

Beyond creating a trusting relationship with the mentoree, there are three key skills an Executive Mentor should have.

1. Communicating instead of lecturing.  Yes, executive mentors typically have a lot of experience and knowledge to share, but it should be done based upon the mentoree's expressed need. If a mentor is doing more speaking than the mentoree during meetings, then s/he is really not communicating.

2. Facilitating instead of managing. Since executive mentors make decisions and solve problems all day long, it becomes too easy to begin to manage the mentoree instead of facilitating his/her development. When a mentor always provides the answers or takes the initiative to solve a problem instead of allowing the mentoree the opportunity to do so for themselves, then the mentor is managing instead of facilitating.

3. Transforming instead of cloning.  What worked for the executive mentor in a given situation may not necessarily work for the mentoree--even if provided with the same tools and techniques. Instead of suggesting that a mentoree use what worked for the mentor, the mentor should begin by asking the mentoree what solution or ideas they may have.  This invites the mentoree to actively participate in his/her development and allows that person the opportunity to grow and be transformed by the mentoring experience.  

So next time you meet with your mentoree, ask yourself, am I communicating, facilitating, and transforming?

For more information on executive mentoring, check out our FREE white paper by clicking the button below.

All mentors are unique in the skills they bring to mentoring.  But there are 3 that are the most critical in being an effective mentor.

1.  Be a good listener. This means not just listening to the words but to the whole communication: body language, tone of voice, gestures, etc. Many mentorees feel that when engaged in a mentoring session it is the only time where they get to speak and be heard. Being a good listener invites the person to share within a safe space.  

2.  Be a good facilitator and not a manager. Mentoring is a partnership between the mentor and mentoree not an employment relationship. It is sometimes difficult for mentors to step back and not take control of a situation as they feel by doing so they could solve the mentoree's problem. But this does not empower the mentoree. Facilitating involves sharing ideas, providing resources and offering sage advice when appropriate but not solving problems for the mentoree. "How do I assist my mentoree to gain what s/he needs to resolve the issue for themselves?"--that's the mantra of a good mentor.

3.  Be empathic. Understand things from a mentoree's viewpoint.  Provide support in terms of resources, encouragement and validate their feelings. It doesn't mean you have to agree with their perspective but it is important for the mentoree to feel that you are there and have genuine concern for them.  

Practicing these skills will not only make you a better mentor but will also make you a better co-worker.

Business Mentoring Fosters Career Advancement for both mentors and mentorees. Check out our free white paper on this subject to learn more by clicking the button below.

Most of us use different styles of communication. We'll communicate differently with our kids than we would with our employers. Often, our communication style depends upon the situation itself--what style will work best under these circumstances? The same holds true in mentoring relationships. Understanding different communication styles (and when to use them) will make for a more effective and enjoyable relationship. Below, we address four styles--what they are, when to use them, and things to keep in mind.

1.  DIRECTED STYLE: "I have expertise in this area and will give you what you need to know to be successful."

The Directed Style is most effective at the start of the mentoring relationship when both the mentoree and the relationship itself require strong direction. It's also useful and appropriate to use whenever the mentoree ventures into a new area of accomplishment. In the Directed Style, communication tends to be one sided, with the mentor "directing" the mentoree by doing one or more of the following:

• sharing personal experience
• prescribing a method for success
• accessing other resources for the mentoree
• providing a step-by-step approach

A WORD OF CAUTION:

Mentors who overuse this style will tend to dominate the conversation and stifle the mentoree's participation. Likewise, mentorees who overly prefer this style may develop a dependency on the mentor and avoid taking risks.

2.  CO-DIRECTED STYLE: "I have the most expertise in this area, and you may have some as well, but you still need my guidance to further develop your competency in this area."

The Co-Directed Style is more of a dialogue, with the mentor still dominating the exchange of information but allowing for questions and input from the mentoree. The mentor uses more persuasion and reasoning than direction but is still the dominant presence in the relationship.

If the relationship is dominated too long by this style, conflict could occur as the mentoree attempts to assume a more active role in the relationship. Use the Co-Directed Style when the mentoree has some experience or knowledge of the issue or when the mentoree is at a point to take some developmental risks and can benefit from guidance.

A WORD OF CAUTION:

Mentors who are overly persuasive may curtail the mentoree's development toward independent thinking. Likewise, mentorees who overly prefer this style may avoid contradicting the mentor and thus not engage in honest dialogue that would lead to greater independence.

3.  CONSULTING STYLE: "Let's work on this together and come to joint solutions since two heads are better than one and since we both have expertise in this area."

The Consulting Style is most effective when the mentoree has achieved knowledge/expertise in the focus area. As the mentoree becomes more independent, the partnership becomes more of a dialogue between peers, reflected by a strong sense of collaboration and consensus building. The prime mover in the discussion switches back and forth between the mentor and the mentoree. Once the teacher and guiding force in the relationship, the mentor's primary role now is to encourage and support the mentoree.

A WORD OF CAUTION:

Mentors may be too eager to use this style prior to the mentoree being ready. This is especially true in an environment that fosters team building. Likewise, mentorees may expect to begin here and therefore resist assuming a more passive role warranted by a lack of experience in the area at hand.

SELF-DIRECTED STYLE: "You have the ability to do this; I'm here if you need me."

The Self-Directed Style is most appropriate in the latter stages of the mentoring relationship when the mentoree has gained sufficient knowledge and mastery of the subject. Moving to this style is a key indicator that the mentoring relationship has achieved its purpose and the mentoree is ready to move on to another area of mastery or that it's time to end the relationship.

A WORD OF CAUTION:

Mentors may move too early or quickly to this style, expecting all initiative to come from the mentorees. Likewise, mentorees may already believe they're at this point and disregard the mentors' input.

The more aware you are of where you're at in the relationship and what communication style is best, the more effective your mentorship will be.

For more tips on communicating with your mentor or mentoree and tips on other ways that business mentoring can foster career advancement, click the button below to get our FREE white paper: 5 Ways Business Mentoring Fosters Career Advancement. 

We choose our friends. We choose our significant others. So shouldn't we choose our mentors or mentorees? Well, consider this matchmaking scenario:

Roberta works in the marketing department of Company ABC, which promotes an appreciation for cultural diversity. Roberta is smart but also nervous about all the traveling she must do. She gets along well with Jane, the local sales manager. It's Jane's first job out of college, but she's worked her way from account executive to local sales manager in just two years. Roberta and Jane are the same age, share similar values, and have great chemistry. Jane would like to mentor Roberta, and Roberta agrees. After all, the two are friends and often socialize with one another.

Wouldn't this be a great match?

Not necessarily.

A mentoring relationship shouldn't be a friendship in disguise. Instead it should be a purposeful match made by the program manager-a person who won't base his or her decision on the "friendship status" of the mentor and mentoree, but rather on whether the two can benefit from working together for 9-12 months.

Remember, the benefits of friendship (e.g. having someone to socialize with) are different from benefits you get when you're in a mentoring relationship.

The Mentoring Relationship-Benefits to Mentors

• Gaining insights from your mentoree's background and history that enhance your professional and personal development
• Gaining satisfaction in sharing your expertise with others
• Re-energizing your career
• Learning more about other areas within your organization
• Building a relationship with someone outside your area and thus increasing your networking within the company

The Mentoring Relationship-Benefits to Mentorees

• Gaining invaluable knowledge and insights from your mentor's expertise
• Receiving critical feedback in key areas, such as communications, interpersonal relationships, and technical abilities, so you can improve
• Developing a sharper focus on what you need to grow professionally
• Learning specific skills that are relevant to professional and personal goals
• Networking with a more influential employee who can broaden your reach within the organization

Let's go back to our example. Since this is Jane's first job out of college, she doesn't have the career background that a more senior employee might have. And while sharing values might seem worthwhile, it's often the people with different values and ideas-the ones who make you consider all viewpoints, not just your own-who have the biggest impact on your life.

So consider this scenario instead: The program manager matches Roberta with Soleil, an engineer who has been with the company for 10 years. Soleil hails from Paris and is fluent in French, English, and Chinese. Before working for Company ABC, she worked for a start-up company in Europe, and before that, she taught English in China.

This match makes more sense when considering the company's goals for its mentoring program, the mentor's background, and the mentoree's needs.

While there's no guarantee that all your matches will be successful, they stand a better chance when an informed "matchmaker"-i.e. the program manager-is involved.

Check out our FREE white paper specifically for mentoring program managers by clicking the button below.

Two questions people often ask me: 1) Can anyone be a mentor? 2) Can anyone be mentored?

Let me start with the last question. I believe anyone can be mentored if the person is open to the concept and is willing to do the work.

Regarding the first question: if someone wants to be a mentor, it's possible. Mentoring skills can be learned, developed, and nurtured.

That said, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the most effective mentoring relationships take place when the mentors and mentorees bring certain skill sets to the table. And that's the subject of this blog post.

Use these 7 Habits of Highly Successful Mentors and Mentorees to identify the perfect candidates in your organization for your existing mentoring program or to show upper management that you have the right mix of people to launch a program.

1. Active Listeners. Active listening takes energy. People who listen actively don't simply sit back and allow words to hit their eardrums. They sit up straight. They take notes. They ask questions. They repeat or "mirror back" what they've heard to ensure they've understood it properly. Active listeners are the ones who provide non-verbal gestures (e.g. eye contact, nodding, etc.) that indicate they're following (or not following) what you're saying.

Why is this habit important? Mentors and mentorees spend much of their relationship talking and listening to one another. Active listening is critical for both parties.

2. Dedicated to Their Success. I'm not suggesting that people should have a myopic view and are dedicated to only their own success. What I'm saying is that people who take pride in their work, who want to grow, and who truly care about their career trajectory are assets because of their high expectations.

Why is this habit important? It stands to reason that people who are dedicated to their own career success will want to make the most out of their involvement in the corporate mentoring program. The most effective mentors and mentorees are people who are dedicated to the idea of making their relationship work.

3. Dedicated to Others' Success. I put the "success" habits back to back so that it's clear they work in tandem. The most successful (and happiest) people in life are not in it just for themselves. They care about the organization and the people within that organization and have a genuine desire to see everyone and everything succeed: the company, the employees, and the mentoring program as a whole.

Why is this habit important? People who realize that "it's not all about me" are much more willing to make a genuine investment in the mentoring relationship.

4. Curious. People who are naturally curious tend to follow the "if there's a will, there's a way" philosophy. If they don't know the answer or if they need help with something, they won't sit back and wait; they'll go looking for the answers.

Why is this habit important? I've found that the "curious types" are the ones who'll take the time to read articles on mentoring best practices, listen to tutorials, and seek out help from Program Managers, all of which help in making a successful mentoring relationship.

5. Engaged with their surroundings. These people view their work as more than just a job. They show interest in the industry, in the world around them, in the work that other departments are doing, and in the charitable events associated with their company.

Why is this habit important? Having a "big picture" view of the world allows people to see how the success of their mentoring relationship affects more than just the two people in the relationship.

6. Willing to step out of their comfort zones. These people are willing to try new things, consider new thoughts, and think outside of the proverbial box for the sake of personal and professional growth.

Why is this habit important? Prospective mentors and mentorees who are willing to try something new and give it a "go" will have the best chance at reaping the most benefits from the mentoring relationship.

7. The 3 R's: Responsible, Respectful, & Ready. People who are responsible, respectful, and ready to get started with new projects help make the day-to-day work experience a better one not only for themselves, but also for everyone around them.

Why is this habit important? Being a mentor or mentoree requires diligence -- you need to commit to regular meetings (and actually meet), chart progress, and learn to navigate a new relationship (and all the ups and downs) with aplomb.

Are there any other important "habits" that you've noticed from your involvement in corporate mentoring?

Do you think your organization is utilizing its mentoring program to its fullest potential? Need some guidance? Check out this FREE white paper for more ideas on how to really make your mentoring program work!

When asking someone to be a mentor, timing is an important issue to consider. You have to lay the groundwork and be clear about the amount of time you are asking the person to invest in you. 

You first need to consider what specific development you need: personal development or professional development?

Once you've decided upon the person you would like to ask to be your mentor, engage with them prior to asking so that you get to know a little bit more about one another. The easiest way to do this is to contact them and ask if they would be willing to chat with you about how they developed their career. You may say that you want to follow a similar career path or you want to learn how to be successful.

Having this conversation or perhaps several conversations will allow both of you to develop a comfort level with each other so that when you ask the person to be your mentor, they will be more likely to say yes. When asking, consider this short model as a guide:

Dear (future mentor),

I have really enjoyed our recent conversations together. They have provided me with a lot of insight. I would like to continue to speak on a more regular basis and I was wondering whether you would consider being my mentor.

Perhaps we could meet once a month for an hour. I will plan a short agenda with specific topics to discuss for each meeting. We could speak on the telephone or meet face to face, whichever is more convenient for you. 

Thanks again for your consideration and your time. I know it is valuable! 

Asking a person to consider avoids their need to respond yes or no immediately––which makes it more likely they may say yes. Also, clearly stating the time commitment you are requesting is important. After all, timing is an important issue to consider. Not only WHEN to ask someone to be your mentor, but HOW MUCH time you are asking them to invest in you.

Good luck with your mentoring endeavors! You may also want to check out our 10 Tips for Mentorees to help you to get the most out of your mentoring relationship.

A great resource for recruiting talent that is often overlooked is alumni mentoring. Upcoming or recent graduates seeking employment are looking for creative ways to get their foot in the door, and you are looking to recruit talent. Have you ever thought about matching mentors and mentorees (and possible future employers/employees) through alumni mentoring?

Mentoring a student who is seeking an internship and/or nearing graduation is a great way to be able to engage with the individual to see if they fit with your organization.  Mentoring a student from your alma mater already gives the two of you some common ground to get the relationship started. 

Of the many benefits to the mentor and the mentor’s organization: by establishing a mentoring relationship with the student, you offer the student a perspective of your organization that may equate to a certain amount of loyalty that you may not find with other new employees. You also have a chance to "try out" a potential new employee before hiring him/her and get a good feel for their work ethic, goals, and personality.

From the mentoree’s prospective, having an alumni mentor allows you to tap into the mentor’s network for potential job openings or recommendations, whether within the mentor’s organization or within their network. It also gives you a chance to learn the organization and find someone who you may be able to establish a long-lasting relationship with. Having a mentor while starting your career can be an invaluable resource in many ways.

It’s a win-win for both individuals and it doesn’t take a lot of time.

If you are a student or graduate looking for a mentoring program, talk with your university’s Alumni Relations Department about organizations with Alumni Mentoring Programs. If your University doesn’t offer an Alumni Mentoring Program, dig deeper. Use the alumni directly and try to make contact to find yourself a mentor. 

If you feel you may be interested in becoming a mentor, give your alma mater’s Alumni Relations office a call.  Volunteer through their mentoring program or a job placement program.  Recruiting talent may never have been so easy!

We offer many resources for mentors and mentorees including this FREE resource, Creating A Successful Mentoring Relationship. Here we offer guidelines which are appropriate for a mentoring relationship to thrive and will help you make the most of your experience.

If your organization or your university is serious about creating an alumni mentoring program, you may also be interested in learning more about our e-mentoring software, Mentoring Complete. The skills of a companyís executives and employees are among the most valuable assets of any organization. Corporate and executive mentoring programs provide a means of cultivating those skills throughout the organization. This translates into talent retention instead of turnover, happier employees, more productive management, and a healthier bottom line. 

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Every one of us has a wealth of knowledge, expertise and wisdom that, when passed on, makes everyone's life better. A mentor not only gives a great deal to a mentoree but also gains in exchange.  Here are some of the statements mentors have made about their mentoring experience:

• I think I gained more than I gave because I learned so much from my mentoree.
• My mentoree is from a different area of the company and I had no contacts in that area. Now I have created a network with my mentoree that makes it easier to resolve issues.
• I learned to listen better and feel that I am also now a better manager because of it.
• In sharing my knowledge and expertise with my mentoree, I began to more fully appreciate how much I really do know.
• I gained valuable insight into the struggles of women in our organization and how I can help remove some of the barriers that currently exist. Since my mentoree was close in age to my daughters, I understand them better as well.
• What started out as a good professional relationship has developed into a wonderful friendship that will continue beyond the formal mentoring program.
• As I was helping my mentoree reflect on some key career and personal issues, it caused me to do my own self-reflection so this proved to be an extremely valuable mentoring experience for me.
• I was skeptical at first about being paired with someone from another area that I knew little about but our differences really enriched our experience by learning from one another. We had a lot more in common than I first thought.
• It was really personally satisfying to observe my mentoree grow as a result of our discussions and to know that I was part of that process in helping her.
• I was concerned about the artificiality of formal matching and meetings but all the planning really did help create a successful relationship that felt natural as opposed to forced.
• I asked my mentoree to observe me in my manager role at various points during our relationship and found the feedback truly helpful in helping me to be a better manager.

If any of these statements resonate with you, please consider volunteering to be a mentor to someone at work or a student - chances are high that you will have a wonderful experience!

For a great FREE resource, check out Management Mentors' 10 Mentoring Tips For the Corporate Mentor.