Why Does Mentoring Matter?
When we think about a mentorship program, we often think about the benefits associated with the mentee. They are able to learn from an experienced, senior employee and it also allows them to ask questions and gain valuable insight into the company. We often forget about the value and benefits to the organization. Two of those benefits are increased production and synergy. Mentors are able to work on the higher skilled portion of the projects while passing the lower-skilled work on to the mentee. The mentee is able to gain experience working on projects and not get hung up on more difficult projects and the mentor is able to focus and make sure the project is completed on time. When the project is completed, both people reap the benefits and gain satisfaction from a job well done. Another benefit to a well organized mentorship program is being able to retain knowledge within the company. If a senior employee decides to leave the company, they take with them the knowledge they have obtained while working for the company. If the employee was part of the mentorship program, more than likely they passed their knowledge on to someone else. The company will not have to spend extra money on the hiring and training process. Also, the company will be able to replace the person quickly, which helps the company run more effectively. As you can see, mentoring is beneficial for both the individual and the company, and that, is why mentoring matters.
Common Mentoring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
A well implemented mentoring program can be very beneficial to a company however, a poorly planned program can do more harm than good. According to the article, there are seven common mistakes associated with mentoring programs. These mistakes are lack of structure and guidance, lack in clarity of purpose, lack of interest or support from management, people not understanding their roles, no "how to" training, no recurs if the partnership is not working, and inability to manage program and ensure sustainability ("Mentoring Program Mistakes and How to Avoid," 2012).
To ensure avoiding these mistakes, the article suggests using the PIEM model, which stands for Plan, Implement, Evaluate, and Manage. The first step, Plan, involves establishing clear objectives and metrics and tying them to organizational goals, ensuring you have identified all possible challenges, and nominating a committed program administrator that participants can turn to for guidance. The second step, Implement, involves marketing and branding your mentor program, communicating more specifically the mentoring process details for greater understanding, enticement and utilization of the program, and provide training for mentors, mentees, managers/supervisors and program administrators. Ensure roles and expectations are understood as well as provide
resources for advice. The third step, Evaluate, involves adjusting process/protocol and overall success of a mentoring program and tracking the progress of each mentoring partnership and gather ongoing feedback from program participants. The last step, Manage, involves making sure the mentee is paired with the right mentor, based on their developmental goals ("Mentoring Program Mistakes and How to Avoid," 2012).
By following these four steps, a companies' mentorship program can become more successful if it is struggling to see the results associated with mentoring.
Mentoring program mistakes and how to avoid them. (2012, December 14). Retrieved
July 30, 2013, from http://www.insala.com/Articles/Mentoring/mentoring-program-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them.asp
How to Start a Mentoring Program
According to the article, the most important part of starting a mentoring program is to define the objective of the program. If the format of the program does not coincide with the overall objective, the program will not be successful and will disintegrate quickly. One factor that is vital to developing a program that fits with your company is to align the structure of your program with the culture of your company (Kessler, n.d.).
The next step in organizing a successful mentoring program is the way you pair the mentors with the mentees. The best way to match people in the program appears to start with filling out a questionnaire and conducting interviews to match goals and like personalities. It is also important to have a plan in place in case the pair does not get along. Obviously, a pair that does not match is not productive for either participant or the company.
The third part of starting a program is to develop a training model. This step includes explaining why mentoring isn't a waste of time, managing expectations, and suggesting a format. Employees are more likely to buy into the program if they know the program can help promote their career and make them better at their job. "Have leaders in your company make it clear that they think the program is important, and make sure that they participate in the program themselves as well as encourage other people to participate" (Kessler, n.d.). People must also know the expectations of the program and fully understand why the program is being used. "Because the word 'mentoring' has a lot of connotations associated with it. People might think, 'this is the person who is going to get me promoted, get me this, get me that,' so it's really important to identify to participants what the objectives are and what to expect, as well as not to expect, from it." (Kessler, n.d.).
The last part of the training process is suggesting a format for the mentors and mentees to follow. The article suggests using the cycle preparation, establishing agreements, enabling, and closure. The preparation stage allows the pair to converse about their expectations of the program. Establishing agreements involves the mentor helping the mentee form a plan and setting obtainable goals. The enabling is the actual work being done and closure is the closure to the relationship.
As with any successful program, communication is very important as well as evaluation. Much can be learned from a mentorship if the program is directed properly and the participants buy in to what the company is trying to achieve.
Kessler, S. (n.d.). How to start a mentoring program. Retrieved August 5, 2013, from http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/04/start-mentoring-program.html
Five Benefits of A Workplace Mentoring Program
In a study done by Sun Microsystems in October 2006, "The study concluded that, "mentoring has a positive impact on
mentors and mentees, producing employees that are more highly valued by the business." (Five Benefits of a Workplace, n.d.). "The study also found that 25% of employees in a test group who took part in the company’s mentoring program had a salary grade change, compared with 5% of employees in a control group who did not participate in the program. Mentors were promoted 6 times more often than those not in the program; mentees were promoted 5 times more often than those not in the program. In addition
retention rates were much higher for mentees (72%) and mentors (69%) than for employees who did not participate in the mentoring program (49%)." (Five Benefits of a Workplace, n.d.). According to this data, mentoring is proven to be beneficial to both the employee and the employer.
Five benefits of mentoring is discussed in this article. Those five benefits are the internal transfer of knowledge, leadership development, diversity, onboarding, and employee engagement. Each of these five benefits can help a company individually but, together, they can transform an average company into a very successful one.
The first benefit listed is the internal transfer of knowledge. By giving a new hire a mentor, the time in which information is transferred to the new hire is much shorter than manuals or formal training programs. It also cultivates a culture in which information is shared openly and employees are not afraid to ask for help.
The second benefit is leadership development. This allows a mentee the opportunity to learn from some of the senior employees in the company and learn what it takes to advance in the company. It also shows the employee the type of leader the company is looking for and promotes career development.
Diversity is a very important part of any business because a "diverse workforce is required to stimulate innovation, cultivate creativity, and steer business strategies". (Five Benefits of a Workplace, n.d.). As mentioned before, employees feel like they can express their thoughts and ideas more openly, which helps overall performance.
Onboarding cuts down on the time needed to train an employee properly and gets them working in a much shorter period of time. Not only is this beneficial to the employee but also to the company. Money that was spent on a longer training period can now be restructured and used for marketing, research, or any other area in need of extra capital.
The last benefit, employee engagement, not only focuses on conversations between employees, but also customer satisfaction and relationships with other companies. If an employee feels comfortable with their ability to interact clearly and concisely with someone else about their product, the results of that interaction are going to be more positive.
Five benefits of a workplace mentoring program. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2013, from
http://chronus.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Five-Benefits-of-a-Workplace-Mentoring-Program.pdf
When we think about a mentorship program, we often think about the benefits associated with the mentee. They are able to learn from an experienced, senior employee and it also allows them to ask questions and gain valuable insight into the company. We often forget about the value and benefits to the organization. Two of those benefits are increased production and synergy. Mentors are able to work on the higher skilled portion of the projects while passing the lower-skilled work on to the mentee. The mentee is able to gain experience working on projects and not get hung up on more difficult projects and the mentor is able to focus and make sure the project is completed on time. When the project is completed, both people reap the benefits and gain satisfaction from a job well done. Another benefit to a well organized mentorship program is being able to retain knowledge within the company. If a senior employee decides to leave the company, they take with them the knowledge they have obtained while working for the company. If the employee was part of the mentorship program, more than likely they passed their knowledge on to someone else. The company will not have to spend extra money on the hiring and training process. Also, the company will be able to replace the person quickly, which helps the company run more effectively. As you can see, mentoring is beneficial for both the individual and the company, and that, is why mentoring matters.
Common Mentoring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
A well implemented mentoring program can be very beneficial to a company however, a poorly planned program can do more harm than good. According to the article, there are seven common mistakes associated with mentoring programs. These mistakes are lack of structure and guidance, lack in clarity of purpose, lack of interest or support from management, people not understanding their roles, no "how to" training, no recurs if the partnership is not working, and inability to manage program and ensure sustainability ("Mentoring Program Mistakes and How to Avoid," 2012).
To ensure avoiding these mistakes, the article suggests using the PIEM model, which stands for Plan, Implement, Evaluate, and Manage. The first step, Plan, involves establishing clear objectives and metrics and tying them to organizational goals, ensuring you have identified all possible challenges, and nominating a committed program administrator that participants can turn to for guidance. The second step, Implement, involves marketing and branding your mentor program, communicating more specifically the mentoring process details for greater understanding, enticement and utilization of the program, and provide training for mentors, mentees, managers/supervisors and program administrators. Ensure roles and expectations are understood as well as provide
resources for advice. The third step, Evaluate, involves adjusting process/protocol and overall success of a mentoring program and tracking the progress of each mentoring partnership and gather ongoing feedback from program participants. The last step, Manage, involves making sure the mentee is paired with the right mentor, based on their developmental goals ("Mentoring Program Mistakes and How to Avoid," 2012).
By following these four steps, a companies' mentorship program can become more successful if it is struggling to see the results associated with mentoring.
Mentoring program mistakes and how to avoid them. (2012, December 14). Retrieved
July 30, 2013, from http://www.insala.com/Articles/Mentoring/mentoring-program-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them.asp
How to Start a Mentoring Program
According to the article, the most important part of starting a mentoring program is to define the objective of the program. If the format of the program does not coincide with the overall objective, the program will not be successful and will disintegrate quickly. One factor that is vital to developing a program that fits with your company is to align the structure of your program with the culture of your company (Kessler, n.d.).
The next step in organizing a successful mentoring program is the way you pair the mentors with the mentees. The best way to match people in the program appears to start with filling out a questionnaire and conducting interviews to match goals and like personalities. It is also important to have a plan in place in case the pair does not get along. Obviously, a pair that does not match is not productive for either participant or the company.
The third part of starting a program is to develop a training model. This step includes explaining why mentoring isn't a waste of time, managing expectations, and suggesting a format. Employees are more likely to buy into the program if they know the program can help promote their career and make them better at their job. "Have leaders in your company make it clear that they think the program is important, and make sure that they participate in the program themselves as well as encourage other people to participate" (Kessler, n.d.). People must also know the expectations of the program and fully understand why the program is being used. "Because the word 'mentoring' has a lot of connotations associated with it. People might think, 'this is the person who is going to get me promoted, get me this, get me that,' so it's really important to identify to participants what the objectives are and what to expect, as well as not to expect, from it." (Kessler, n.d.).
The last part of the training process is suggesting a format for the mentors and mentees to follow. The article suggests using the cycle preparation, establishing agreements, enabling, and closure. The preparation stage allows the pair to converse about their expectations of the program. Establishing agreements involves the mentor helping the mentee form a plan and setting obtainable goals. The enabling is the actual work being done and closure is the closure to the relationship.
As with any successful program, communication is very important as well as evaluation. Much can be learned from a mentorship if the program is directed properly and the participants buy in to what the company is trying to achieve.
Kessler, S. (n.d.). How to start a mentoring program. Retrieved August 5, 2013, from http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/04/start-mentoring-program.html
Five Benefits of A Workplace Mentoring Program
In a study done by Sun Microsystems in October 2006, "The study concluded that, "mentoring has a positive impact on
mentors and mentees, producing employees that are more highly valued by the business." (Five Benefits of a Workplace, n.d.). "The study also found that 25% of employees in a test group who took part in the company’s mentoring program had a salary grade change, compared with 5% of employees in a control group who did not participate in the program. Mentors were promoted 6 times more often than those not in the program; mentees were promoted 5 times more often than those not in the program. In addition
retention rates were much higher for mentees (72%) and mentors (69%) than for employees who did not participate in the mentoring program (49%)." (Five Benefits of a Workplace, n.d.). According to this data, mentoring is proven to be beneficial to both the employee and the employer.
Five benefits of mentoring is discussed in this article. Those five benefits are the internal transfer of knowledge, leadership development, diversity, onboarding, and employee engagement. Each of these five benefits can help a company individually but, together, they can transform an average company into a very successful one.
The first benefit listed is the internal transfer of knowledge. By giving a new hire a mentor, the time in which information is transferred to the new hire is much shorter than manuals or formal training programs. It also cultivates a culture in which information is shared openly and employees are not afraid to ask for help.
The second benefit is leadership development. This allows a mentee the opportunity to learn from some of the senior employees in the company and learn what it takes to advance in the company. It also shows the employee the type of leader the company is looking for and promotes career development.
Diversity is a very important part of any business because a "diverse workforce is required to stimulate innovation, cultivate creativity, and steer business strategies". (Five Benefits of a Workplace, n.d.). As mentioned before, employees feel like they can express their thoughts and ideas more openly, which helps overall performance.
Onboarding cuts down on the time needed to train an employee properly and gets them working in a much shorter period of time. Not only is this beneficial to the employee but also to the company. Money that was spent on a longer training period can now be restructured and used for marketing, research, or any other area in need of extra capital.
The last benefit, employee engagement, not only focuses on conversations between employees, but also customer satisfaction and relationships with other companies. If an employee feels comfortable with their ability to interact clearly and concisely with someone else about their product, the results of that interaction are going to be more positive.
Five benefits of a workplace mentoring program. (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2013, from
http://chronus.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Five-Benefits-of-a-Workplace-Mentoring-Program.pdf