By Denise Turney
- Business Mentoring Programs Picture by Manujoy at
Mentoring programs can strengthen a business’ talent pool. Effective mentoring programs match the knowledge, skills and experience of one person with those of someone who is in a learning stage. There are several reasons that mentoring programs are created including to shorten the learning curve for newly hired employees and to prepare junior level to succeed senior staff members.
Components of Successful Mentoring Programs
Successful mentoring programs have:
- Buy-in or support from senior management
- Clearly defined goals and objectives
- Sufficient resources
- Adequate time commitment from mentors and mentees
Formal mentoring programs seek out voluntary mentors. Senior managers are often pressed for time, the key ingredient in a successful mentoring relationship. To hurdle this challenge meet with senior business leaders throughout your firm and solicit the names of employees that they feel would benefit most from having a mentor. Ask the senior managers to identify one to three areas that they want the mentor to focus on with the mentee (e.g. communication, leadership, project management).
Managing Business Mentoring Programs
Human resource partners can take this information, review employee talent profiles, etc. and determine which employees would best match with the mentors. After the final pairings are created, regroup with the senior business managers and review the mentor/mentee pairings.
Upon gaining approval of the pairings from senior managers meet with the mentors and mentees. Set expectations for both mentors and mentees. Clearly define how often the mentor and mentee are expected to meet. Keep in mind that meetings can take place over lunch. Mentor/mentee conversations do not have to be long. A 10 to 15 minute conversation that is focused and detailed can prove more beneficial than a one hour conversation that only spends two minutes discussing a business gap that the mentee has demonstrated.
Establishing Clear Mentoring Program Guidelines
Consider creating mentoring programs to run for at least six months. At the end of the three months you can survey mentors and mentees to see how the relationship is progressing. Make changes to the program as needed. Also monitor the mentee’s work performance at the end of the mentoring program. Check in with mentees’ managers to assess and measure improvements in the mentee’s performance. A good mentoring program will see improvements in mentee performance.
Employees can also seek out mentoring relationships on their own. Good mentoring relationships may match employees that are at least one level apart but not more than two levels apart. Good mentors help new managers and employees to become seasoned and to add more value to the firm. Consider venturing outside your usual circle of business relationships to find a mentor. You can also seek a mentor outside the company that employs you.
Online and offline mentoring relationships can work. Highlight the reasons that you would like someone to mentor you (e.g. their performance record). State the areas that you want to focus on during the mentoring. Partner with the mentor to decide how often the two of you will meet online or offline. You could also conduct the mentoring relationship over the telephone.
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Denise Turney is a freelance writer and novelist who resides on the East Coast. She is online at: www.chistell.com
Get into Spiral online at: https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000000841/Spiral.html
Check out Long Walk Up online at: https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000000531/Long-Walk-Up.html
Sources:
http://www.mentoring.org (Mentor)
http://www.solutionsforamerica.org/healthyfam/mentoring-programs.html (Solutions For America)
http://www.mentoringgroup.com/08_98_PG/ideas.htm (The Mentoring Group)
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2008/sb2008026_636479.htm (Business Week: How to Establish a Mentor Program)
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