Mentoring

Mentoring is a formal or informal relationship established between an experienced, knowledgeable employee and an inexperienced or new employee. The purpose of the mentoring relationship is to help the new employee quickly absorb the organizations cultural and social norms. Mentoring also assists an employee, new to a specific job or area of responsibility, to quickly learn what they need to know to succeed in their job and role. Mentoring can involve a formal exchange of knowledge and information and can be evaluative in nature to assess the assimilation of the new employee in his or her new role. Mentoring is provided in addition to your new employee onboarding process and should have different content and goals. The best mentoring relationships involve the exchange of a particular body of knowledge that helps the new employee quickly come up to speed as a contributor within your organization. Mentoring helps the employee navigate the learning curve inherent in any new role and relationship. Many organizations assign a mentor as part of their formal employee onboarding process. Other mentoring relationships develop spontaneously and over time. All mentoring relationships are encouraged as research indicates that employees who experience mentoring are retained, learn more quickly, and assimilate into the company culture more effectvely. A mentoring relationship frequently occurs between an employee and their immediate supervisor; in fact, this was the normal mentoring relationship in the past. These mentoring relationships are still encouraged, but it is recommended that employees and organizations pursue additional mentoring relationships. A mentoring relationship with a supervisor never loses the evaluation aspects necessary for the employee to succeed within your organization. Mentoring is a skill and an art that can be developed over time.

Tap Into the Power of Mentoring

How to Make Mentoring a Win for Employees, Mentors, and Employers
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Mentoring Matters for Employee Development

A mentoring relationship is a win-win for all parties: the employee who seeks a mentor, the mentor, and organizations that employ the mentoring pair. Need convincing? Heres why mentoring makes business sense. Seeking a mentor? Heres how to find mentoring, benefit from mentoring, and succeed with mentoring. I interviewed Beth Carvin, CEO of Nobscot Corporation, a global technology firm that focuses on key areas of employee retention and development, to discover the advantages and opportunities that happen as a result of mentoring. Susan Heathfield: Beth, could you briefly describe your experience with mentoring for my readers. We've been familiar with your work with exit interviews on my site in the past.

Beth Carvin: I got involved with mentoring in 2003 through participation in the HR Talk (SHRM) bulletin board. (You must be a member to visit.) Some of the regular posters were attempting to connect those with less experience in HR to some of the more senior HR professionals. There was a lot of interest in mentoring so it became quickly apparent that it was going to be a huge amount of work to manually match people. I looked around to see if there was some kind of technology that could be used for mentoring profiles and matching. There wasn't much available back then, so Nobscot's Chief Technology Officer offered to build the technology for us. Nobscot donated it to the HR Talk Group. Within just a couple of weeks of release, more than 100 mentorships were established. It was exciting. We would have left it at that but at the same time there was this amazing convergence between mentoring and exit interviews. We were seeing over and over that the issues identified in the exit interviews could be solved or minimized through the use of mentoring. It was a real "Aha!" moment for us. Now, seven years later, our mentoring technology is used by corporations and associations around the globe. Heathfield: Are there any characteristics of mentors or requirements of mentoring relationships, aside from those commonly stated, that you would recommend? Carvin: There are specific characteristics that make for a good mentor. Good mentors are intelligent, encouraging, generous, and honest. In addition, the best mentors are usually direct, hold high expectations and have and are willing to share social capital. My absolute favorite characteristic is a mentor who can, to use Aristotle's words, "ignite the talent." Aristotle believed that every person had inside them talent that lay dormant. A great mentor is someone who can reach in and release that hidden talent. Advantages of Mentoring Heathfield: You have said that an individual who has a mentor can expect to earn between $5,610 and $22,450 more per year than employees who do not have a mentor. I am a huge fan of mentoring but I have never seen measurements such as this supporting mentoring before. Please share the research that prompted this conclusion about mentoring. Carvin: Early research in the 1980s found that mentorships contributed to career advancement, satisfaction and salary attainment. The specific numbers that you listed come from a very interesting study done in 1995 by Professors George Dreher of Indiana University and Taylor Cox, Jr. of the University of Michigan. They were studying race, gender and mentoring experiences to see how they affected compensation for MBA graduates. The results of their research showed that MBA graduates who had established mentoring relationships with white men had an annual compensation advantage over those without mentoring relationships of $22,454. The gender issue was shown to be fairly complex but related to white male mentors greater perceived status and legitimacy and access to their informal social and communication networks. We like to think that if the research was conducted today we'd still see the compensation advantage reported by Dreher and Cox but that it would be there regardless of the race and gender of the mentor. The key really is having a mentor who is willing to introduce and vouch for the mentee in senior leadership circles. How to Obtain Mentoring: 5 Steps to a Mentoring Relationship Heathfield: Most of my readers don't have a formal mentoring program in their organizations. How can an individual employee reach out and find a mentor? I'm thinking the best approach may not be to say to a senior manager, Hey, will you be my mentor?

Carvin: I'd would suggest a multi-pronged approach using these five steps.

Identify why you need a mentor. Reasons for mentoring might include: --Connections, introductions, visibility --Job skills, industry knowledge, management skills, communication skills --Help with goal setting --Help with problem solving --Psycho-social support for work-family pressures, discrimination, coping with disappointment, developing self-esteem Consider who might have the characteristics of a good mentor and would be able to assist with your identified needs in a mentoring relationship. Create an outreach plan to find your mentor. --Check for a corporate mentoring program with your HR or training department --Identify and approach a senior leader --Look within community organizations --Network at conferences and seminars --Ask for referrals within Industry groups --Reach out using social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn --Consider someone you highly respected at a former employer

Decide how you will introduce yourself and request the mentoring relationship. --Contact the potential mentor via phone, email, meeting, social media, or a letter. --Include in your introduction: the specific reason you thought this person would make a good mentor for you, that you understand that the person is busy and you will expect only a reasonable amount of time from them, the areas you'd like to focus on in the mentorship, and the benefits of being a mentor.

Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up until you have obtained your potential mentors response to your request to build a mentoring relationship.

Set Reasonable Expectations About Mentoring Heathfield: What can an employee reasonably expect from a mentoring relationship? On the low involvement end? On the most desirable end? Carvin: The amount of involvement required depends on the objective(s) of the mentorship. For example a mentorship focused on career pathing, networking or sponsorship may require a significant time commitment at the outset as the plan for the mentorship is developed. A mentorship devoted to psycho-social support or on helping solve specific challenges may take a more sporadic approach based on needs that arise. At any rate, mentors and mentees should plan on communicating a minimum of once per month. That may morph into 2-3 times per month or once per 6 weeks but it's a good guideline. The mentor and mentee should also plan on a few hours per month of time devoted to the mentoring that will be performed individually. Mentees might follow up on a strategy discussed in the mentoring meetings. Mentors should be brushing up on a particular area of interest, creating learning activities or coordinating meetings to introduce the mentee to colleagues. Heathfield: What must an employee with a mentor deliver to the mentoring relationship for the relationship to succeed for both the mentor and the mentee? (What does the employee need to give back?)

Carvin: One of the exciting (and surprising!) thing about mentoring is that the mentors gain as much as the mentees. I've created a list of the Ten Best Reasons to be a Mentor which outlines some of these benefits. Specific Benefits From Mentoring Heathfield: In your experience, how have mentoring relationships benefitted mentors and mentees? Please share stories that will help my readers understand the possibilities of obtaining and valuing a mentoring relationship. Carvin: In addition to career development, increased salary, promotions, and visibility, some of the other outcomes include the following.

Increased confidence Greater understanding of the organization Sharpened skills Expanded networks Assistance with specific problems

One simple, but important, story came to me from a mentee who was struggling with her career path. She had the choice between two very different job postings within her company. She was really stuck on which one to choose. Her mentor didn't hand her the answer, "Take this one." Instead, the mentor asked the right questions in such a way that she was able to determine the best course of action for herself. She told me that her mentor's guidance had huge ramifications for her future. She was not sure she would have come to the best conclusion without the assistance and she now has a framework for how to make difficult decisions. Here are some quotes from other mentees:

"It has been a great experience. My mentor was able to help me take the time to understand my strengths and weaknesses, to write out a plan for the near future and beyond, to understand what it will take to get there and to discuss it with my manager. Often we do not take the time out of our busy schedules to do this. I was very impressed with the way my mentor was able to guide me." "It has been a life-changing experience. I gained perspective that I simply didn't have on my own. One mentoring session gave me enough material for a lifetime of work! My mentor is brilliant! " "I had a very simplistic view or wrong view of career path and career development. My mentors helped me sort out the options, helped me see things I don't see myself, and answered my questions. It is definitely a very positive experience for me. I'd highly recommend the mentor program to people."

I'll also add that mentoring creates advantages not just for the mentee and mentor but also for the company for which the mentor and mentee work. Starting or expanding a corporate mentoring program can do wonders for employee retention, commitment, development and succession planning.

Top 15 Characteristics of a Successful Mentor

Who Makes an Effective Mentor?
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Gone are the days when assigning an informal buddy to mentor a new employee meant going out to lunch. These buddies generally had no mentor training and they were clueless about their responsibilities. When making every employee successful as soon as possible became the new norm, formal organization needs from a mentor grew. A formal mentor relationship can jump start the learning curve and help a new employee succeed. These are the characteristics to seek in employees who are asked to or assigned to formally mentor new employees or employees who are new to a department or job. The required characteristics will differ somewhat in an informal mentor relationship that develops casually between two individuals. Use a Formal Mentor Process With a formal mentor process, a body of knowledge and other cultural teachings are an expectation of the mentor relationship. You will also find that a small component of the mentor relationship is evaluative in nature. In the sense that your organization is expecting employees who mentor to assess the new employees fit within the culture of the organization, the role evaluates the new employee. With the body of knowledge the mentor must convey, the mentor must also know whether the employee is learning the required information to succeed in his or her new job. If the employee is slow to learn or not learning, the mentor can help the department make adjustments. Seek an Informal Mentor Employees are also encouraged to seek an informal mentor for each area of expertise the employee wishes to develop or explore. The person in this mentor role is purely a coach and a teacher with no assessment responsibilities. Characteristics of a Successful Formal Mentor The assigned mentor has these characteristics.

Wants to mentor another employee and is committed to the employees growth and development and cultural integration. Has the job content knowledge necessary to effectively teach a new employee significant job knowledge. Familiar with the organizations norms and culture. Can articulate and teach the culture. Demonstrates honesty, integrity, and both respect for and responsibility for stewardship. Demonstrates effective communication skills both verbally and nonverbally. Willing to help develop another employee through guidance, feedback, and occasionally, an insistence on a particular level of performance or appropriate direction. Initiates new ideas and fosters the employees willingness and ability to make changes in his or her performance based on the constant change occurring in their work environment. Has enough emotional intelligence to be aware of their personal emotions and is sensitive to the emotions and feelings of the employee they are mentoring. Is an individual who would be rated as highly successful in both their job and in navigating the organizations culture by coworkers and managers. Demonstrates success in establishing and maintaining professional networks and relationships, both online and offline.

Willing to communicate failures as well as successes to the mentored employee. Able to spend an appropriate amount of time with the mentored employee. Open to spending time with diverse individuals who may not share a common background, values, or goals. Able to initiate conflict to ensure the employees successful integration into the organization. Willing to acknowledge, as a mentor, that an employee may not succeed in your organization. Able to say when the relationship is not working and back away appropriately without regard to ego issues or the need to assign blame or gossip about the situation.

If you select employees to mentor who have these characteristics, you will ensure the success of your formal mentor relationships. This, in turn, ensures the successful integration of the new employee within your work unit.

Build a Mentoring Culture

People Development
By Judith Lindenberger* The people in your organizations train for years and go into debt for college. People work late nights and weekends. People spend the entire day taking phone calls when theyre supposed to be on vacation. And people generate ideas and create the solutions that your organizations need. People do these things. The people you have working for you today and the people you may hire tomorrow. And, the people who may resign because no one has recognized their abilities. Yet, clearly, organizations do not do a good enough job developing and promoting their most important resource their people. What does it take to develop your people? It takes more than writing equal opportunity into your organizations mission statement. It takes more than sending someone to a training class. It takes more than hard work on the part of your employees. What development takes is people from the CEOs office to the mailroom people who are willing to listen and to help their colleagues. Development takes coaches; it takes guide; it takes advocates. Development depends on mentors. Time after time, successful people I talk to say that one of the most important keys to their success is having a mentor. It is hard to make it without a mentor and it takes too much time without a mentor. But often there is no mentor around when you need one and especially when you face particular challenges. What do I mean when I talk about the particular challenges" that people in organizations face? Challenges That Need Mentoring Let me give you a few examples of some challenges we working people all deal with. Imagine that you are facing these situations. How would you react? First scenario. Youve been working in a staff job and a line job opens up in another city. It would be a perfect career move for you but the company fills the job without even asking if youre interested. They dont ask because they assume your spouse wouldnt want to leave his or her job to relocate. What would you do? Or imagine this. Youre in a meeting. Its your opportunity to shine in front of upper management. Youve got an important point to make and you start to talk. Someone cuts you off. What would you do? Or lets say you make that important pointand no one says a word about it. But five minutes later, a guy at the other end of the table says the same thing you did. This time its a brilliant idea, and he gets all the credit. What would you do? Youre in another meeting theres always another meeting - and one of your bosses tells a demeaning joke about the Pope - you are Catholic, and everyone knows it. What would you do?

Or a joke about gays which you are, and maybe no one knows it. Or a joke about women which youre not, but some of your colleagues sitting right next to you are. What would you do? My point is not so much whether you or I know how to react in each of these situations.

Build a Mentoring Culture

People Development
By Judith Lindenberger* The people in your organizations train for years and go into debt for college. People work late nights and weekends. People spend the entire day taking phone calls when theyre supposed to be on vacation. And people generate ideas and create the solutions that your organizations need. People do these things. The people you have working for you today and the people you may hire tomorrow. And, the people who may resign because no one has recognized their abilities. Yet, clearly, organizations do not do a good enough job developing and promoting their most important resource their people. What does it take to develop your people? It takes more than writing equal opportunity into your organizations mission statement. It takes more than sending someone to a training class. It takes more than hard work on the part of your employees. What development takes is people from the CEOs office to the mailroom people who are willing to listen and to help their colleagues. Development takes coaches; it takes guide; it takes advocates. Development depends on mentors. Time after time, successful people I talk to say that one of the most important keys to their success is having a mentor. It is hard to make it without a mentor and it takes too much time without a mentor. But often there is no mentor around when you need one and especially when you face particular challenges. What do I mean when I talk about the particular challenges" that people in organizations face? Challenges That Need Mentoring Let me give you a few examples of some challenges we working people all deal with. Imagine that you are facing these situations. How would you react? First scenario. Youve been working in a staff job and a line job opens up in another city. It would be a perfect career move for you but the company fills the job without even asking if youre interested. They dont ask because they assume your spouse wouldnt want to leave his or her job to relocate. What would you do? Or imagine this. Youre in a meeting. Its your opportunity to shine in front of upper management. Youve got an important point to make and you start to talk. Someone cuts you off. What would you do? Or lets say you make that important pointand no one says a word about it. But five minutes later, a guy at the other end of the table says the same thing you did. This time its a brilliant idea, and he gets all the credit. What would you do?

Youre in another meeting theres always another meeting - and one of your bosses tells a demeaning joke about the Pope - you are Catholic, and everyone knows it. What would you do? Or a joke about gays which you are, and maybe no one knows it. Or a joke about women which youre not, but some of your colleagues sitting right next to you are. What would you do? My point is not so much whether you or I know how to react in each of these situations. My point is really that we need to recognize that there are people in every organization whether theyre men or women, minorities, or people who grew up without any business role-models in their lives who dont know how to react in these situations. And its our responsibility to teach them. Organizations are only as successful as the men and women who make them work. So, if we care about our organizations and our people, we have to share our knowledge of the organizational culture; we have to share our wisdom; we have to mentor. Mentoring Best Practices If you want to establish a mentoring culture within your organization, here are some mentoring best practices.

Set organizational goals. Dont establish a mentoring program just because it is a good business practice. Develop a mentoring program based on solid business goals such as increasing diversity or making your organization a better place to work. Find out why the talented employees you wanted to keep left you. McKinsey and Co. asked top people what they look for when deciding which company to join and stay with. The answer: a great company and a great job. Talented employees want exciting challenges and great development opportunities. They leave because they are bored. Mentoring is a key to attracting and retaining talented employees. Develop people to their fullest potential. In order to develop your people, provide training opportunities, challenging projects and assignments, feedback, coaching and mentoring. In one study with people who had experienced real mentors, half of them said the mentoring experience changed my life. Those are powerful words. Foster mentoring for women and minorities. Ten years ago, when I began a new job, I sat with female colleagues during company presentations, and wondered, Why are the guys up there and were not? One of my first job assignments was to develop and manage a mentoring program. We included a special group mentoring program for women. Today, many of the young women I knew ten years ago at that company, have, in fact, climbed onto the stage themselves. Mentoring helped move women into the ranks of vice president, senior vice president and division president.