Mentoring is one of the earliest, yet most effective forms of leadership. The word mentor comes from the ancient Greeks. In the mythical story of Homer’s Odyssey, the King departs to fight the Trojan wars and leaves his son in the care of Mentor, a trusted member of his staff, who acts as a teacher to the boy. History offers many examples of helpful mentoring relationships; Socrates and Plato, Hayden and Beethoven, Freud and Jung. In the IECL White Paper, Mentor the Leader, Dr Hilary Armstrong says, “Mentoring is a fundamental form of human development where one person invests time, energy and personal know-how in assisting the growth and ability of another person.”
Most of us have experienced the benefits of a mentor in our lives. They could be family members, older friends, teachers, sports coaches and, once we reach the workplace, experienced colleagues.
In an organisation, the mentor is usually a more experienced (and senior) person who imparts his or her wisdom and knowledge to one who is less experienced. Dr Armstrong says, “Through a series of conversations over time, the mentor shares their wisdom and knowledge and helps to fast-track the learning of the mentee. The aim of a mentor is to provide insight and guide a mentee to reach their highest potential.” Ideally a mentor is someone who has "been there and done that" and is able to pass on their knowledge to the mentee.
Research shows that mentoring is particularly important for attracting and retaining talent, for on-boarding employees and for periods of transition when people take on new roles. In organisations people are often promoted for their technical expertise, yet leading others is a very different skill set and having the privilege of working with a mentor who is an experienced people leader can make the difference between success and failure.
Over the past 15 years, the scope and complexity of organisations has changed markedly in terms of technology, geography and demographics. An IBM study of over 1,500 global CEOs reported that their number one concern was the complexity of their environments and the difficulty that their organisations (and leaders) have in managing this. A DDI, 2012 Global Leadership Report found that while leadership development is essential, current practices are not producing the kind of leaders who are capable of dealing with this complexity.
The responsibility of addressing this leadership gap often falls on the HR Departments who are constantly trying to do more with less. At the IECL we have partnered with a number of world-class organisations, helping them to develop mentoring cultures and add mentoring to the many roles that their leaders fulfil. A well-designed and well-executed mentoring program is a cost-effective way of building leadership capability and mentoring is becoming one of the most effective ways of attracting, on-boarding and retaining talent.
Planning for Success
Here are a few tips on how to build a sustainable mentoring culture in your organisation.
Step One: Prepare your business case and get ”buy-in”
In order to succeed, the mentoring program needs support from the most senior leaders. Start by preparing a short business case, highlighting the benefits versus the resources required. Be clear on the purpose of the mentoring program; what is the business issue that you are seeking to address, for example on-boarding new talent, role transition, cultural diversity, breaking down silos, managing Gen Y, using social media etc.? What is the time commitment required, how will you structure the program, train your mentors etc.? The IECL’s White Paper is an excellent place to start your research.
Step Two: Select your mentors and mentees
The most successful programs are those where the CEO and members of the senior leadership team act as mentors and champion the program. The selection of mentees will depend on the purpose of the program.
We are often asked how to match mentors and mentees and there are no hard and fast rules but we recommend you start by identifying the goal of the mentoring program, and match accordingly. If the goal is to on-board newcomers, then select mentors who are familiar with the organisation and are seen as role models. If the goal is to transition an employee into a leadership role, then select a mentor who models best practice leadership behaviour in your company.
Step Three: Structure you mentoring program
Many mentoring programs fail because they are unstructured and the mentor and mentee are not clear on their roles and responsibilities. At the IECL we structure the mentoring program to run over a 6 – 12 month period and we ensure that both the mentor and mentee are trained and supported throughout the journey.
Step Four: Evaluate your mentoring program
It is important to determine what success will look like at the beginning of the program and check in on a regular basis with your mentors and mentees to ensure that the program’s objectives are being met.
The ancient Greeks understood the value of Mentor, the wise advisor, and in these days of increasing complexity and uncertainty, global leaders are rediscovering these ancient arts of leadership.
To learn more about mentoring download the IECL’s White Paper Mentor the Leader: leadership development on the side. http://www.iecl.com/mentor-the-leader-white-paper
By Julie Parkinson, Director, IECL
The IECL is a small company that effects big change in organisations. Our vision is to develop the next generation of exceptional leaders. Since 1999, the IECL has been training professional coaches and inspiring and developing leaders in organisations throughout Australia and the Asia Pacific.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
