Strategy Mentoring stands little chance of making an impact if the effort is scattershot and there is no coherent roadmap for moving forward together. Corinne Torres looks at how you can develop and run a successful mentoring program in the workplace, regardless of the size of your organisation.
Is there a potential for the mentoring strategy?
Start by researching its potential by collaborating with key people in your workplace. As the aim of the program is to assist the professional development of another person(s), identify the benefits that would be consistent with your company’s philosophy and goals. By establishing a framework around learning, you are building scaffoldings to prevent lapses in focus and motivation. Does your organisation have the support and resources to carry your program forward? What structure would minimise interference with normal working activities?
Are people interested in being mentors in your workplace suitably qualified?
Mentoring is a relationship, not just a procedure or activity. Look beyond qualifications and business experience as soft skills play a greater role. Highly valued is the ability to listen, give and receive feedback effectively whilst providing information, guidance and constructive comments, in a supportive and caring environment. A fine mixture of confidence and assertiveness is required to highlight shortfalls where necessary, and evaluate the decisions and plans adopted by the participant, without taking over the problems and trying to solve them. Working intuitively, the mentor must be able to work in and around personality styles.
How do you match participants?
Like in every relationship, chemistry is important. Only team-up participants who click when they meet. The mentor should not be, where possible, the direct manager of the person being mentored, to avoid potential shortcomings in performance or conflict of interest in career management. You want participants to feel at ease airing difficulties, disputes and grievances openly without fearing negative consequences or damaging relationships.
What skills and knowledge are to be learned / assessed? What are the gaps?
Because of its long-term focus on personal growth and learning, the effectiveness of your strategy depends on identifying clearly what skills and knowledge are to be learned and how results are to be measured. What would be the benchmarks for success? What would be a reasonable timeframe? Arranged over time in a range of contexts to be meaningful, the methods of assessments can take a variety of forms (observation of performance, skills application, written or oral assessment, work placement etc) and will depend greatly on your working environment and the scope of your program.
How do you monitor the mentoring arrangements?
Bring people on the journey with you. Encourage participants to reflect on the processes in place and the outcomes to identify opportunities for improvement. Like any other arrangements in the workplace, a mentoring strategy is a dynamic program subject to review.
A mentoring program can be rewarding but is not for everyone. In theory, its implementation can create positive change and foster relationships within a culture of creativity and innovation. In practice, supporting a mentoring strategy can be draining and fall short of expectations without structured planning and sound analysis.
