Why Mentoring Matters: Success Isn’t Accomplished Alone
Successful leaders tend to share one thing in common.
When we look at the likes of Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, Jeff Bezos, GM CEO Mary Barra, Bill Gates ? there’s a pattern.
It isn’t their leadership style, their education or their background.
All of these leaders had mentors, and sought to mentor others.
Over the past couple of months I have been on my own journey as a mentor with my involvement in RSCA’s PEARL (Professional, Emerging & Aspiring Recruitment Leaders) Mentoring Program.
This program was designed to support the recruitment industry by passing on knowledge and experience to a mentee so they can gain new perspectives in recruitment leadership.
There is a place in every industry for this kind of program. In a time where the 50-year linear career path has become all but non-existent, the role of structured professional development has never been more important.
What is mentoring?
When people say ?mentor?, they often picture a Mr Miyagi-type master of their craft counselling and training a rugged young upstart hungry for a challenge.
In reality, mentorship is a lot less like Hollywood.
Instead, mentoring focuses on fostering development, sharing insights and transferring knowledge from one more experienced professional to another. It’s not always pretty and it’s almost never easy; but it is rewarding for both mentor and mentee.
People throughout all points of their career can benefit from a mentoring relationship ? it’s not limited to a stage in your career or a time in your life. This relationship can be facilitated within a workplace or organisation, or in an informal setting.
Why mentor?
The truth is ? mentoring works. Studies have found that mentoring has significant motivational, attitudinal, behavioural, health, relational and career benefits for a mentee.
But the benefits aren’t just limited to mentees.
From my own background in coaching, I recognise the positive impact that the mentoring process can have in a mentor’s life. Mentoring and coaching encourage a level of introspection you may not find yourself practicing day-to-day. When you understand how to invest in someone’s professional and personal growth in a structured and deliberate way, you unlock a critical skill that is essential for effective leadership.
The best leaders aren’t all about winning. They?re the ones who help others to win.
As leaders, it is our responsibility to look for informed opportunities to make a difference.
From the recent salary survey we rolled out in PNG, we found a massive trend in the data. Across every industry we surveyed, the majority of our respondents highlighted a need for training and development in interpersonal, leadership and technical skills.
For me, this cemented the need to find opportunities to coach and mentor, and incorporate this style of thinking into Coaching & Mentoring programs for our clients.
Where do you start?
Once you’ve found a formal program to participate in (or formed your own arrangement), one of the first steps in your mentoring journey is setting realistic expectations.
A mentor can be a coach, an encouragement, a sounding board for ideas and a guide.
But there is a limit.
Your role isn’t to counsel, to work as a consultant for free or to solve your mentee’s problems for them.
When you are genuinely invested in your mentee and their success, this can be more difficult than it sounds. But an integral part of the mentor-mentee relationship is setting mutual expectations and sticking to them.
What to cover before the first session
Expectations will vary for every mentoring relationship, however some common themes that should be pursued across the board are openness, confidentiality and the willingness to follow through.
Without these elements, the mentoring relationship can become very complicated very quickly. The process of setting expectations can begin before the first session.
Ask your mentee to create three expectations of their own ? what do they hope to get out of the mentoring relationship? What do they expect of themselves?
Ensure you write down expectations of your own, including the amount of time you are willing to commit to the relationship, preferred forms of contact and the suggested frequency of your meetings.
Draft up (or find an online version) of a mentoring agreement that covers:
- Expectations
- Role of mentor
- Role of the mentee
- An approach to confidentiality and protection of sensitive information shared
- Agreed meeting times and contact methods
- The duration of the relationship (if applicable)
When you are together, you can discuss the agreement and ensure you’re on the same page. This agreement is an essential part of building rapport, so the majority of the first meeting will be spent discussing this agreement and laying ground rules.
As I continue on my journey over the next few months, I?ll be sharing more information about mentoring and coaching, in addition to resources you or your organisation can use to roll out a mentoring program.
If you’re interested understanding how the Peopleconnexion Training & Development team can assist your organisation in rolling out mentoring programs, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information:www.peopleconnexion.com/training/contact-us