Mentoring — An Organizational Imperative
Did you know that January is National Mentoring Month? Launched in 2002, it is aimed to draw awareness to the power and impact of mentorship – something we both strongly advocate.
In a recent proclamation from the White House, President Biden said, “The greatness of a nation is measured in part by how it prepares its next generation to succeed. Ours is a great Nation, and together, as mentors, we can each change a young person’s life for the better — and with it, help guarantee our country a future of unlimited possibilities.”
The same philosophy holds for organizations and businesses. A commitment to preparing its employees, in this generation and the next to succeed will unlock endless possibilities.
As our world has shifted to more hybrid and remote working models, organizations are finding that they have to adjust their mentoring models as well.
A recent article in Bizwomen reported on the best practices for making mentoring work in a hybrid workplace.
Be very prepared for meeting with someone virtually whether it’s via Zoom or over the phone.
Intentionally listen and ask questions that you may not otherwise have to ask because you’ve lost the ability to read and get signals from each other.
Be intentional about not being distracted because it’s so easy to do so and distraction interferes with your ability to listen.
Be mindful of your cadence – the inflection of your voice – because body language and signals are often lost in this model.
Develop a schedule for the meetings and be accountable to the schedule. The schedule should meet the circumstances as well as the roles and the needs of the individuals.
Recognize that sometimes an individual meeting won’t go as planned for a variety of reasons. When that happens, have a mutual agreement that either party has the permission to end it. It’s empowering to do so and doesn’t waste time.
Another challenge facing leaders in this environment is identifying those employees who need mentoring. This gets down to knowing your people and effectively managing their performance. Don’t be afraid to trust your instincts. If an individual isn’t meeting the expectations of their position, they likely need coaching (more than mentoring). If an individual is ready to be developed for new opportunities, put the mentoring wheels in motion.
Getting to know your people also means recognizing that each individual has different needs, so you have to meet them where they are and adjust your approach to meet their needs.
Consider that some individuals are good at being managed and mentored virtually while others are not. Some respond well to criticism while others do not. This will all shape how you design and approach your mentoring sessions with them. Just as you have hybrid work schedules, you may need to design hybrid mentoring schedules as well.
Most importantly, be sure you are checking in with all members of your team on a frequent basis to be sure they are getting the appropriate time along with the type and level of support from you.