The Value of Mentoring
John Wooden, UCLA legendary basketball coach said, “While I made my living as a coach, I have lived my life to be a mentor and to be mentored constantly. Everything in the world has been passed down. Every piece of knowledge is something that has been shared by someone else. If you understand it as I do, mentoring becomes your true legacy. It is the greatest inheritance you can give others. It is why you get up every day—to teach and be taught.”
Have you ever had a mentor, or been a mentor? If you’ve been fortunate enough to participate in either a formal or informal mentoring experience you know it is special and not to be missed.
Mentoring not only encourages personal growth, but it has an amazing ripple effect. Someone is taught a new skill or provided a new experience. Then, as the mentoring process continues, those skills and experiences are passed along to someone else.
There are several ways that mentoring can be accomplished in organizations including:
Traditional mentoring, where a more experienced person shares their expertise with a more junior level staff member
Reverse mentoring, where a less experienced or newer staff member shares a new skill set or experience with a more experienced employee
Peer mentoring, where colleagues coach each other
Group mentoring, where a group of staff members with a common issue or challenge shares their expertise
Short-term mentoring, where groups come together to focus on a particular issue in order to resolve an issue or to develop connections between new hires or specific functions
The formal mentoring process is a frequently used strategy. It involves several steps starting with selecting mentors to work with mentees. The matching process can take several steps, but it is important to take the time to get it right. Some organizations struggle with finding enough mentors to do a one for one match while others match multiple mentors with a willing mentee.
Similar to selecting a coach for an individual, it is important to match the skills, abilities, and experience with mentors and mentees. Once the matching process is complete take time to develop the mentor/mentee relationship. Establishing strong connections is key to a successful mentoring program.
Whether you’re a mentor or mentee, learn from others. Develop your personal and professional network and meaningful relationships. Focus on you own development while you are learning from others. Our world is full of exciting learning opportunities that can help you as you mentor others or as you learn from others as a mentee.
Creating a mentoring program can be challenging but also rewarding. Consider these tips for success:
Be committed to the process
Be honest with all participants
Be open to sharing expertise and experiences
Be curious
Be a good listener
The Decisive Manager includes information on starting a mentoring program. In future posts, we will be sharing information on virtual mentoring and practical tips on mentor training for successful mentoring programs.
Author John C Maxwell said, “One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead of what others cannot see and help them to navigate a course to their destination.” Best wishes to you as you work towards being a mentor or a mentee.