Gregory P. Smith
A mentor is
someone who serves as a counselor or guide. Being asked to serve as a
mentor is an honor. It indicates that the company has faith in the
person’s abilities and trusts him or her to have a positive impact on
the career and development of another person.
Many
companies have discovered mentoring for new employees not only helps
employees settle into their job and company environment, but also
increases employee retention. The use of a mentor may be an informal,
short-term situation or a more formal, long-term assignment.
In an
informal mentoring program, the mentor helps the new employee for a
limited period of time. Advice from the mentor may include the
most basic of information about everyday routines including tips about
“do’s and don’ts” not found in the employee manual to helping the
employee learn job responsibilities. A mentor available to
answer routine questions also saves time for the supervisor or manager.
In addition, new employees often feel more comfortable asking questions
of a mentor instead of a supervisor.
In a program
of this type, mentors often are volunteers. Forcing someone who
does not want to serve as a mentor to do so can quickly create problems.
Obviously, someone with a negative attitude, who might encourage a new
employee to gripe and complain, should not serve as a mentor.
A more formal
version of mentoring occurs when an organization appoints an individual
with extensive knowledge and experience to serve as a mentor to a new
professional the company feels has excellent potential for growth. The
mentor’s role usually lasts for an extended period of time and may not
end until the person mentored reaches the level of the mentor.
Whether
informal or formal, both parties need to understand the parameters.
These may be more important in a long-term, formal mentoring situation,
but can also influence the success of short-term, informal mentoring.
·
The mentor’s role is to teach and advise the new employee.
The mentor does not interfere with the supervisor or manager’s
decisions. The new employee, while expected to seek the mentor’s
advice particularly on critical issues, is not bound to accept that
advice.
·
Confidentiality is important. Both parties need to feel
confident that discussions remain between them--not immediately relayed
to a supervisor or manager.
·
Certain areas may be considered off-limits. The mentor
needs to outline these areas at the beginning.
·
Decide in advance how you will communicate. Will you
have regularly scheduled meetings? Will discussion be
face-to-face, over the telephone or even via E-mail. Both parties need
to make their preferences known at the beginning and reach an acceptable
compromise if the preferences are different.
·
Professional relationship: The relationship between
the mentor and his or her protégé is a professional one, not a personal
one. This is particularly important for the new employee to
understand.
·
Compatibility: It would be helpful to use some kind of
behavioral survey/profile on
both the mentee and mentor. This will help both understand each
other’s communication styles, strengths, and limitations.
Please contact us if we can help you design a
customized mentoring program for your organization.
Greg Smith is a
nationally recognized speaker, author, and business performance
consultant. He has written numerous books including his latest,
401 Proven Ways to Retain Your Best Employees. He has been
featured on television programs such as Bloomberg News, PBS television,
and in publications including Business Week, USA Today, Kiplinger's,
President and CEO, and the Christian Science Monitor. He is
the President and "Captain of the Ship" of a management-consulting firm,
Chart Your Course International, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Phone him
at 770-860-9464. More articles available: http://www.chartcourse.com
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