How to Effectively Mentor in the Workplace
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Mentoring in the workplace provides benefits such as increased job satisfaction, improved teamwork, higher staff retention, and stronger professional networks. Effective mentoring programs pair less experienced employees with more experienced mentors within the company and provide training and structured activities. Some keys to implementing a successful mentoring initiative include setting clear goals, focusing on specific skills, choosing the right mentor-mentee pairs, utilizing collaboration tools, and collecting ongoing feedback to evaluate progress.
How to Effectively Mentor in the Workplace
- 1. Ngnaoussi Elongué Cédric Christian Knowledge management & learning consultant hello@christianelongue.com WA: +233550157572
- 2. Plan • Introduction • Why mentoring in the workplace? • How? • Challenges • Best practices • Conclusion
- 3. Introduction • Successful companies large and small use mentoring to tackle complex human resource challenges. • Association of Talent Development, workplace mentoring is on the rise with 71 % of Fortune 500 companies offering formal mentoring programs to their employees. • Experience is one of the most valuable assets of any organisation. • Senior employees usually have wisdom, insight, and expertise in spade. • But how they can share the wealth in order to boost the productivity and performance of the org?
- 4. What is workplace mentoring? • A workplace mentoring initiative is a space for talent development and retention strategy that/ • Helps attract, develop and retain new employees • increase employee productivity and retention and foster professional development. • Uses the organization's human resources to improve employee satisfaction, develop leaders and teach new skills. • Encourage collaboration among employees from different generations and cultural backgrounds, thereby improving overall workplace productivity. • Training and professional development through seminars, conferences etc. don't often allow for opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills on a daily basis or receive feedback and encouragement from others. • By adding mentoring, an organisation can provide the support and guidance necessary for employees to take their skills and knowledge to the next level.
- 5. Why • Few successful professional achieved it entirely on their own. • Talent, creativity, hard work and persistence are essential, but the guidance and wisdom of other professionals is also critical. • There may be several high-performance employees awaiting discovery and whose potential are still untapped.
- 6. Benefits of workplace mentoring/coaching Job satisfaction Increased teamwork Improved staff retention Stronger internal network Smart succession planning Increased knowledge transfer Development of leadership skills Achievement of goals and objectives Groom hidden talent for future leadership/specialist roles Motivation for professional development and accountability
- 7. Activity 1 • To you, which type of mentoring would be more effective in your organisation? • One on one • Group mentoring • Informal • What are the forms of mentoring visible in your organization ? • Kindly explain why? When is it more convenient? And how it could be implemented?
- 8. Types of workplace mentoring Non-traditional mentor configurations may include peer mentoring, group mentoring and reverse mentoring. Formal mentoring programs typically assist junior or less experienced professionals to identify and develop a relationship with more experienced professionals, either in the same workplace or within a broad professional field. Also offer training and structured activities.
- 9. Strategies • One-on-one, in-person discussions/chats • Short exchanges at the kitchen, through texting or social media apps (WhatsApp) • Webinars for groups of high-performance employees • Online resources, like how-to videos or personal case studies • Coach/mentor-led group workouts and problem-solving sessions • Role-playing and scenario-based learning • Simulation, gamification, and case studies • Constant survey and feedback to modify or tweak the mentoring approach •
- 10. Approach for a mentoring initiative 1. Setting primary goals. 1. • What does the mentee set to gain? 2. • How much time and commitment is required from the mentor? 3. • How frequently should the mentor and mentee meet? 4. • What does success look like? 5. • What happens if the relationship doesn’t work out? 2. Focus on specific skills. Conduct surveys, focus groups, skills assessments, and on-the-job observations to identify which skills must be developed. This also gives you the opportunity to discover performance gaps that need to be filled based on the mentee's job responsibilities. 3. Choose the right mentorship team (mentor, mentee, facilitator) 4. Find the best collaboration tool (project management and collaboration tools: MS Teams or Mentoring Apps : FirstHand, Plato) 5. Create mentor-mentee guidelines to maximise productivity. 6. Collect feedback and track progress.
- 11. Activity 2 • Who can be a mentor in your organisation? Do you create rooms or a conducive environment for junior staff to share learning with senior ones? • What could be some roles of a mentor in your organisation?
- 12. Roles of a mentor in the workplace • Orienting mentees on the structure and operational procedures; • Helping them learn and adjust to the culture of a new workplace environment; • Introducing and connecting mentee to other professionals to expand their professional networks; • Serving as a sounding board for and providing feedback to mentees during periods of learning, growth or change;
- 13. Roles of a mentor in the workplace • Encouraging mentees to pursue their professional goals and persevere in the face of challenges at work; • Identifying other opportunities for the mentee to grow their skill set and/or increase their network; and • Assisting mentees with mastering a particular skill-set or knowledge required to maximise job performance and advance professionally.
- 14. Few tips • Mentor-Mentee Training • First impressions matter. A 2009 study by the Aberdeen Group found that 86% of respondents felt that a new hire’s decision to stay with an org long-term is made within the first six months of employment. • Cultivate the right environment that encourages a natural relationship to form. • Avoid developing a culture of "busy-ness." With competing priorities, it can become a challenge for the mentor to make time for their mentee. • Engage In Reverse-Mentoring
- 15. Next Steps • Have you ever been mentored professionally? • Are you currently being mentored/coached in the workplace? • How do you think your organisation mentoring praxis could be developed/improved practically? Kindly share ideas.
- 16. Conclusion • Mentoring and coaching are a cost-saving means of getting new hires familiar with the ins- and-outs of your organisation. • They’re also an investment in the future. By creating a seamless onboarding process, employees get the tools they need to succeed and a long-term plan for connecting to their job and the institute. • When done right, a mentoring program would empower, enlighten, and encourage a staff.