National Mentoring Day, held annually on 27 October, was launched to recognise the significant benefits of mentoring across the UK. The key message is to raise awareness of the invaluable and rewarding contribution that mentoring makes.
In the UK, six out of ten business leaders have had mentors and 97% have said it helped their career. A recent US study found mentees at all levels were five times more likely to gain promotion, and 75% of Fortune 500 executives said it had been hugely valuable.
The scheme has to be rightBut the scheme has to be right. Three mentees out of ten said the relationship with their mentor lost momentum and failed. A typical guideline might be two hours a month for six months – but with the option to continue the relationship voluntarily.
UK companies are increasingly adopting a ‘knowledge share’ approach to training and development. This can be more effective as well as cheaper than ‘one size fits all’ whiteboard sessions. Employees should find out what is on offer, and how they can actively participate.
Does your boss know about speed mentoring, which is being trialled in the construction industry? Quick-fire one-to-one sessions allow senior staff to transfer knowledge to younger recruits – and the scheme has already been tweaked to allow time for the oldies to quiz the newbies.
This trend of reverse mentoring is catching on, enabling older workers to keep up to speed on technology through help from younger, possibly more tech-savvy colleagues – but also to broaden their perspective. Dell, for instance, has a GenNext initiative supporting inter-generational networking, while Sodexho has GenMatch. Is your firm on board?