Take Charge of Your Mentorship Experience
It’s the bottom of the 9th inning in the series tie breaker. The pitching team is down by one and its pitcher goes out with a shoulder injury. Who’s going to take his place and ensure the team a victory?
That’s easy.
The backup has waited a long time for this moment, all the while receiving training and mentorship from his predecessor and coaches.
The same could be said for today’s businesses, where mentorship programs are flourishing as management recognizes that the best way to nurture tomorrow’s leaders is by grooming them with today’s managers. To get the most out of a mentorship experience, it’s important that both the mentee and mentor share responsibility for making the relationship work.
“Mentoring is the closest thing to real-time application with a long-term benefit,” says Art Bobrowitz, an organizational consultant and author of the book Each Human Spirit.
He emphasizes the immediate results that good mentorship programs can provide: continuous feedback and evaluation that travel a two-way street between the mentee and the mentor. And don’t forget that “it provides organizations greater opportunity to retain their competitive knowledge bank,” Bobrowitz adds.
He recommends that mentees have a clear set of goals, be open to asking their mentors questions, and expect their current ideas to be challenged by the mentor.
“A good mentor/mentee relationship is an aerobics of the mind,” he said.
Several companies highlight the following qualities as characteristics of good mentees:
- Asks questions
- Strives to give his/her best at all times
- Maintain confidentiality
- Ask for and give feedback
- Follow through on referrals given to you by your mentor
- Articulate your needs clearly
- Have courage to try new things
Being a good mentee has payoffs. You will gain an ally in the company and you may learn from his/her experiences. New networks will open up and your mentor will serve as a role model that you may someday recall when you become a mentor.
When that day comes, here are a few tips that were gleaned from a variety of mentorship programs, including the University of Wisconsin, Northrop Grumman and General Electric. A good mentor is:
- A role model in his/her position or field
- Committed to the mentoring process
- Possesses good interpersonal communication skills
- Willing to share knowledge
Companies have been creative in their development of mentorship programs. At aerospace engineering giant Northrop Grumman, “communities of practice” expose mentees to not just one person’s expertise, but an entire network of mentors. General Electric’s “action learning teams” frequently lead to fast-tracking of promising young talent. And at home mortgage lender Fannie Mae, a protégé pairing program is credited in part with helping young women crack the glass ceiling.
The protégé pairing program is part of Fannie Mae’s Corporate Mentor Program, launched in July 1992 through its Office of Diversity. It consists of one-on-one relationships between mentors and mentees, and is meant to enhance growth, improve skill-building and increase networking. Another component of Fannie Mae’s program is peer mentoring, in which a more seasoned employee is assigned to assist new hires in becoming familiar with Fannie Mae, its people, business and culture. Additionally, a mentor speaker series showcases successful role models from Fannie Mae and other private and public entities through motivational presentations.
In an issue of Certified Management Accountants’ Magazine of Canada, the dos and don’ts of mentoring programs are explained by Victoria Hung, the former controller for West Bay Semiconductor, a company now owned by Intel.
- Don’t make decisions for the mentee. Provide options.
- Don’t give unsolicited advice.
- Do establish a give-and-take dialogue by asking open-ended questions.
- Do assess personality to determine the approach to bring about the best in the mentee.
The model provided by Hung says to get acquainted and have an open mind. Set goals, keep them in focus and establish measurable expectations. Be sure to meet these goals.
Finally, be sure to conclude the relationship.
“A mentoring relationship doesn’t continue indefinitely,” Hung writes. “Typically, a friendship forms from the shared successes and growth.”