We hear it all the time. Ask executives and managers how junior talent is encouraged, developed, and supported, and you’ll hear some variation of this refrain: “We’ve got a mentoring program!” Even vague rumors of a mentoring “program” nested somewhere in HR allow too many leaders to check off the employee engagement and development blocks without carefully scrutinizing the quality, utilization rates, and outcomes of such formalized mentoring structures.
Real Mentorship Starts with Company Culture, Not Formal Programs
Mentoring programs aren’t as effective as they could be. Single mentor-mentee matches are often too formal and hierarchical, and even the best mentoring programs are unlikely to achieve intended outcomes when the surrounding workplace is competitive and individualistic, or individuals are “voluntold” to participate. Instead, companies need mentors-of-the-moment, who help to promote a mentoring culture where all members of the organization — especially those in the middle to upper ranks — seek opportunities in daily interactions to develop or grow junior colleagues and peers. Having a mentoring culture and a cadre of mentors-of-the-moment has a host of benefits for the organization, including better retention and more loyalty and commitment among employees. To become such a mentor and encourage a mentoring culture, start by talking about an individual’s successes publicly, giving and taking feedback, hiring and promoting future mentors, and regularly assessing the culture and how it supports junior talent.