A Strategic Approach to Corporate Mentoring Programs

Most CEOs would agree that the success of their organization is driven by its culture in no small measure. Therefore, companies have started to place greater emphasis on personal attributes while selecting and developing staff. This brings a number of benefits to the business, not the least of which is a cohesive team. However, the job isn’t quite done by merely recruiting people who are perceived “to fit”. The indoctrination process requires skilful guidance, and must be based on individual development needs. While some skills can be imparted through functional training, corporate mentoring programs play a huge role in preparing the employee in the truest sense.

On going development of employee potential is critical for business success. Corporate mentoring programs are effective in quickly ramping up employee performance because they facilitate the transfer of business knowledge in a way that is not quite possible in regular training.

Specifically, the many benefits of corporate mentoring programs can be summarized as follows:

? For junior level/new employees, these programs provide an opportunity to break the ice with senior management. This creates an instant rapport, and sets the stage for a culture of openness. Obviously, new employees settle into such organizations easily, and usually contribute with greater productivity.

? Corporate mentoring programs help employees foresee their career development and growth within the organization. Employees can therefore assess their career goals, and analyze whether their ambitions are in sync with their roles.

? Corporate mentoring programs create an amicable environment within the organization. This sense of fellowship not only serves to motivate performance, but also creates a supportive network for the members of the group.

If you are seriously considering corporate mentoring programs for your organization, you might find the following tips useful to get a move ahead.

It needs management effort. The most crucial enabler of corporate mentoring programs is a supportive organizational climate. The best way of doing this is to include mentoring as part of your corporate strategic plan. Employees must be able to see that senior management takes this initiative seriously.

It must be given direction. Older employees may be interested to mentor, but might not know how to go about it. Therefore, training the mentors is an important first step in the process. This could take the form of presentations describing effective mentoring, self-study materials, informal coaching for mentors and so on how to attune people to the concept of mentoring.

Have clear expectations. Make sure everyone’s on the same page. Both mentor and participant should begin the program with a clear understanding of each other's expectations, not only of outcome, but also the process itself. For example, how long it will last, where the interactions are to be held, and so on. ‘Mentoring: A Guide to Corporate Programs and Practices’ and “Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization's Guide” on will give you further clarity on program implementation.

Assess progress. Devise a mechanism for evaluating effectiveness of the program. Include interviews, questionnaires or informal feedback. Encourage participants to share their views on the program so that desired changes may be implemented.

Finally, ensure that the corporate mentoring programs are well designed and followed through. Do so, and success is yours.