Tap Into the Power of Mentoring and Coaching Employees

Tap Into the Power of Mentoring and Coaching EmployeesTap Into the Power of Mentoring and Coaching EmployeesA beratung relationship is a win-win for all parties the employee who seeks a berater, the berater, and organizations that employ the supervision pair. Need convincing? Heres why untersttzung and coaching employees makes business sense. Seeking a ratgeber? Heres how to find mentoring and coaching, benefit from mentoring, and succeed in mentoring. In this interview with Beth Carvin, CEO of Nobscot Corporation, a global technology firm that focuses on key areas of employee retention and development, the goal welches to discover the advantages and opportunities that happen as a result of powerful mentoring and coaching employees. Interview About Mentoring and Coaching Employees Susan Heathfield Beth, could you briefly describe your experience with mentoring and coaching for the HR sections readers. They are familiar with your work with exit interviews and are eager to benefit furtherbei from your knowledge. Beth Carvin I got involved with mentoring in 2003 through participation in the HR Talk (SHRM) bulletin board. Some of the regular posters were attempting to connect those with less experience in HR to some of the more senior HR professionals. There was a lot of interest in mentoring and coaching so it became quickly apparent that it was going to be a huge amount of work to manually match people. I looked around to see if there was some kind of technology that could be used for mentoring profiles and matching. There wasnt much available back then, so Nobscots Chief Technology Officer offered to build the technology for us. Nobscot donated it to the HR Talk Group. Within just a couple of weeks of release, more than 100 mentorships were established. It was exciting. We would have left it at that but at the same time, there was this amazing convergence between mentoring and coaching and exit interviews. We were seeing over and over that the issues identif ied in the exit interviews could be solved or minimized through the use of mentoring and coaching. It was a real Aha moment for us. Now, all these years later, our mentoring technology is used by corporations and associations around the globe. Heathfield Are there any characteristics of mentors or requirements of mentoring and coaching relationships, aside from those commonly stated, that you would recommend? Carvin There are specific characteristics that make for a good mentor. Good mentors are intelligent, encouraging, generous, and honest. In addition, the best mentors are usually direct, hold high expectations and have and are willing to share social capital. My absolute favorite characteristic is a mentor who can, to use Aristotles words, ignite the talent. Aristotle believed that every person had inside them talent that lay dormant. A great mentor is someone who can reach in and release that hidden talent. The key really to tap the most powerful benefits of a mentoring and coa ching relationship is to have a mentor who is willing to introduce and vouch for the mentee in senior leadership circles. How to Obtain Mentoring 4 Steps to a Mentoring Relationship Heathfield Most readers dont have a formal mentoring program in their organizations. How can an individual employee reach out and find a mentor? The best approach may not be to say to a senior manager, Hey, will you be my mentor? Carvin I would suggest a multi-pronged approach using these four steps. Identify why you need a mentor. Reasons for mentoring might include Connections, introductions, visibilityJob skills, industry knowledge, management skills, communication skillsHelp with goal settingHelp with problem-solvingPsycho-social sttze for work-family pressures, discrimination, coping with disappointment, developing self-esteem Consider who might have the characteristics of a good mentor and how that person could assist with your identified needs in a mentoring and coaching relationship. Create a n outreach plan to find your mentor. Check for a corporate mentoring and coaching program with your HR or training departmentIdentify and approach a senior leaderLook within community organizationsNetwork at conferences and seminarsAsk for referrals within Industry groupsReach out using social media such as Twitter and LinkedInConsider someone you highly respected at a former employer Decide how you will introduce yourself and request the mentoring relationship. Contact the potential mentor via phone, email, meeting, social media, or a letter.Include in your introduction the specific reason you thought this person would make a good mentor for you, that you understand that the person is busy and you will expect only a reasonable amount of time from them, the areas youd like to focus on in the mentorship, and the benefits of being a mentor.Then, follow-up, follow-up, follow-up until you have obtained your potential mentors response to your request to build a mentoring and coaching rel ationship. Set Reasonable Expectations About Mentoring and Coaching Heathfield What can an employee reasonably expect from a mentoring and coaching relationship? On the low involvement end? On the most desirable end? Carvin The amount of involvement required depends on the objective(s) of the mentorship. For example, a mentorship focused on career pathing, networking or sponsorship may require a significant time commitment at the outset as the plan for the mentorship is developed. A mentorship devoted to psycho-social support or on helping solve specific challenges may take a more sporadic approach based on needs that arise. At any rate, mentors and mentees should plan on communicating a minimum of once per month. That may morph into 2-3 times per month or once per 6 weeks but its a good guideline. The mentor and mentee should also plan on a few hours per month of time devoted to the mentoring and coaching that will be performed individually. Mentees might follow up on a strate gy discussed in the mentoring meetings. Mentors should be brushing up on a particular area of interest, creating learning activities or coordinating meetings to introduce the mentee to colleagues. Heathfield What must an employee with a mentor deliver to the mentoring relationship for the relationship to succeed for both the mentor and the mentee? (What does the employee need to give back?) Carvin One of the exciting (and surprising) things about mentoring and coaching is that the mentors gain as much as the mentees. Ive created a list of the Ten Best Reasons to be a Mentor which outlines some of these benefits. Specific Benefits From Mentoring Heathfield In your experience, how have mentoring and coaching relationships benefitted mentors and mentees? Please share stories that will help the readers understand the possibilities of obtaining and valuing a mentoring and coaching relationship. Carvin In addition to career development, increased salary, promotions, and visibility, so me of the other outcomes include the following. Increased confidenceGreater understanding of the organizationSharpened skillsExpanded networksAssistance with specific problems One simple, but important, story came to me from a mentee who was struggling with her career path. She had the choice between two very different job postings within her company. She was really stuck on which one to choose. Her mentor didnt hand her the answer, Take this one. Instead, the mentor asked the right questions in such a way that she was able to determine the best course of action for herself. She told me that her mentors guidance had huge ramifications for her future. She was not sure she would have come to the best conclusion without the assistance of their mentoring and coaching and she now has a framework for how to make difficult decisions. More Quotes From Successful Mentoring and Coaching Relationships Here are several quotes from other mentees It has been a great experience. My mentor was able to help me take the time to understand my strengths and weaknesses, to write out a plan for the near future and beyond, to understand what it will take to get there and to discuss it with my manager. Often we do not take the time out of our busy schedules to do this. I was very impressed with the way my mentor was able to guide me.It has been a life-changing experience. I gained the perspective that I simply didnt have on my own. One mentoring session gave me enough material for a lifetime of work My mentor is brilliant I had a very simplistic view or wrong view of career path and career development. My mentors helped me sort out the options, helped me see things I dont see myself, and answered my questions. It is definitely a very positive experience for me. Id highly recommend the mentor program to people. Ill also add that mentoring creates advantages not just for the mentee and mentor but also for the company for which the mentor and mentee work. Starting or expanding a co rporate mentoring and coaching program can do wonders for employee retention, commitment, development and succession planning.