Mentoring - Online in Real Time

I’m often asked: why, when mentoring already happens informally, should we put a structure in place?

Structured mentoring takes nothing away from informal mentoring but here’s what you add when mentoring is formalised:

1. Mentoring becomes more focussed on the strategic outcomes you want to produce;
2. Results become more tangible as you identify and measure desirable outcomes. You see return on investment over time;
3. You provide guidelines, set standards and put systems in place so that mentors and those mentored know what to do, how to do it and why it is important to them;
4. Mentoring quality improves because you build awareness and skills and provide structured support;
5. You demonstrate leadership and best practice in your field – mentoring is not yet the norm but is increasingly expected in the workplace and is an “employer of choice” criteria for many candidates;
6. As well as attracting potential employees, mentoring increases their retention and development; a well structured program will increase course completion rates and learning transfer;
7. Mentoring is particularly helpful to achieve equity objectives, so targeting and getting good results with non-traditional or disadvantaged groups becomes more viable;
8. People trained in mentoring skills build relationships in the workplace, improve communication and can reduce stress and friction;
9. Recognition and development is a benefit to mentors as well as mentorees and can be very motivational for them; and
10. Informal mentoring increases because you build a culture that values it.

Mentoring is a strategy for achieving organisational objectives while providing personal benefits to those involved. A structured program clearly demonstrates a positive commitment to development and prosperity. That’s how mentoring works.