Mentoring for Career Starters

Remember when you started out in your career? It can be a daunting task to find your way, especially when you are young, ambitious and keen to get going. For all their apparent confidence, many career starters find themselves in uncharted territory. Without a guide they may wander, waste valuable time or become disillusioned. You may lose them and that’s expensive.

However, just appointing a mentor for them can do more harm than good. If an appointed mentor relationship doesn’t take, it may turn off both parties and make them reluctant to invest time and energy in future.

Mentoring is high on the list of what in-demand potential employees, are looking for in organisations. You can’t afford to do it badly because word will get around - proactive candidates and social media will make sure of that!

Mentoring is a proven strategy for attracting, retaining and developing talent. Mentoring is popular because it works. It inspires people and makes them feel valued. It builds the knowledge and skills of those mentored and the mentors themselves. It breaks down barriers and builds cross-functional communication and networking.

To get good results you have to prepare people to make the most of mentoring. First, decide whether you will match mentors to mentorees or help individuals seek their own mentor.  Either way, you will need to facilitate the early stages to lay a foundation for good mentoring. Give them some structure and guidance.

Next, help them understand their roles and responsibilities and equip them with the knowledge and skills that make mentoring work. Provide a framework for building and maintaining a relationship. Help them focus on goals and positive outcomes.

Then, ensure that you have a program of support in place including personal follow-up. Stay close to participants, be (or have) a mentor of mentors and a go to person for mentorees. Regular tips, updates and events help maintain momentum.  Review sessions are also a good idea to keep people on track and enthusiastic.

Finally, monitor and evaluate mentoring. Gather feedback about what’s working well and what needs to be improved. Mentoring is not a set and forget activity. It is a strategy designed to produce positive outcomes for individuals and organisations. It is an investment that should produce a return. When you plan and promote mentoring well, prepare people and engage them with a program of support, mentoring works.

Mentoring Works provides:

• Consulting to help you plan and implement your mentoring strategy;
• Workshops to enable participants to initiate successful mentoring relationships;
• Resources - books, e-learning, Mentoring Tips, webinars and more.

Don’t wait! Book an appointment for the new year now, so that we can discuss what it will take to make sure mentoring works for you. Email today or phone 02 4342 2610 before 20 December. Your first consultation is free.