What is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a dynamic, evolving partnership where a knowledgeable and caring person invests time, know-how and effort into enhancing another person's growth, knowledge, or skill. He or she often responds to critical needs in the life of that person in ways that prepare the individual for greater satisfaction, productivity and achievement.

Effective mentoring programs provide a lasting structure to foster helping relationships among key individuals, new employees, or--ideally--throughout the organization.  Prospective employees perceive mentoring programs as an indication that the organization values its people.

Benefits of Mentoring

• Deepen technical knowledge of new and experienced employees
  in a cost-effective manner...

• Improve retention by showing employees they are valued...

• Provide an objective picture of participants' own strengths and weaknesses for self-development purposes...

• Generate the satisfaction that comes from helping another...

• Increase creativity when break-through ideas are presented
  at a different level...

• Give participants realistic insights about life at a different level or in another part of the organization...

• Shortcut trial-by-error learning

• Provide a non-judgmental sounding board...

• Enable senior employees to give something back to an organization
  that has been good to them...

Roles of a Mentor

Mentors can provide invaluable assistance to others by being available in a variety of roles:

Coach	Teacher
Counselor	Challenger
Advisor	Role Model
Sounding Board	Confidant
Encourager	Advocate

Tips for effective Mentoring Programs

DO . . .

• Align the program with organizational objectives

• Provide matches based on needs and interests

• Provide training in key communication skills

• Make it voluntary

  DON'T . . .

• Create unrealistic expectations

• Overload mentors

• Leave the supervisor out of the process

• Assume the program will run itself

We have helped many organizations including Fortune 100 firms, manufacturing companies, hospitals and Federal agencies set up mentoring programs that work.  Do you have questions about how we can help you create a mentoring program for your organization? Call 540.635.4466 or send us e-mail!

oadinc@dusenbury.com