Page 2 - The Leadership Line: November 2021

Leadership Strategy: Mentor & Mentee Relationship

What is a mentor?
A person who guides another to greater success. A person who guides a less experienced
person by building trust and modeling positive behaviors.

What is the value of mentoring?
Mentorship is a process that focuses on mutual respect and learning. While mentors may
teach us skills or help bring to light our areas for growth, we are also responsible for helping
and teaching. Mentoring can change your career and life trajectory. It can open networks
and opportunities beyond your immediate reach and can give you the tools and confidence
to develop and promote yourself.
As a manager, you have the ability and duty to create a mentoring culture. Building a
culture of mentors of the moment begins with YOU!

Mentors-of-the-Moment
Mentors-of-the-Moment take advantage of daily opportunities to first notice and then
engage junior colleagues. They place a high priority on learning names. They are willing
to detour from their schedule to make space and time for uplifting interactions with
others. These exchanges are not heavy lifts, yet they create the foundation for collegiality,
sponsorship, and mentoring.

Creating a mentoring culture and enlisting a robust group of mentors-of-the-moment
also leads to better retention, more loyalty and commitment among employees, stronger
succession planning, and more organic mentoring. Effective mentoring makes employees
feel more engaged with their workplace and experience greater work satisfaction.
Tips

» Consider the mentoring goal(s) and make matches based upon desired outcomes. For example, if the goal is
to onboard a new employee match him or her with a department veteran. If the goal is management training,
pair a new manager with a more seasoned one—regardless of their assigned departments.
» Remember that mentors and mentees do not need to work out of the same office to be matched. Technology
can easily connect them.
» Mentors may be reluctant to commit to mentoring due to time constraints. Establish boundaries around how
much time is expected.

» Mentors should take their roles seriously. Make sure they understand enough about their mentee’s job
function to provide actionable advice. Clarify that the mentor is not there to fix problems. Instead, their role is
to help mentees consider options and devise their own solutions.
» Continually promote mentors-of-the-moment. Highlight successes and share inspiring mentoring stories.

Mentoring is a unique relationship promoting the transfer of skills and knowledge between
two people, grounded in a commitment to shared goals and based on mutual trust and
respect. Both the mentee and the mentor can learn and grow from this relationship, in
which the recipient gains valuable knowledge and insight, and the mentor revisits critical
industry skill sets while acquiring better communication and leadership skills.