BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
GUEST COLUMN
How to make mentoring work
M entoring gets a bad rap. All too often it’s reduced to a dispensable, moveable side project shunted according to time, urgency or enthusiasm. This diminishes its value – grossly, in my opinion. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, the definition of ‘mentoring’ is too often taken to mean “more experienced party passes down information, skill and advice to less experienced party”. There should be so much more to it. Secondly, appropriate time isn’t always given to agreeing the focus and confines of mentoring to set it up for success. After all, there’s always something more urgent to do and, before you know it, it’s simply a rushed conversation between two parties where little value is given or gained. Fortunately, the winds of change are blowing. Our multi-generational workforce is making the “older knows best” adage look increasingly outdated. A melting pot of Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z all share today’s workplace and provide much‑needed diversity. This diversity isn’t a threat. It’s a virtue from which mentoring can feed, learn and ensure the formulation of a proper value exchange. Some key tenets of Gen Z inform this, too, leading to the following: • Credible company purpose Leaders are investing time, money and resources in purpose and creating genuine value in working for their organisation. They’re creating something relevant that motivates their employees. Gen Z
• Reverse-mentoring becomes commonplace, not just a trendy buzzword Being comfortable learning from those younger and less experienced takes confidence, but it’s happening. Equally, those providing the mentoring upwards can develop authority and credibility in a safe, non-judgemental space. Their curiosity and confidence grows as does their stickiness to their employer. • The leaders of tomorrow start to lead before they officially lead Gone are the days of needing grey hair to lead. If you know what you’re talking about, project confidence and command respect, you’re already practising leadership. Well- defined, equal-value mentoring provides these conditions by stripping away the constraints of hierarchy. And yet, alongside this organic development you also have the advantage of a steady, seasoned hand at the tiller. By doing this, tomorrow’s leaders get to build their leadership's muscles in a healthy and sustainable way. In this way, mentoring moves from being a traditional, stiff ‘obligation’ to a fluid, meaningful and mutually beneficial undertaking. It ceases to be something ill-defined and mandate-driven but is something that happens naturally. With cross-generational workplaces slipping into a natural groove, the next generation is already set up for success and stands in a good position to develop a healthy mentoring culture further. Steve Jefferys is an executive coach at YourShift
in particular want to be with a company that aligns with who they are and what’s important to them. This foundation of purpose provides fertile soil from which proper, valuable mentoring can sprout. • Bottom-up approaches to purpose Traditionally, purpose has been top-down from what an employer offers and gives to employees, with little consultation. Nowadays, we’re seeing more bottom-up approaches to complement this, with newer generations seeing and pushing the value of their views and perspective. This creates a healthier, more empowered and motivated pool of mentees that are fully tapped into the organisational big picture. • Two-way street Knowledge is beginning to flow in both directions between employer and employee, with everyday interactions benefiting from this. Individuals learn from an organisation, the experience of its employees and seniors, but there is also something to be added in from the bottom to make the whole fabric stronger and more future-facing. Fresh perspectives, new ideas and more agile ways to do things set up a healthy balance of advice and progression. With these foundations in place, mentoring will have the solid basis it has so often lacked in the past. If purpose and cross-generational unity is there, mentoring’s role will be to continually stoke these fires, enabling renewal and development and ensuring things don’t stand still. Everyone gains as a result. There are two ways I see this happening:
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