_August/thebuddysystem.jpg "The Buddy System")
Sooner or later, your best employees move on to other jobs, carrying with them whatever time and money you had invested in their development. Fortunately, there are things you can do to stem that loss. By establishing and nurturing a company-wide mentoring program, you can retain valuable intellectual assets while transferring skills from senior employees to junior ones.
Mentoring is essentially the pairing of two individuals, one of whom needs to acquire the expertise possessed by the other. Though the process is similar to coaching, mentoring usually targets more subtle skills central to the enhancement of an employee’s potential. Examples include successfully dealing with customers, cultivating an open and creative mind-set, and applying oneself in areas that go beyond the job description.
To reap the benefits of an effective mentoring program, experts urge employers to:
Start small. Getting too ambitious may backfire when bungled efforts disappoint employees. Beginning small will also prevent knee-jerk reactions from those cynical workers who might view the effort as just the latest management fad. Seeing real results will help everyone accept mentoring as the way of the future.
Lead by example. Employees often take their cues from senior management, a truism that applies as much to mentoring as to daily work habits. Given the isolation so often experienced by top managers in any organization, selecting a mentoring teammate often proves to be a tricky proposition. The key is to remember that successful mentoring is a two-way street, and the ability to switch roles is particularly critical when a manager becomes involved.
Experts advise course owners and operators to consider partnering with another department head within the organization. Any of these individuals can provide insight on another aspect of your operation where you may have less knowledge. Conversely, course operators can mentor these individuals on leadership and communication skills that will help them grow beyond their specialties.
Once you’ve established a successful mentoring relationship, begin describing how mentoring has helped your own career. Then, put your resources behind it and let everyone know that you’ll provide guidance on best practices and will modify job descriptions to coordinate the activity.
Pick great mentors. Unfortunately, not everyone makes a good mentor. Throughout your organization’s mentoring adventure—and especially in its early stages—identify people who will energize the program. Ask if each prospective mentor has the expertise required by the mentee, the time required for a successful relationship, and the ability and interest to help others.
“The unbreakable criterion for a mentor is profound listening skills,” says Michael Shenkman, a New Mexico-based mentoring consultant. Good mentors, Shenkman adds, “understand the subtleties present in what people say and the way they say it. Picking up all the subtleties is the stock in trade of a mentor.”
When helping companies identify mentors, Shenkman looks for individuals who are well-traveled and knowledgeable beyond their specific field. Above all else, Shenkman contends that mentors should be enthusiastic. “It has to matter to them intensely,” he says.
—Phil Perry