Q & A with Craig Robbins: Mentoring – August 11, 2016
Craig Robbins
Mentoring Expert
A few months ago I was asked the question, “How do I start a mentoring program?” It was certainly not the first time someone had asked me this same question, and likely it won’t be the last. Everyone seems to understand the importance of mentoring – even the personal and organizational benefits of mentoring – but very few thought leaders are providing the tangible action steps and guidance we seek when starting a mentoring program.
So I’m not here to claim my title as a thought leader, but I am here as one of your colleagues who works with organizations big and small to build, grow, and improve organizational mentoring programs. I’d love to share my experiences and help answer any questions you may have. So go ahead – Comment below with a question or reply to another post.
This seems like a big task… where do I even start?
To start you need to understand why you need a mentoring program. Clearly define the goals you hope to achieve. Don’t make it more complicated than what’s necessary to directly support and achieve those goals. For example, if your goal is simply to train your mentors, your program might only include training resources. If it’s more complex, you can look at a range of strategies, program features, resources, etc. It all starts with a clear understanding of what you want to achieve through mentoring. This is the foundation on which you can build everything else.
Do I really need to put a bunch of planning around a mentoring program? Can’t people just match up?
Even if the plan is simple, there needs to be a plan that goes beyond matching mentors and mentees. There are many factors to consider, such as training for the mentors, expectations, confidentiality, areas of expertise, and ways to measure success. Having a detailed plan will definitely help in the end. It will also help you build commitment, develop an effective admin process, and clearly articulate the results you’re hoping to achieve.
Do you have any tips that make it easier and faster to administer the program?
The days of tracking mentoring programs with an excel spreadsheet or word doc are coming to an end. While that’s still better than pen and paper, several technologies now exist that support mentoring programs. Some software programs automate a wide range of administrative tasks and reporting activities. More basic programs help with just the mentor-mentee matching. Either way, I strongly suggest using software to help manage your program.
Do mentors and mentees in the same department or business unit?
No, mentors/mentees do not need to be in the same department or business unit. In fact, the best mentoring programs allow people to connect with the best potential mentor across the organization. Mentorship should be sought from the person who’s most able to provide the advice, guidance, and support that somebody needs.
How do we get support from above for our mentoring initiative?
Getting commitment starts by understanding your audience and what’s important to them. Think about each executive you need to convince and what is most important to them.
Are they focused on improving the organization’s culture? Do they have an urgent need to transfer and retain knowledge as more employees retire? Is engaging the millennial generation a top priority?
Consider each person you’ll need to approach and tailor your message accordingly. Remember – what’s important to you may not always be what’s important to them, so communicate why this is important from their point of view, not just yours.
How do I train my mentors to be mentors?
There are a number of ways to train mentors, and it’s great that you thought to ask this question. One of the single points of failure in many mentoring programs is the group of mentors themselves. It’s assumed that people who want to mentor know how to do it effectively, and that’s simply not true in most cases. Training solutions include short videos, books, on-site workshops, and webinars. There are companies, like ours, that specialize in creating and delivering these solutions.
People often use the term coach and mentor interchangeably. Is this “correct?”
Coaching is a process designed to improve performance in present time and is associated with short-term or immediate goals. On the other hand, mentoring is more focused on the future. It addresses longer-term development, growth, and results. Also, mentoring can address specific or broad subjects, whereas coaching almost always addresses a skill, or how to do something more effectively.
Does mentoring always occur in one-on-one relationships?
No, mentoring doesn’t always include just two people. Mentoring can be one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many. For an example of one-to-many mentoring, consider a teacher/professor who has an open door policy. Several students meet with the teacher at the same time and ask similar questions about succeeding in school. In this case, the teacher would be mentoring several people.
I’m also familiar with a many-to-many approach that’s widely used by the US Army. The Army deploys teams, known as Operational Mentoring Liaison Team (OMLTs) that typically consist of 20 – 30 soldiers. These teams are responsible for mentoring foreign security forces that can consist of thousands or even tens of thousands of people. In these situations, the mentors work at various levels with their partner organizations to share their knowledge and experience. This results in organizational development, rather than individual development that a one-on-one relationship focuses on.
I want to start a mentoring program at my company. I have approximately 800 employees. Do you have any suggestions how to start this program?
There’s a great 5-step framework we follow when building mentoring programs. The steps include: (1) identify the need, (2) build support, (3) design the program, (4) implement and adopt the program, and (5) measure and refine the program.
Always start with clearly identifying the need for the program. Why do you think mentoring is the best way to achieve your goals? If you can clearly define that, building the rest of the program becomes much easier.
Can you provide some advice for the best way to match mentors and mentees?
Successful mentoring requires two essential ingredients – the ability of the mentor and mentee to exchange useful advice, guidance and support, and, the ability to build rapport (which is based on common interests, trust, etc.).
Try to create a database that includes what each mentor believes they are capable of mentoring on. When a mentee is looking for a mentoring relationship, you can provide guidance in the selection of a mentor that fits their area of interest. Allow your mentees to have a hand in selecting the person who will have an impact on their career.
I’m struggling to show a positive impact. How can I do that?
Your ability to show a positive impact will depend on what positive impacts you set out to create early on. This is why it’s so important to define your goals and create a plan in the beginning. Everyone measures success in different ways. In some organizations, the positive impact is demonstrated through feedback surveys about the program. In other situations, organizations associate trends in recruiting and retention with the overall success of the program.
Why won’t people participate in our program…?
It’s common for programs to struggle because the need was never clearly articulated from the beginning.
If people don’t understand the program’s value, they won’t actively participate. If people do have interest in the program but still aren’t participating, they might need more support in their role as a mentor or mentee. Also, remember that mentoring is about relationships. I’d recommend creating a way for mentees and mentors to have a say in who they’re working with.