The importance of mentoring for employee growth and retention

Karen Natzel, BridgeTower Media Newswires

“Karen, do you have a minute? I want to run something by you.”

Recently, someone I had coached in the past texted me, asking if we could talk. He was being actively recruited by one of my client’s competitors, and the offer was compelling. He was not seeking another opportunity, and yet he was tempted.

As his past coach, I had a good understanding of what mattered to him. We talked through the offer, his options and his career ambitions, and examined the significant differences in the organizations’ cultures – a meaningful factor in job satisfaction. The competitor offered an attractive base salary, the ability to work from anywhere, and an opportunity to work on a team that suggested career enhancement. This professional was hungry for a mentor. Ultimately, after a conversation with his supervisor, he decided to stay. A meeting that was almost an exit interview instead became a learning opportunity. Now my client is exploring a mentorship program so that talented professionals find more value in staying.

Another client recently lost an ambitious and talented employee because he did not receive the promotion he wanted. They had thoughtfully deliberated, and hoped to convince him of future opportunities, but his mind was set. He was ready for a new challenge and eager to advance his career. Had he had a mentor, perhaps his ambition could have been channeled earlier to affirm a suitable career path and a timeline for its attainment.

While people work at home, there is a loss of the informal mentoring that previously occurred naturally during team meetings, in hallways, and around workstations. Today, people are seeking guidance, connection and inspiration.

People who have had strong mentors express a deep appreciation for the personalized care and attention. They describe having clarity about how to develop professionally – from what skills were needed, to what steps to take, to reception of invaluable feedback identifying their strengths and blind spots. They often report improved problem-solving and decision-making, as well as more expansive thinking and increased confidence.

You will find the mentee is not the only benefactor. Mentors report feeling an increased sense of professional satisfaction and renewed energy from their ability to contribute to another’s career trajectory. The benefits go well beyond the two individuals in the relationship. Organizations with successful mentoring programs reap tremendous rewards. In addition to mentoring being a powerful recruitment and retention strategy, it can bring operational improvements around productivity, skill development, cross-organizational knowledge sharing, teamwork and leadership development.

My own experience in having mentors has been rather happenstance. In my 20s I was ambitious and ready for someone to show me the way. I was fortunate to have a demanding boss who saw potential and was willing to take me under her wing. She challenged me and we butted heads. I was the equivalent of a rebellious teenager on the career evolution pathway. In other instances, I had people in my life who have worn the hats of client, friend and mentor – simultaneously! They all have shaped my professional identity and direction.

Today, the combination of an impatient, smart and young workforce with a competitive market for top talent requires leaders to intentionally grow their talent.

How does one create a mentoring program?

An organization’s mentoring program can be established in a myriad of ways with various degrees of formality and structure. You can begin with a pilot project that identifies your top performers (and top potential performers) and your willing and capable mentors. If you have an abundance of interest from both roles, you can create an application process. Even with small teams, a process that helps identify motivation, readiness, expectations and commitment is valuable. Build in some training for the mentors and some accountability for the mentees, with ways to track and celebrate program successes.

What does it take to be a good mentor?

Mentors are dedicated to helping their mentees discover their passions and create a road map for their success. Mentors are not there to tell their mentee what to do. They listen. They do advise, but in the context of helping the mentee make informed decisions with the counsel of an experienced sounding board. Mentors bring subject matter expertise, relationships, an understanding of organizational dynamics, business acumen, people skills, and/or personal experiences to the relationship. (Storytelling is a profound way to share a life lesson!) Mentors generally are generous in nature, empathetic, and have a growth mindset. They also may be excited to leave a legacy by making a difference in others, the organization, and their industry.

It is important to get the right match. It is best to have a mentor that is not an employee’s direct supervisor. You want them to have the ability to be completely candid, so it needs to be someone with whom they can establish rapport and trust, and someone they hold in high regard.

Mentors don’t have to have all the answers. They do need a genuine desire to cultivate others’ potential – and to learn along the way too. Witnessing someone’s spark ignited is a beautiful, rewarding and enriching experience.

The capacity to mentor isn’t necessarily a product of years on the job. Younger employees who have a penchant for teaching and a knack for technology may guide more senior team members in the newest tools of the trade. It’s an important reminder that it is never too late to learn and we can always learn from others – even those with fewer miles on their career road trip!

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Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or karen@natzel.net.