Make Way for Mentors
Mentoring emerging talent is one of the best ways to develop their careers. Mid- and later-career professionals can be instrumental to this process, with benefits for all sides of the relationship.
Every organization wants to foster a successful and growth-oriented workplace environment.
Every organization wants their emerging talent to stick around and do great things.
And
Every organization has a number of tenured employees — many with two or three decades of experience — who value their legacy even if the organization does not. That companies don’t invest in the “overlooked middle” is an open secret, despite them being vital to organizational health.
The place where these three truths overlap?
Mentoring.
Done properly, mentoring has the power to positively impact everyone involved. For mentees, it’s an opportunity to build their professional competence under the careful guidance of experienced professionals. For mentors, it’s a chance to share their collective wisdom and give something back to their industry. And for organizations, well, the data speaks for itself:
● Around 70% of US Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.
● 67% of businesses report an increase in productivity due to mentoring.
● Mentees are promoted 5 times more often than those without mentors — and mentors make even more progress.
● Mentoring programs have been shown to boost minority representation at senior levels by up to 24%.
However, a bureaucratic, one-size-fits-all approach can do more damage than good. To reap the benefits, you have to have the right mentors mentoring the right mentees in the right way.
What is mentoring?
While mentoring has become mainstream, many organizations view it as a limited function that aids the professional development of the mentee. In fact, it’s a bridge to make sure that the needs of the individual and the needs of the organization are in sync.
What do I mean by this? Fundamentally, employees are engaged, motivated and productive when they feel they are doing meaningful work that is connected to their own goals and values. If they can’t tie their aspirations to opportunities within the organization, they’ll leave and use their skills elsewhere.
It’s at this crossroads that a mentor can be invaluable. By helping mentees unpack meaningful work, build self-awareness and tap into opportunities inside the organization, they can raise engagement and retention rates.
The process is personal, and it’s about actively opening doors for people in productive ways.
Mentoring from the middle
Organizations are not always kind to the people in the middle. Middle managers and long-term, tenured professionals are often regarded as the people who keep things running but, when it comes to career development, they don’t often get the investment or the credit they deserve.
Yet as mentors, these individuals play a crucial role. Here’s why:
#1: They know how to guide and challenge people.
Few other positions in a company have the balance of a strategy side and a people side. They set direction, break down barriers, and hold people accountable for delivering plans. On the people side, middle managers are naturally focused on the well-being of their teams and challenging them to achieve more than they thought possible.
Both skill sets come together in a mentorship role. Effective mentors pose thought-provoking questions and remain focused on listening. They present questions that encourage deep introspection like “Can you recall a time when you felt most fulfilled? or “What advice would you give your past self from five years ago?” And, they’re able to extract valuable insights from these conversations turning insights into actions and commitments.
#2: They have access to sponsor networks.
We don’t talk about sponsorship enough in the workplace but it is essential for personalized career progression. Tenured professionals understand the value of relationships and typically have networks up, down and across the company. They can advocate for their mentee in many valuable ways, whether it’s telling them about job opportunities, nominating them for committees or projects, or advocating their advancement to senior leaders or decision-makers within the company.
#3: They recognize the value of mentorship for themselves and others.
When I coach middle managers and tenured mid-career professionals about their own career aspirations, one consistent outcome is they express a desire to sponsor, coach or mentor others on their career path. Almost every coaching participant at this level discovers they want to help others grow and are excited about taking on the challenge of helping others reach their full potential.
Mentoring offers experienced professionals find a renewed sense of purpose in their own career trajectory while supporting others navigate their paths.
And it pays off!
Both mentors and mentees remain committed to the organization for the long haul. Their investment extends to both the company and its members, with mentors aspiring to make an impact.
The making of mentors
No one is born knowing how to mentor. Some type of development program is beneficial to equip mentors with the tools, knowledge, and mindset they need for effective mentorship. This includes strategies for listening, embracing diversity in thought and approach, providing meaningful feedback, and setting expectations.
It’s a two-way street.
Mentors need to be open to feedback, too, and almost certainly will benefit from seeing the coaching process in action. Research shows that 89% of those who have been mentored will also go on to mentor others, creating a positive cycle of reinforcement across the organization where everyone reflects on their own development and continues to evolve professionally.
The takeaway here is that you shouldn’t overlook the power of the middle as mentors or leave them to muddle through. Invest in career coaching for your middle layer and, if they are interested, include within that specific coaching on the art of mentoring. Witness the extent to which the ripple effect spreads — their potential to transform your organization is enormous.
