leadingtoday.org

Leadership Tip of the Month

June 2002

Copyright 2002 ã weLEAD, Inc.

Become a Leadership Mentor

Over the past decade many organizations have initiated formal mentoring programs to develop managerial or leadership skills in individuals. Mentoring is a special relationship in which an experienced leader seeks to help a protégé with less experience. The mentor is typically a respected manager at a higher supervisory level, and a recognized leader. This mentor is usually not the immediate supervisor of the protégé. Mentorship is intended to be a unique association between these two individuals to promote the personal development of the trainee.

Research has shown that mentors provide two important functions for the protégé.

1. A mentor can help facilitate the career of the trainee by providing sponsorship, protection, visibility and assignments to promote personal development. The mentor is a facilitator during times of change for the protégé. Mentoring is a skill that provides learning and direction during stressful circumstances. This includes transitional situations such as the trainees promotion, transfer or reassignment within the organization.

2. A mentor provides a psychosocial role for the protégé within this relationship. This consists of coaching, personal counseling, acceptance and encouragement. The mentorship role creates a positive nurturing environment that can benefit both the mentor and trainee. The mentor can receive greater job satisfaction, a deeper sense of personal fulfillment as a teacher, and the development of even greater leadership skills in the process. Some research has shown that mentoring can result in greater success and career advancement for the protégé.

However, mentoring is not always successful and some studies suggest that informal mentoring may be more successful than formal mentoring programs! These studies suggest that personality conflicts, lack of mentor commitment, age and gender differences were more likely to occur in formal programs that included assigned mentors. A formal program has a greater chance of success if it is structured to allow for voluntary participation, a flexible choice of protégés by the mentor, and by clarifying the expected roles of both mentors and trainees.

The important key is to recognize that organizations should encourage and endorse mentoring programs! It is not essential for the programs to be either formal or informal to be successful, but it is important for the programs to be established and supported in order to nurture the next generation of leadership.

If your organization does not presently have a mentoring program, consider the advantages it may offer. Volunteer your services as a potential mentor. You will find the opportunity to teach others and share your experiences to be satisfying and enlightening. Here are some vital points to remember!

· Show a genuine concern about the development of others – Encourage the trainee to establish their own individual goals and respond enthusiastically to their needs when you are approached.

· Help the protégé to recognize their skill deficiencies – There is often a gap between their existing skills and the required skills needed to get to the next level of their personal best. Kindly point out these needs in a tactful and positive way.

· Give opportunities for skill development – Provide special “on the job” projects and assignments to promote new skills and opportunities for the trainee. Follow-up by providing personalized coaching to allow the protégé to learn from their failures and successes.

· Provide helpful personal advice – Emphasize the benefits of training courses, workshops and advanced degree programs. Provide guidance on how to deal with career problems, and how to keep their lives in a healthy balance.

· Be a role model – Individuals listen to people they respect and admire. They are more inclined to imitate examples of effective behavior and positive attitudes. Remember that they are watching closely to see how you respond to highly difficult or challenging situations!

For weLEAD, this is Greg Thomas reminding you that it was Bruce Barton who wrote, “When you are through changing, you’re through.”

On the weLEAD Website you will find over 70 other free helpful leadership tips. They are all available in a text version or as an MP3 audio!