Business Operations

By Lois James

Executive Summary: The mentor relationship is not as difficult as you may think to develop.

Lois James is Director of Leadership Development for OpX Solutions LLC. She’s filling in for Mike Leigh this month. Reach her at lois@ opxsolutionsllc.com

Mentoring your team

Have you ever had someone in your life that you turned for an honest opinion before deciding on something important? That person is one you always value as you advance in your career and life, because he or she has your trust as an effective mentor.

Being an empathetic and effective mentor is a powerful

leadership tool that pays huge dividends. From an organizational perspective, mentoring team members to realize the overall company vision and goals will always get more buy-in and commitment from your team because they understand the benefits of accomplishing both the short- and long-term goals of the company. From a leadership point of view, mentoring helps steer the team in the direction upper management wants to focus, as well as helping develop trust and engagement with your team. The mentor will quickly realize a team member’s willingness to go above and beyond when they know they have a mentor who supports and encourages them.

Mentoring: Schedule time to meet with each mentee on a regular basis. Frequency should be once a week or once a quarter depending on the individual needs and responsibilities of the mentee. During these meetings, you should use the Socratic method of asking questions, rather than supplying answers, to help the individual develop better problem-solving skills and confidence in their decision-making abilities.

You should also take time to learn about the individual’s interests and skills as well as what motivates them. As Amy Errett explains in Wharton magazine: “The mentorship relationship is unique in that the mentor doesn’t just ‘give advice,’ but is also part of a personal trusted relationship between two people where questions, advice, knowledge and discussion flow back and forth openly.”

Meeting with and effectively mentoring your team members both collectively and individually builds trust, team cohesiveness, and improved morale in the culture of your company. Personally, mentorship can be a very rewarding experience for both the mentor and mentee. It also teaches effective mentorship skills to the next generation, so that they may “pay-it-forward".

If your company doesn’t have a structured mentorship program, consider that according to a PGi study that focused on Millennials, “71% stated that they wanted meaningful connections at work and hope to find a ‘second family’ in their coworkers. Additionally, 75% not only want mentors, but deem it crucial for success.” You may be missing a great opportunity to develop better communication and better engagement among your team members. Take the time to establish and invest in mentorship programs. You will see a return on that investment for years to come.