Why a Mentoring Connection is so Important: Formal or Informal

Mentoring isn’t new. But now more than ever, it is an essential career tool for managers. People have different views and theories about mentoring. Some think of it to advance their careers. Once the goal of career advancement has been accomplished, you move on and outgrow it.

Others think of it as having an advisor a cheerleader by their side celebrating their wins, advising them on risks guiding them towards their goal, and helping you strategically to advance and develop at every stage of your career.

Career paths are becoming more complicated as you reach toward the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, and there are benefits both to having a mentor or being one. Some companies understood the importance of mentoring, where several of them have established formal mentoring programs, which can take many forms.

In some organizations, potential prospects are assigned a mentor so that they don’t have to go through the haphazard, often unlucky, process of trying to find one on their own.

At other companies, the practice is more extensive. For example, they installed a program that assigned every employee a “peer adviser.” Or “mentor-up” program, a reverse mentoring system in which managers were assigned a female mentor one to two reporting levels below them to foster “positive relationships” between bosses of either sex. To help build awareness of issues facing women.

Why mentoring is so important: formal or informal

Mentoring is more prevalent today for several reasons:

• A mentor can provide protection from corporate upheavals. In an uncertain corporate environment—which has become the “norm” way of describing today’s corporate world, mentoring can provide a safe harbor while you develop in your position.
• A mentor can act as a cross-cultural bridge in global corporations. For example, as growing numbers of Global companies operate in Canada & the United States, the mentor can facilitate learning customs, rules, and protocol, benefiting both the mentor and the mentee.
• The mentee can provide his mentor with valuable information from below; it works both ways. At the same time, the mentor can open important political doors for him/her.
• Mentoring can help women rise through the ranks. It is especially useful for women, who traditionally have lacked role models and champions in the executive suite. A woman who aligns herself with a male/female higher up in the organization can learn valuable lessons and have an important ally on her climb to the top.

Get yourself picked: How do you find a mentor if your company doesn’t have a program?

The magic word is visibility, which can be accomplished in the following ways:

1. Get assigned to projects in which you can contribute your talents.
2. When you write reports or presentations, hand-deliver your completed work instead of sending them. Constant interaction is vital for establishing a comfortable rapport with a potential mentor.
3. Ask questions. This is an excellent way to make yourself known and share your ideas and opinions.
4. Consider everyone as a potential mentor. “Look at every person in the company, “keep your eyes and ears open when you meet people. When you find someone, you think you can learn from, approach them directly and ask if they can be your mentor.
5. Look outside your network/company. Join professional groups in your field and function. Also, for women, join a women’s organization and seek a mentor there.
6. Think about where you need help. For example, if you are heavy on organizational skills but weak on financials, seek a mentor who can help you learn to read a corporate balance sheet better
7. Find a good fit. “It has to be someone you feel safe with, someone you trust, someone you feel believes in you and is enthusiastic about you,” it’s essential for the success of the mentorship. Also, your mentor should be open to learning from you, as well.

Drawbacks to mentoring

The mentor you find may not be the best teacher for you or may fall out of favor with senior management, taking you out too. Here are suggestions for avoiding these traps:

• When looking for a mentor, be sure you know what you want from the relationship. Hold prospective mentors up to specific criteria and ask them about their own criteria. What do they hope to gain from the relationship in terms of work and political goals? How strong are their alliances?
• Are they good teachers and motivators? Some mentors will oversee your career but do little to enhance your knowledge of the job. At some point, you will have to stand by yourself.
• Would you pose a threat to your mentor? Some people are very good when they’re mentoring several levels down in the organization, but when a mentee begins to draw even, new rules come into play. To avoid problems in the future, try to find out how your mentor treated previous mentees or if they ever mentor anyone before.

Managing the mentor

Never burn any bridges between you and the rest of the organization. Don’t assume that you’re forever protected by your mentor or part of that person’s group. No matter how good your relationship with your mentor, do not develop a false sense of security. Keeping in mind in the course of the mentoring relationship, ask yourself if your goals are being met. If not, why not?

• Maintain your alliances. Avoid dissension and establish good relationships with everyone, dodge political hassles.
• If your situation does not improve after the first year of mentoring, consider finding a new mentor. You can accomplish this diplomatically by gradually easing into a new relationship while loosening your ties with your former mentor.

The importance of being a mentor

Don’t overlook the advantages of being a mentor to someone else in your organization. “That’s the best,” part. “You can use it to rise through the ranks yourself.” As you mentor someone, you will have increased confidence and feel a sense of fulfillment, and your self-esteem will naturally rise. You will shine more, and your bosses will notice. Plus, you’ll be mastering your people skills, and that’s a critical criterion when you are evaluated for promotion. Finally, you can’t help but gain experience, as the teacher always learns from his students.