According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a signpost located at a fork in the road directs travellers, helping them find the right path forward. It has two sensational synonyms that perfectly describe an ideal mentor: “beacon” and “guide.” Mentorships are more than fluff added to the corporate agenda for PR purposes. Dynamic mentoring solves many problems companies spend vast sums of money to overcome, including:
- Leadership Challenges
- Diversity Needs
- Connection Challenges
- Knowledge Transfer
- Succession
In short, mentoring can help you solve your most pressing problems—right now. Pollinate offers mentoring solutions that match leaders with promising (or struggling) team members to build competence and confidence inside and outside the office.
Mentorship Programs Create Signposts
Introduce mentorship programs that guide teams through times of uncertainty. Mentors act as signposts, helping mentees realize whether they are on the right path or need to change course.
Eliminating Leadership Challenges Through Mentoring
It’s important to match mentors and mentees by taking compatibility into account. Leadership through mentoring can boost team effectiveness. Start with these four questions every effective leader is asking right now:
- Do you know who has capacity to grow through mentoring?
- How can an effective mentorship program help your team work together toward long-term goals?
- How can you visually track important milestones and incorporate them in the mentoring program?
- When the signposts point to a win, how can you celebrate with your mentee?
Mentoring Supports Diversity
Mentoring supports diversity by providing a sense of belonging that transcends differences in culture, age, gender, or ethnicity. When your company fosters an inclusive workplace, you can attract a wider talent pool. With many different viewpoints come creative solutions and innovation.
Partner with Pollinate to learn why many diversity programs fail, and how you can adopt a strategy that works.
Overcoming Connection Challenges with Effective Mentoring
Well-run mentorship programs blend organizational and individualized approaches. They serve as ladders and scaffolding, providing support and helping team members reach for the next level of their career path.
Mentees drive their own agenda but gain support from a trusted peer or leader. In this way, mentorship programs lead to the following benefits:
- Mentors share ideas based on their experience. This helps mentees confidently reach for the next rung on the ladder.
- Mentor-to-mentor support builds deep leadership networks.
- Participants can track progress by breaking work up into micro goals.
Knowledge Transfer
Create programs that focus on knowledge transfer for both hard and soft skills. This gives both mentors and mentees an opportunity to become more proficient in current roles. Additionally, mentors can provide signposts that help mentees prepare for more advanced positions.
It’s important to match participants based on elements such as ability and preferences. In addition, by passing along essential knowledge, these programs pave the way for effective succession planning.
Folding Succession Planning Into Your Mentorship Program
Pollinate’s Knowledge Transfer Index (KTI) uses a proprietary algorithm to match optimal mentor-mentee pairings. Did you know that 96% of mentees who finish a KTI assessment feel more prepared to become organization leaders?
“Over the past 11 years at Pollinate, the best thing has been seeing people getting together to get things done using our virtual tools. We find solutions that meet a variety of needs with good information, knowledge exchange, and partnerships at the base. We’re weaving together the workplaces of the future!” -Christy Pettit
Structured mentorship programs build effective, innovative teams.
