What are the advantages of formalized mentoring programs for an organization?
I recently completed the StrengthsFinder from Gallup and one of my strengths turned out to be ‘Developer’. This came as no surprise to people who know me well, who know what a buzz I get from teaching and seeing people grow. As the Coordinator of the Literacy & Scripture Engagement Department in Mbeya, Tanzania, you probably won’t be surprised to also hear that I have been informally mentoring my Tanzanian colleagues over the years, without even realising that what I was doing could be called ‘mentoring’. But now we have heard about ‘formal’ mentoring and the question is, how is this different from what I was doing before, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of this formal mentoring? Show Firstly, how is it different? I see a key difference as being the final goal. As I informally mentored my colleagues, my goal was simply to see them grow and develop in their job and in their relationship with God and I harboured hopes of them taking on more leadership responsibilities. Good goals, but they were mostly goals in my own head. Formal mentoring, on the other hand, involves the mentor and mentee agreeing on goals and time-frames and working towards specific growth in professional capacity (e.g. to becoming a specialist or consultant or leader), for the benefit of the organisation. Competency Based Certification (or the older Consultant Growth Plans) may help guide the mentor and mentee in setting the goals and making sure that the necessary competencies are ticked off for growth. I have now entered into a formal mentoring relationship with one of my colleagues, who we specifically want to see becoming a Scripture Engagement specialist and Department Coordinator. I am also formally mentoring someone in another entity towards becoming an SE Consultant. So are there any advantages to this formal mentoring? Advantages of formal mentoringWhile my experience is limited, here are some advantages that I feel are true for formal mentoring:
Disadvantages of formal mentoringThere are some down sides to it too, partly dependent on your personality or situation as a mentor:
Just yesterday I met with one of my mentees, and it was encouraging to see him moving forward in the areas we had discussed and taking the lead in conversation, so despite the potential challenges of formal mentoring, I think it’s worth giving it a go! What is your experience? And how could we overcome some of the perceived challenges of formal mentoring? Share your thoughts by leaving a reply below. Don't have an ATD account? Forgot your Password? Already an ATD customer without a web account? Institutional subscriber? Click here to sign in. Share Mentoring programs can have a significant impact on organizations’ business goals, in addition to employee professional development, according to new research from the Association for Talent Development (ATD). Read the full Report: Mentoring Matters: Developing Talent With Formal Mentoring Programs. The top benefits to organizations with formal mentoring programs were higher employee engagement and retention (50 percent), support for the growth of high-potential employees (46 percent), the creation of intra-organizational relationships and collaboration (37 percent), and knowledge management and transfer (37 percent). Other key findings in the report (based on the 285 participants whose organizations have formal mentoring programs) are: · Organizations that train mentors and mentees before or during the program in skills, such as communication, listening, and accountability, are significantly more likely to indicate that mentoring programs are highly effective at meeting their learning goals. · The top three benefits mentees received from participating in mentoring programs were professional development (36 percent), a better understanding of organizational culture (30 percent), and the development of new perspectives (27 percent). Advertisement · The top three benefits mentors received from participating in mentoring programs were the development of new perspectives (59 percent), the development of leadership skills (49 percent), and insight into the organization (38 percent). · Results showed that 57 percent thought their organizations’ mentoring programs were effective to a high or very high extent at achieving learning goals, while 38 percent of their organizations’ mentoring programs were effective to a high or very high extent at achieving business goals. Some recommendations based on the research findings are: Advertisement · Test with a pilot program. To learn more about the research attend a webcast that will be held January 24, 2018. Information about obtaining the full research report can be found at www.td.org/mentoringreport. About ATD ATD’s members come from more than 120 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports talent development professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led U.S. chapters and international member networks, and with international strategic partners. For more information, visit www.td.org. ### What is an advantage of a formal mentoring program?Formal mentoring programs support organizations by providing onboarding for new employees, employee/leadership development opportunities, and succession planning. Mentoring also provides unique benefits to the mentors and protégés who participate(1): Provides increased visibility for both mentors and protégés.
What are three advantages of formal mentoring relationships?This approach assumes mentors accept responsibility for helping mentees grow and develop (Lumpkin 2011). Advantages: Formal mentoring increases job performance, enhances confidence, facilitates networking, and decreases turnover, thus positively impacting the entire department (Lumpkin 2011).
What are formal mentoring programs?For the most success, formal mentoring is the most common choice for mentoring in the workplace. It involves mentors and mentees meeting up for frequent mentoring sessions over a specified period of time. A formal program is well-structured and organized and aligns with an organization's goals and objectives.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring?While mentoring can offer many advantages, some possible drawbacks merit your attention.. Advantage: Ease of Acclimation. ... . Disadvantage: Mismatched Pair. ... . Advantage: Sense of Achievement. ... . Disadvantage: Frustration. ... . Advantage: Benefits to the Firm.. |