By Nikki Brown and Marcus de Courtenay
“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” ― Phil Collins
One of the most celebrated mentoring ‘pairs’ of our time are Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Over a 30 plus year friendship, Bill learnt much, saying that Warren, “… asked good questions and told educational stories. There’s nothing I like so much as learning, and I had never met anyone who thought about business in such a clear way.” And, few can debate the success of these two over the past half a century.
But often the opportunity to mentor and be mentored comes less frequently in life than we might think. And on all accounts that is a shame. As we will see, there are few more powerful experiences of connection and self-growth than the mentoring relationship.
The Possibilities
This common outcome is contrary to the overwhelming evidence suggesting that mentoring has huge benefits for developing emerging leaders. As researchers from John Hopkins University write in the Harvard Business Review:
“After five decades of mentoring relationship research, the evidence is irrefutable: people who have strong mentors accrue a host of professional benefits, including more rapid advancement, higher salaries, greater organizational commitment, stronger identity, and higher satisfaction with both job and career. They also see personal benefits, such as better physical health and self-esteem, ease of work-life integration, and strong–er relational skills. At its best, mentoring can transform lives and careers while bolstering retention and maximizing employee potential.”
The number of major organisations that have mentoring programs continues to grow and already makes up the bulk of the largest and most successful organisations in the world. One important finding of mentoring research is that mentoring improves retention of mentees – an important consideration in the current war for talent. Mentees are just generally happier at work.
Mentoring is also a key initiative for furthering diversity, equity and inclusion goals at organisations. Mentoring diverse team members can support them in career progression and overcoming structural barriers to their success. Taking this even further, many advocate for sponsorship, the step beyond mentorship, as a powerful corrective to unconscious bias and other factors preventing full inclusion.
The Pitfalls
The Plan
- Preparing – It can be highly beneficial to offer mentoring training for mentors. Rather than assuming that any experienced team member can mentor well, organisations can set themselves up for success by providing these skills.
- Connecting – Design the program with a structure and incentives for engagement. Making mentorship roles prestigious or remunerated in some way can incentivise effective participation and mean that people really see it as an important part of their work, and life.
- Learning – Checking-in and support for the relationship can go a long way, particularly during busy periods. This might look like having a central mentoring coordinator for parties to speak to if they need support.
- Ending – Create the space for an ongoing relationship. Something as simple as hosting a mentoring closing night bookends the program while also setting up the relationships to continue ongoing if it is in the interests of the parties.
Creative provocateur and Global Changemaker, Dr Hayley Linthwaite, is a program designer, facilitator and coach with Performance Frontiers. She empowers individuals, organisations and communities through creative collaboration, social innovation and practical exploration to envision and enable a better future. Hayley has extensive experience in theories, forms, and conventions of applied performance, behavioural and systemic change, strategic conflict analysis, and experiential learning honed within extensive roles as an arts educator, researcher, director and performer.
A dynamo designer and problem-solving prodigy, Kate applies her design expertise and passion for visual learning to our graphic, instructional and product design department.
As a principal, lead facilitator, process designer, writer and executive coach at Performance Frontiers, Dr Martin Challis is dedicated to utilising his creativity and insight as powerful catalysts for facilitating learning and transformational change in organisations, teams and individuals.
Backed by over a decade of national and international experience in education, corporate management and consultancy, Taya’s work as an impassioned facilitator designer, educator and coach at Performance Frontiers expertly balances content and process to elicit powerful learning outcomes and cultivate meaningful change.
Dr Georgia Seffrin is supported by over 15 years’ experience in transformational change and leadership in organisations. She has built a productive career in learning design and facilitation across a diversity of professional sectors including education, health, government, corporate and arts organisations.
As Performance Frontier’s lead graphic and instructional designer, Jason breathes life into complex theory and unlocks new ways of thinking through the production of captivating tools and designs.
Jocelyn utilises her expertise in relationship management, knowledge of integrated marketing communications and skills in word wizardry to establish, maintain and enrichen PF’s professional relationships.
Ed recognises the partnering role finance has in realising an organisation’s strategy. Over six years, Ed has responded to manifold challenges of our rapidly evolving business and has helped Performance Frontiers thrive. His skillful management and refinement of our financial processes and systems help to ensure that we remain agile, responsive and successful. His financial expertise has been built through decades of financial consultation, dedicated bookkeeping, financial reporting and accounting both locally and nationally.
Lowanna uses her 20 years’ experience as a program designer, facilitator, arts educator and academic to help our clients make meaningful change in a way than inspires transformational growth.
Kylie uses her high-level relationship skills, expertise in coaching psychology and facilitation prowess to co-create transformative learning experiences and build human potential.
Dr Jane Austin brings over 20 years’ experience as a registered clinical psychologist to guide organisational and individual development in her work as a designer, coach and facilitator with Performance Frontiers team.
Olga is our office all-rounder and administration superstar. She applies her design acumen and super organisational skills to the task of designing efficient systems processes behind the scenes at Performance Frontiers.