Mentorship is both an honor and a privilege. On one hand we should be honored that we've made it to a level in our industry where other people recognize our accomplishments as a standard to work up to. On the other hand it's a privilege to leave our footprints as guides for others to walk in. Our industries will continue to evolve, so to have a hand in that evolution via mentorship is amazing. My marketing firm is online based, so most of my interactions with the people I mentor are via video chats or phone calls. They are college students or recent grads in the Website industry, Digital Design industry or Marketing industry. There is many differences between them, but the one thing they have in common is their hunger to be the best. They ask me questions about everything from what programs I use for design to where I get my creative ideas from. One of the people I mentor recently accepted an entry level position in her field. Her excitement poured through the phone as she told me the news! It's outcomes like that one that reminds me of how impactful mentorship is. No one starts at the top, but a good work ethic, a sincere approach to learning and a good mentor can definitely turn dreams into reality.
To me, as an executive, your success is dependent upon the success of your organization. By mentoring the people on your team, you are able to assess their strengths and help them improve the weaker areas, so the end result is a much more capable person on your team. In addition, it also gives you the opportunity to really develop a relationship with that person and understand their goals and motivations better. One of my most rewarding experiences was meeting with one of my direct reports in a mentoring session and she said to me "You are the first executive I have ever worked with who wanted to help me improve in my career and cared about my goals." She went on to be a vice president with another company and we stay in touch to this day.
Mentoring Approach - Cultural Due Diligence in Mentoring Building healthy mentoring relationships requires cultural due diligence and creative designs. When there is an organizational relationship such as school or workplace, or a familial one such as parent or guardian, certain elements of leverage are in place to sustain the relationship. Those advantages do not exist when the pairs are in different geographies, organizations, or environments. Cultural, ethnic, generational, and gender differences introduce the potential for poor communication and failure to meet the goals for the match. Identifying the potential pitfalls for a relationship and putting preventive actions in place is essential for success. A body of knowledge amassed over 50 years of research and evidence based practice validates several critical success factors for healthy relationships and cost-effective processes. This brief list of those critical success factors, will focus organization on areas for creative and effective design: Identify the needs, goals, opportunities, and readiness of the organization Plan and design to align the mentoring process with other functions Clear communication within and across organizations Identify key arget populations of Protégés and Mentors Match the pairs and negotiate agreements Clarify roles and responsibilities of all participants Design a simple development plans for objectives, actions, and when to conclude Evaluate all components of the process to report results, sustain, and scale it for maximum impact © 2024 Margo Murray, MBA, CPT, C-EI President & COO MMHA The Managers’ Mentors, Inc. Tel: 510.531.9453 e.mail: margo@mentors-mmha.com Web: www. mentors-mmha.com REFERENCES: Clark, S., and Murray, M., (2005), Mega-Planning in Population, Performance Improvement Quarterly, 18(3) pp. 17-25, International Society for Performance Improvement, www.ispi.org McCrary, M., and Garcia, J., (April 1997) General Motors’ YES Program Teams Students with Workplace Mentors, The Mentoring Connection, International Mentoring Association, www.mentoringassociation.org Murray, M., (Second Edition 2001) Beyond the Myths and Magic of Mentoring: How to Facilitate an Effective Mentoring Process, Jossey•Bass/Wiley, San Francisco, CA Murray, M., McCrary, M., and Rickel, K., (updated 2012), Mentoring Resource Kit, MMHA The Managers' Mentors, Inc., Oakland, CA
The Impact of Structured Mentorship on Young Employees As the founder of a legal process outsourcing company, I believe that mentorship is vital for nurturing talent and fostering a strong company culture. One approach we’ve taken is to create a structured mentorship program that pairs senior executives with emerging leaders within the company. A particularly rewarding experience was when I mentored a promising team member who had the potential to step into a leadership role but lacked confidence. Through regular one-on-one sessions, we worked on developing their leadership skills, strategic thinking, and decision-making abilities. Over time, I watched them grow into a confident leader who now manages one of our key client accounts. This not only reinforced the value of mentorship within our organization but also highlighted the impact of investing time and guidance in our future leaders.
We approach mentorship like a reverse scavenger hunt. Instead of seeking out hidden treasures, we focus on uncovering hidden potential within our teams. Each week, we dedicate 15 minutes to "discovery conversations," where we ask questions designed not just to understand the work being done, but to reveal the passions, skills, and even personal quirks of our mentees. One particularly rewarding experience was when we discovered that a mid-level manager had a passion for visual storytelling. We connected her with our marketing team, where she developed an internal campaign that not only elevated her career but also significantly boosted employee engagement across the board. This approach shifts mentorship from a top-down model to a more collaborative, exploratory process that often uncovers unexpected talent and creates opportunities we never knew existed.