Mentoring
Gadget
24 Posts
Has anyone got a mentoring program they are willing to share?
Thanks,
Thanks,
Comments
I have a mentor. He is my director. He has mentored me in a semi-deliberate, semi-formal manner for the past 10 years. We never use the term "mentor" but I observe him, learn from him, and am a better person for it.
One reason it works is that we get along. We have some shared activities (golf) and a lot of common life experiences although he is much farther along the road.
He has some stake in mentoring me (succession) and I have some stake in being mentored (growth and opportunity).
What I wonder about is how successful an "artificial" mentoring relationship can be? I am sure that there are organizations that have created successful mentoring programs but I imagine that it must be very difficult.
I would think you would need to pair people who have:
- compatible schedules and naturally occurring points of contact
- shared interests, activities, beliefs
- mutual stake in the success of the mentoring relationship
- a desire to spend time together
- a mutual willingness to share and recieve information
Ok, just some thoughts.
However, our company wants to make the relationship formal as part of our diversity program. I am fairly new to the Company and was hired with a mandate to change the culture which was in disarray and functioning under a company-wide consent decree due to class-action suit in 2001.
We are making so much progress at our plant that we get to be the pilot for the program.
I am trying for a minimally formal program.
Thanks again.
If diversity is the goal, would the mentor program put an african american manager with a caucasian supervisor? A female VP with a male manager?
I like my goals very clear and defined. I would be worried about a mentoring program with too many goals or undefined goals.
Our new senior pastor who starts in August is apparently HUGE into mentoring and I am personally excited to learn more about how to do it in a way that works.
I really believe in the K.I.S.S. principle.
In the military if "I kept my nose clean", "did not step on peer and bosses toes", enhanced my education level", and took the right assignments in 3 year or 1 year assignment blocks and "then performed a head of my peers regardless of the nature of the boss or bosses" I advanced in responsibilities to the level of Lt. Col. It was at this level that I met my downfall. My boss was a flaming A__ that made BG, and took my ass out of an advancing career. I was headed for greatness, but was stopped in my path by a "bull dozer". The BG never made it beyond BG, his mentors left him sitting high and dry with his mistreatment of subordinates at all ranks.
With out his negative actions, I might never have arrived into the civilian world of work as an HR. God was on my side and directed my future outside of the militarty life and I am happier for it. So much for mentoring, it can work but do you really have enough time? Is your company big enough to absorb some individuals moving to new and exciting opportunities to learn and perform? Projects management is about the only way in todays world for there to be real diverse opportunities to excell and fail.
We currently have 6 management trainees on-board and working but we have no one in management that is going to move. We have been creative and now have Barn Managers verses Barn Supervisors, with no place to go. Our ability to mentor and develop is now in the position to make management moves, but we have no place to go.
PORK
PORK
You raise a good point -- we have "supervisors" in the plant who will be retiring and we generally promote these from within the ranks of hourly employees. We also have nonexempt (who I'm thinking of as the mentees) who have come through the plant and could use advice and counsel on advancing.
It sounds like your military experience was overall a positive one and that you made a soft landing.