Here we are at Week 4 of answering some of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding corporate mentoring. If you have a question about mentoring that we have yet to answer, please be sure to post it in the comments section below or contact us.
FAQ: What does a mentor do?
The following are among the mentor’s functions:
- Teaches the mentoree about a specific issue
- Coaches the mentoree on a particular skill
- Facilitates the mentoree’s growth by sharing resources and networks
- Challenges the mentoree to move beyond his or her comfort zone
- Creates a safe learning environment for taking risks
- Focuses on the mentoree’s total development
FAQ: How can you determine an organization’s need for mentoring?
Some organizations conduct focus groups, employee surveys or both to determine where the need for mentoring is greatest, and whether there is sufficient support for a mentoring program.
Other organizations rely on task force members, who have been asked to participate because of their knowledge of the organization and the population being targeted.The appropriate method depends on what steps an organization has already taken as well as what resources are available.
In general, focus groups are relatively low-cost, while surveys can be costly. If you would like Mentoring Complete to create a focus group or conduct a survey for you, click here.
FAQ: What does an outside consulting firm offer a prospective client?
Experienced consultants provide:
- Cost effectiveness – reduces the time and effort needed to establish a program
- Successful design – program operates more efficiently based on successful designs employed by similar organizations
- Improved results – focuses on specific competency areas
Higher success rate – previous mentoring expertise helps organizations avoid pitfalls that have derailed many mentoring programs.