Mentoring Across the Generations

Many of my corporate clients have put considerable emphasis in the past few years on members’ non-technical skills as a crucial factor for enhanced professional development and safety. Working together, we craft a custom program for each client. The main goal is to facilitate the understanding of those cognitive and interpersonal skills needed for a successful career. Our custom training program called, “Mentoring Skills for Success,” results in effective transfer of the desired behaviors to the Mentor pairs, also called mentoring partnerships.

What is this Mentorship?

The corporate mentorship program connects older and or long-term professionals (Mentors) with younger and or new professionals (Mentees) for a six-month or one-year long mentorship. Mentors and Mentees are paired based on a range and a combination of criteria such as career objectives, asset teams, project teams, personality type, background and professional experiences. The goals of the mentorship are defined between the pair through regular discussions and meetings and a personalized action plans created and implemented to achieve those goals. Pairing a Mentor and a Mentee creates a network of support outside of the Mentee’s standard business unit and enables them to reach their full potential and improve their overall quality of life in their professional community, while on the job.

The Results?

One of my greatest feelings of accomplishment is to hear from a majority of participants say that they were “highly satisfied and surprised” by the effectiveness of their partnership. In fact, many continue their partnerships long after the formal program is concluded.

Mentors speak

“I liked that participation in the program really helped keep me relevant. As a parent I noticed the same things about my own kids that I saw in my Mentee. It helped me discuss our differences as a generational issue, the kind we dealt with in class, and that really got me thinking a lot about our differences and commonalities.”

“It’s been very interesting for me to share more of my experiences that are career oriented rather than technical and to help the Mentee better understand the company environment and the industry.”

 “I enjoyed hearing my Mentees perspective on things that I didn’t expect from somebody of their experience level to have. If you had asked me what I thought her perspective might be, I would not have been close to or as on the mark as I am now.

 “I gained a new appreciation for someone else’s unique need for knowledge and understanding. In mentoring roles I’ve been in before what was at stake was their technical development. This program prepared me to guide the Mentee’s professional development and also her career/social development .” 

Mentees speak

“One thing that really stands out for me was getting guidance, talking about being happy, getting advice from someone you know will not tell your boss. That’s been really nice. Not having to be careful about discussing my concerns with other people around.”

 “I worried that because it was an established match versus an organic one that it was too structured, it would feel even more restrictive and there would be less opportunity for building a relationship. So I think it was good that the majority of the time we didn’t pull out a sheet of paper and follow a task list. Our relationship just flowed each time we met and it felt very comfortable and reassuring.”

“In a normal day I would have never approached my Mentor. I would’ve thought, “There’s no way he’d have anything to do with me. We have nothing in common.” That perception made me understand that, WOW, what other opportunities are out there that I’ve not taken time to uncover because I have these preconceived stereotypes of people? When in reality, I’m just missing lots of chances to meet new people in our company.”

For more information on how your company might benefit, visit our Mentoring Program page or call Dwayne at 405-701-2999.