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Home | Industry Standards | Creating a Mentoring Program

Creating a Mentoring Program

01 January, 2008 01:43:00
ABCN

ALLIANCE has long touted the benefits of a mentoring program at work. Develop your team members' capability and confidence and your business will benefit. Mentoring programs improve productivity, enhance participants' problem-solving skills, and allow employees to build better relationships with their colleagues. Pair more senior-level employees with less experienced workers to enhance training beyond the initial training program.

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Improve productivity with a mentoring program.
A critically beneficial mentoring program may not be as difficult to implement as you might think. With a bit of effort and efficient use of resources, your team will enjoy greater success with someone to turn to as they face professional challenges. Here are a few ALLIANCE-recommended tips for establishing a mentoring program at your NETWORK center.

1. Create a mentoring plan
Establish a clear plan for your mentoring program, detailing management requirements, expectations, and monitoring methods. This initial step is critical to the success of your program.

2. Pair well
Put careful consideration in playing matchmaker - your program's success is dependent on pairing the right mentors with the right mentees. Personality and tenure should be considered when determining mentor relationships. Positive interaction is crucial, and diverse pairings generally create the most mutually beneficial partnerships, as long as both participants are open to communication and an alternative point of view. Keep in mind that people from different cultures, backgrounds and generations can learn more from each other than those with similar experiences.

3. Encourage the program at your center
The successful pairing of an experienced employee with a rookie allows both individuals to learn. Younger or less experienced employees can also offer knowledge to their seasoned counterparts, especially in the areas of technology and popular trends. Younger employees can provide valuable insight on the values, attitudes and habits of their generation to upper-level management at your center. This knowledge can impact how your business interacts with younger customers and provide insight into the future direction of your center.

Through careful planning, making good matches and supporting upward mentoring, you can create a mentoring program that helps strengthen your NETWORK center and team members.

For more information on mentoring and training, please visit the ALLIANCE Academy at http://www.theallianceacademy.com.

Comments (1 posted):

Sharon Kelly on 08 December, 2009 09:01:16
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Excellent ---- I am just beginning to offer free meeting space to SCORE "Service Corp of Retuired Executives." They are housed downtown with SBDC but seem to prefer not going there if they can meet here in Midtown. Would like to have more information on your Mentoring and training program for our office here in Anchorage. Sharon

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