Executive Professional Development

How Female Leaders Can Leverage the Power of Mentorship Programs

Christena Garduno
What it Takes to Be a Successful Female Mentor in Male-Centric Industries 

For the past two years, business leaders have struggled with low employee engagement, low productivity rates, and general discontent among workers. Research by CNBC and SurveyMonkey found that 91 percent of workers with a mentor feel satisfied with their jobs, an increase of more than 20 percent over those without one. The same study found that over 40 percent of workers without a mentor had seriously considered quitting in the past three months. For people with a mentor, the figure was 25 percent.

As we transition into the new year, business leaders will face new opportunities and challenges, and as the business world evolves, an employee’s need for support and guidance has never been in higher demand. The way employees work has significantly changed since the pandemic, with a notable shift toward remote and hybrid work models. Employee stress remains at high levels, impacting their well-being and productivity. A highly effective way leaders can develop and support their teams to withstand workplace challenges is by implementing mentorship programs.

LEVERAGING THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP

Experienced mentors bring years of experience to the table. They provide insights and knowledge they have attained from the positions they have held over the years. A good mentor displays passion when sharing experiences and empathy when providing wisdom and can also help teach their mentees how to manage work-related anxiety. Instead of simply offering their own preferred solution or advice as the only option, mentors should encourage independent thinking from the mentee’s point of view. Mentors also serve a pivotal role in helping mentees prepare for promotions, guiding them through the steps it will take to advance within the organization, which allows the company to grow by hiring from within.

CREATING SUCCESSFUL MENTORING PROGRAMS

When developing your mentoring program, it is important start by identifying some basic guidelines. To do this, it’s helpful to answer the following questions:

  • Who will be eligible to participate?
  • How will mentees and mentors be matched?
  • How long will the mentor relationship last?
  • How often will mentors communicate with mentees?

Take time to conduct interviews to clarify areas of interest and the commitment level of each participant and evaluate personalities to determine which of your mentor-level employees is the best fit for each mentee. Once participants are selected, it’s time to create what your mentors and mentees will do within your mentoring framework. To do this, it’s important to determine what learning objectives and outcomes you will set for each session, as well as the corresponding activities and exercises that will be used to facilitate learning and interaction. Another key factor when planning your mentoring program is to outline how you will incorporate diversity, inclusion and equity into your mentoring curriculum to strengthen the workplace culture and encourage self-expression in a transparent, welcoming environment.

OVERCOMING HURDLES WHILE MENTORING

It’s not uncommon to run into challenges with mentoring, especially if you’ve never managed a mentoring program before. For a mentoring relationship to be a success, it will require effort from both parties, but a more concerted effort should come from the mentee. If your mentee is lacking motivation or commitment, take time to schedule an open conversation. Understanding the underlying cause of the lack of motivation is key to turning the situation around before the relationship goes down a path that is ultimately unproductive. When it comes to providing direction, finding the proper balance can be delicate for mentors. Providing too much can overwhelm their mentee, while providing too little can leave the mentee to flounder and second guess themselves which will interfere with their progress. Check in regularly to ask your mentee if you are providing the right amount of direction based on their goals and timetable.

Mentoring is a valuable journey filled with possibilities in the new year. Whether your goal is retention, advancement or genuine connection, mentoring creates a safe space for employees to learn, acquire new skills and share their experiences. These types of connections help to build a sense of belonging in the workplace while creating a solid path to opportunity and success for your teams. A successful mentoring program will bring fresh energy to your company’s culture, expand participation and increase overall support within your organization in 2024 and beyond.