When a man named Jack Welch was GE’s Chairman, he became an expert on how digitization could contribute to GE’s success.[1] Back then he was already a seasoned retiree, so how could he have known so much about the new age of digitalism, and been the one to apply it at GE? He was able to because of mentoring he received from an Internet-savvy twenty-five-year-old who knew a lot about computers and social media. Although Jack already had years of professional experience under his belt, and although his mentor was only about half his age at the time, he was still able to learn many valuable things from him.
So what is mentoring? According to Webster’s New International Dictionary, “To mentor is to teach or give advice or guidance to someone, such as a less experienced person or a child.”[2] Mentoring typically focuses on the longer-term professional and personal growth of the individual. It is about joint exploration, and providing guidance regarding career and personal progression and preparation. If a person finds a mentor, the benefits could be enormous. For example, a mentee’s learning is accelerated through their mentor’s experiences, and they are able to tap into a constant source of encouragement. The mentorship guidance offered can impact an employee’s ability to immediately add value in a new role. Mentees are able to use a mentor as a sounding board for concerns and thoughts, and tap into a mentor as a networking source. On top this can help to create the feeling that the organization is taking a genuine interest in their people and role models the accountability for growing and sustaining a leadership pipe line. Lastly, mentees can gain fresh perspectives on an idea or project. Personally I am convinced that building great leaders is a priority focus and job for leaders themselves. Leaders at all levels in the organization should understand and commit to the important role they should play in readying their potential successors. Leaders understand that transitions / promotions up through the organization have become increasingly more challenging - new relationships, new challenges and new demands can be difficult if one is not adequately prepared to contribute at each respective level. And what better and more fulfilling way to do this than through a mentoring relationship?