In December, Matthew Aslett published a book entitled Fundamentals of Effective Mentorship: How to Develop Intellectual Capacity and Healthy Workplace Culture, which discusses the facilitation of mentorship programs and the development of mentorship relationships based on experiences from a practitioner lens. The ability to encourage two-way learning relationships through mentorship can help organizations to improve effectiveness. A mentorship program can empower mentors, mentees, and program leaders to share best practices. The mentorship process is integral for promoting the professional and personal growth of stakeholders within an organization.
When I spoke with Matthew this month, I asked him, “What are the prime benefits of mentorship and how can managers start mentorship programs within their companies?” Here is his detailed answer:
The prime benefits of mentorship can be considered from three perspectives. First, mentees can establish new relationships with diverse individuals who may provide opportunities to accumulate knowledge, skills, and experiences. Mentees can increase self-belief with encouragement and personalized guidance from counterparts. Mentees can enhance goal-setting abilities with the exploration of priorities, specification of action plans, and co-construction of success strategies.
Second, mentors can develop communication skills in verbal and written domains to convey critical perspectives in understandable terms based on counterpart needs. Mentors can delve deeper into introspection with an awareness of novel viewpoints and personalized philosophies for decision-making. Mentors can engage in talent identification of candidates for prospective positions and opportunities through knowledge of unique abilities. Mentors can achieve self-actualization or personal fulfillment through participation in the vocation and bidirectional exchange of diverse best practices.
Third, communities can proceed with lifelong learning as individuals, teams, and organizations may explore perspectives in collaborative inquiry activities. Communities can improve equity and inclusivity, which represent fairness and belongingness, through active listening, examination of taken-for-granted assumptions, and recognition of improvements. Communities can cultivate intellectual abilities for engagement, productivity, and creativity when members participate in dialogue and pinpoint actionable recommendations.
A manager can start a mentorship program within the company using seven steps. First, initiative goals based on the values, vision, and assembled data can guide the focus. Second, selection criteria about mandatory or voluntary participation and manual or automated matching can influence planning. Third, resource strategy considers financial, human, intellectual, physical, and technological elements for implementation. Fourth, data collection mechanisms can capture quantitative and qualitative insights for decision-making. Fifth, an opening message can specify formal expectations and announce an orientation meeting. Sixth, an ideation session can explore aspirations and success factors. Seventh, interaction norms about frequency, relationship length, and modality can clarify learning preferences.
What do you think of Matthew's views on organizational mentorship programs? Does your company have one? Has it been effective in improving employee engagement and workplace culture?
