FIVE Reasons for Mentorship in Your Organization

It was a pleasure for me to get together for coffee with Bruce Baker, the Founder and President of HR ALL-IN Inc. Mentorship is but one of the many topics we touched on during our conversation. With his permission, we're pleased to provide you with some of the valuable insights Bruce shared with his audience in his blog post on Dec. 16, 2014.

"Why a Mentorship Program Is Fantastic For a Company"

Many organizations have a hard and fast work culture. Employees come in, work hard, complete the work quickly and leave. Much of the training is on the job with various colleagues and managers instructing employees to learn as much as possible. Very few organizations bother with a Mentorship Program, and those that do, reap the benefits of better trained employees.
 
A Mentorship Program is nothing like a Buddy Program. Many organizations have a Buddy Program, but its aims are quite different. The Buddy Program works towards a new employee acquainted with the roles and responsibilities in the organization. It’s a way to ensure that new employees do not make mistakes. But employees are subjected to a ‘sink or swim’ system.
 
A Mentorship Program aims to achieve more than that.
 
Better Training

A Mentorship Program does not just apply to a newcomer, it can apply to everyone. Senior managers, who act as mentors, have more experience can train employees better than a colleague.
 
You probably have employees who are talented, whose skill needs to be polished. An attentive mentor is able to do just that. Employees will be fed the right information to deal with various crises instead of trying new things before settling on the right method.
 
Improved Productivity
 
A mentor does not just watch over the employee, but the work and projects he handles too. He reviews the employee’s working style and suggests changes to improve them. Hence, work submitted by the employee will be done faster and have better quality.
 
Leaders in Training
 
Any large organization needs effective leaders who can manage and lead their employees well. Many organizations look at their own workforce to find them, but fail because their employees lack the skills to qualify as leaders.
 
A Mentorship Program solves this problem. Mentors have leadership and management skills that will transfer down to their mentees (mentor’s students). This way your organization has competent employees who can step up to management positions. Additionally, you don’t have to look outside the organization and save on hiring costs.
 
Increase Synergy
 
As the relationship between a mentor and his mentees increase, they develop a synergy. Because of a mentor’s special attention and teaching, they develop a good rapport that allows them to accomplish more than others. There is a great level of understanding between a mentor and his mentees that allows this.

Employee Retention
 
Employees with mentors have a higher level of satisfaction, better opportunities for career growth and have a good relationship with their mentors. For these three reasons, employees are willing to stay in the organization rather than drop out.
 
A mentorship program will give your organization a capable workforce that can effectively handle small-scale daily problems and those once in a blue moon, major crises. If you want to build an organization with well trained employees who can rise up the ranks and provide competent leadership in the future, it is then that you should implement a Mentorship Program.

About the author - Bruce Baker

An accomplished Certified Human Resources Professional – experienced in both union and non-unionized working environments, who has held the position/s of increasing responsibility in dynamic Fortune 50 companies. Respected leader, business partner and change agent – builds highly motivated; high performing teams through organized, strategic and tactical methodology. Deeply knowledgeable – able to translate external business trends successfully into internal organization decisions and actions.

Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. is looking forward to future opportunities to help our audience in various aspects of their growth and development. Thank you for sharing these great perspectives with our audience Bruce!

Bruce Baker, is the Founder and President of HR ALL-IN Inc. 
Please visit his website at: http://www.hrallin.ca




Question: 
How would a Mentorship Program help your organization?

Leaders who Coach are Leaders who Mentor (continued)

What is the relationship between ‘coaching’ and ‘mentoring’?

As mentioned in our Post of November 30, 2014, my friend Dan Gaynor kindly allowed me to share some of his insights, and I'm pleased to do so in this Post. Thank you Dan for making this available to our circle of contacts!

Dan Gaynor, is the President of Gaynor Consulting Inc. The following excerpt is from his book, “The Heart And Hands Of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices Of Effective Leaders”. 

A link is provided below for more information regarding his book, as well as another link to a video available on my YouTube Channel, where Dan provides some additional insights on the topic of Mentorship.

We trust you'll enjoy Dan's comments that touch on themes of coaching, leadership and mentorship.
 
Coach for Skills and Relationships
 
In an earlier post on this BLOG, Dan Gaynor said: Leaders who coach are the very leaders we describe as mentors. A mentor is someone who takes an interest in you and wants to pass on what he has learned. The good mentors want to see you succeed. They are delighted when you do and to have played a role in your success. And while “mentor” can be an overused and often meaningless title, genuine mentoring is powerful. Mentors care about the people they lead. It’s personal. The office does not have to be so different from the arena. All the same benefits - improved performance and more satisfying relationships - can be realized at work when leaders take the time to pass on what they have learned to others.

The next time figure skating is on television take a few minutes to watch. Focus on the relationship between coaches and athletes. Watch them at the boards during warm-up or as the scores are being released. For a closer look, visit your local rink. You will be surprised how much there is to learn when you know what to look for.

Skating intensifies coaching because it is such a technically demanding sport. Even the smallest error can spell disaster. My amateur sport years included hockey and lacrosse. I had a few good coaches, and one who was exceptional, but most were good volunteers who got us to the ice on time. They were organizers but didn’t really know how to develop our talents or our understanding of the game. They were like many of the leaders I see today.

Over the years, I watched several skating coaches guide young skaters from their first tentative steps onto a hard and slippery surface to executing difficult jumps and spins with confidence and grace. Sure, the best athletes had some talent (and this is true at work as well), but virtually all learned new skills, provided they stayed at it long enough. Today, as a ski coach, I see the same things in the young athletes I work with, and I get as much or more from the relationships as they do. There is something really satisfying about helping someone else develop new skills and confidence.
 
Coaching satisfies another important condition of leadership—fairness. When leaders assign work and don’t coach they are rightly seen as unfair. Without coaching we usually get more of the same thing harder and faster. There is little, if any, lasting improvement. Leaders who make demands and don’t coach often incite fear or frustration.

Coaching skills were a top priority at each newspaper I led. It’s not difficult to assign work and measure it. Many capable managers do this month after month. But coaching demands more of the leader. It is a key distinction between management and leadership.

DAN'S BOOK: This excerpt is taken from Chapter 17 of Dan Gaynor’s book, "The Heart and Hands of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices of Effective Leaders", published in May of 2014 by Kingsley Publishing.

For more details on Dan's book go to: www.heartandhandsofleadership.com
 
OUR VIDEO: To view a short video where Dan Gaynor provides some of his insights on the topic of Mentorship Please Click Here.
 
We welcome your comments to the above and invite you to share them with those in your circle of contacts.

Leaders who Coach are Leaders who Mentor

What is the relationship between ‘coaching’ and ‘mentoring’? 

In a previous post to this BLOG on February 15, 2014 (Revisiting Coaching VS Mentoring), I provided some interesting comments on this from Professor David Clutterbuck which readers may want to review.

More recently, I had opportunity to speak with Dan Gaynor, President, Gaynor Consulting Inc. who kindly provided the following excerpt from his book, “The Heart And Hands Of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices Of Effective Leaders”. 

 A link is provided for more information regarding his book at the end of this post, as well as another link to a video on my YouTube Channel where Dan provides some of his insights on the topic of Mentorship. 

Dan’s material will be shared in two posts - this one, and another in December 2014.

We trust that you will enjoy the perspective he’s provided, as it touches on coaching, leadership and mentorship. 

Coach for Skills and Relationships
 
In John Wooden’s book Wooden on Leadership, the legendary coach of the U.C.L.A men’s basketball team—the most successful coach in the history of the N.C.A.A.—wrote: “Every good leader is a natural and enthusiastic teacher.” I couldn’t agree more. Coaching turns raw talent into refined strength and builds relationships. It builds strong teams by building strong team members.

For good leaders, coaching is a joy not a burden. Athletes know how their relationships with skilled and dedicated coaches motivate them to do their best. They don’t want to disappoint the coach. We feel the same way about leaders who take the time to coach us. Leaders who coach build much more than skills. The best build relationships in which people don’t want to let them down. They have a genuine interest in how things turn out. Beyond becoming good personal coaches every senior leader has a responsibility to foster these skills throughout the entire leadership network.

My inspiration for workplace coaching got its start with my hockey and lacrosse coaches, but it really grew as a parent watching our daughters figure skate. It occurred to me that as important as coaching is to the development of strong organizations and healthy relationships, it is still not common in the workplace. Earlier, we looked at the way the best leaders focus on the needs of others rather than on their own needs. Coaching is a big part of this. As I watched our daughters, Paige and Hayley, work with their skating coach I was struck not only by the progress of their skills but more significantly by the relationships I saw developing. I think all great coaches know that if they cannot build a relationship they cannot teach. The right relationship brings out the best in every athlete. Good coaches have far more than technical expertise. They have relational expertise, founded in a genuine wish to help the athlete grow and the team succeed.

My daughters’ skating coach had a real interest in their success. Watching her alongside the boards as the girls competed, she was animated, her expressions rising and falling with every success and failure on the ice. Our daughters wanted to do their best for her. The relationships and skills I saw develop at those rinks were not so different from those between the best leaders and their followers.

Leaders who coach are the very leaders we describe as mentors. A mentor is someone who takes an interest in you and wants to pass on what he has learned. The good mentors want to see you succeed. They are delighted when you do and to have played a role in your success. And while “mentor” can be an overused and often meaningless title, genuine mentoring is powerful. Mentors care about the people they lead. It’s personal. The office does not have to be so different from the arena. All the same benefits—improved performance and more satisfying relationships—can be realized at work when leaders take the time to pass on what they have learned to others.


DAN'S BOOK: This excerpt is taken from Chapter 17 of Dan Gaynor’s book, "The Heart and Hands of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices of Effective Leaders", published in May of 2014 by Kingsley Publishing.

For more details on Dan's book go to: www.heartandhandsofleadership.com
 
OUR VIDEO: To view a short video where Dan Gaynor provides some of his insights on the topic of Mentorship Please Click Here.
 
We welcome your comments to the above and invite you to share them with those in your circle of contacts. 

Please watch for 'Part 2' with a continuation of comments from Dan Gaynor.

Solid Advice on Mentorship - Where's the Proof?

Rarely does success come over night. As we've often heard, the 'overnight success'  typically comes as the result of years of hard work and dedication, coupled with the advice and input of many along that path. The true test comes from positive results, and that's often necessitates the passage of time.

One of the things I've appreciated over the years is the ability to access valuable information and resources that help entrepreneurs move forward with their business ideas. In a post to our "Business Success BLOG" on this same day, we talk about the important role of helping those interested in entrepreneurship to explore what's involved. That may start at an early stage as young people are still in the fomal education system, but it may equally extend to those who are further along, more mature and often with several years of  experience in the workforce.

I've enjoyed working with a friend and former colleague, Norm Greenwood. Norm shared some of his many insights related to mentorship when we got together and recorded this interview. Since then, we've managed to keep in touch and he still provides me with great perspective.  I consider Norm to be a mentor to me and look forward to those opportunities we have to get together. I think you'll learn a few things from my friend, and invite you to now view, and share this video with others.

* For those looking for some great insight on strengthening their mentorship relationship, or creating a winning business plan to secure the funding necessary for your project, Norm Greenwood offers up some terrific advice!

Norm Greenwood has been involved with the small business community for over 25 years.  In his career, Norm has assisted, counselled and mentored hundreds of businesses of all sizes and in many areas.  He has also taught at various educational institutions including NAIT, the NAIT Entrepreneur Center, Grant MacEwan University, and the University of Alberta.  His business and mentoring skills have been recognized across Western Canada and among his peers.

Your comments on what's been shared are welcomed below.  And please let us know if we can assist you in the future.

Best wishes on your entrepreneurial journey!

CLICK HERE to view the video with Norm Greenwood.

A Mentor and a Friend (Tony Bishop)

Jim Ewing with Tony Bishop

There are so many wonderful people that I've had the opportunity to learn from over the years. In many cases, I personally consider them to be mentors. I recently had the opportunity to get out for a 'long overdue' round of golf with one of them and had an excellent time reflecting on some of the great experiences we've shared together! 


Tony Bishop (now retired) has been an instructor at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), a small business counsellor and private sector consultant specializing in the hospitality and tourism sectors.

It wasn't that long ago that Tony provided some great insights on the topic of mentorship. We'll provide you with a link to that video, found on our YouTube Channel. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO WITH TONY BISHOP ON MENTORSHIP

As our plans for Pro-Vision Solutions move forward, we hope to share additional insights and wisdom from people like Tony. 
 
Watch for more information and updates, as we have a number of interesting projects coming together over the next few months.  That’s keeping us busy as we're also doing a lot of networking, promotional work, and are involved in several volunteer roles where we believe we can add value.
  
Wishing you the best of success,
- Jim Ewing

Pro-Vision Solutions Inc.
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)




Business Success BLOG:  http://BusinessSuccessBlog.blogspot.com/
Mentorship BLOG:  http://ProVision-Mentorship.blogspot.com/
YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/ProvisionMentorship
Linkedin Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JimEwingProVision

Facebook:  facebook.com/JimEwingPVS
Twitter:  JimEwing_PVS

Capital Ideas Edmonton and "How do you make mentorship work for you?"

I really enjoyed my front-row seat at the Capital Ideas Edmonton event in May of 2014 when the topic was, "How do you make mentorship work for you?"  Here's the photo I took just as the discussion was getting underway!

Seen above is Karen Unland from Capital Ideas (left to right) with panel members Kristina Milke of K-GAR Consulting Inc. and VA Angels; Dan Duckering of DEXIO Inc. and Ray Muzyka of Threshold Impact and UAlberta Venture Mentoring Service.

There was a lot of great information, tips and suggestions that came forward as panel members shared their experiences with mentorship and how we can make the most of it. 

Here’s a quick overview of the facilitated questions that were put to the panel:

• Why do you mentor?
• How do you select who you mentor?
• What are the differences between mentoring entrepreneurs and employees?
• What is the best lesson you've learned from a mentorship relationship?
• How do you set boundaries with who you mentor?
• How do you deal with impostor syndrome?

If you’d like to hear the responses that the panel members provided, my friends at Capital Ideas Edmonton have provided the highlights from the panel in tweets, photos and video clips that can be seen at the following URL link.  CLICK HERE




AND if you'd like to provide your comments regarding any of the questions listed above, please add your remarks to to this post so we can share them with others. 

BTW - Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. has many FREE video clips on the topic of Mentorship on our YouTube Channel.  Here's a quick link to those resources:  CLICK HERE

Making Better Decisions Quicker

We’ve recently mentioned in some of our other social media channels of how important it is for leaders of successful organizations to develop and empower their people so that they can very quickly make the best decisions on behalf of the organization.


What have you found to be effective in your organization or business when it comes to, “Making Better Decisions Quicker”?  

(We’d love to hear from you, so please leave a few comments below!)

Here’s what we’ve found ...

MENTORSHIP within your business or organization can help your team achieve higher levels of success in a shorter amount of time.

In saying this, we’re referring to the very important developmental side of Mentorship – the process that helps people ‘plan and progress’ along their career path. In our case, Pro-Vision Solutions frequently works with communities and groups interested in the development of entrepreneurial success. Regardless of the context, we’re talking about a process that accelerates individual learning, and helps people to more quickly become productive contributors to their organizations, or in their own business ventures.

With the “Pro-Vision Mentorship Program” we’ve taken some of the best practices we’ve seen from several excellent mentorship programs and brought them together to further enrich the development of early-stage entrepreneurs. Building on the foundation we’ve established, we work with local communities and organizations to tap into the wisdom and experience of seasoned business owners and experienced leaders. We provide the necessary guidance, training and program management that allows for the quick introduction of an effective mentorship program that engages local volunteers as mentors with program participants.

If MENTORSHIP is a something of interest for you and your organization, please let us know. We’d be happy to speak with you regarding your needs and help you begin realizing some of the positive benefits that Mentorship can bring.

- Jim Ewing

Pro-Vision Solutions Inc.
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

Business Success BLOG:  http://BusinessSuccessBlog.blogspot.com/
Mentorship BLOG:  http://ProVision-Mentorship.blogspot.com/
YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/ProvisionMentorship
Linkedin Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/JimEwingProVision

Facebook:  facebook.com/JimEwingPVS
Twitter:  JimEwing_PVS