Mentoring
those who need it most
Don
Schmitz /Human Resource
Staffing
I’m happy to say, I’ve never been without a mentor.
When I was young my parents were my mentors followed by my
brothers and sisters and mother-in-law. In the work of world
too, I’ve always been blessed to have mentors who guided
my path and taught me the ropes. I learned so much from so
many wonderful people.
What is a mentor? Mentors are leaders who have gone down the
path of life before us and are willing to share with us the
benefit of their experience. In the world of work, mentors
can make the difference of from good to great.
The names for mentors come in many sizes and shapes; bosses,
coworkers, coaches, advisory boards, supervisors, significant
others and friends.
In business, I’ve benefited greatly from several different
business coaches who have helped me make some major leaps
in my career. I’m not the brightest person in the world,
but I learned long ago if someone is willing to show me a
better path and save me from making many costly mistakes,
why not consider it?
At a time when perhaps our corporations could benefit the
most, countless corporations have been forced to eliminate
their formal mentoring programs leaving many workers forced
to learn by trial an error or find or find their own mentors.
Most recently, I ran across an article on SHRM advocating
the benefits of mentoring. Susan Wells writes, “Employees
who have mentors tend to earn more, advance more quickly,
learn faster on the job, are better socialized into the organization
and are more productive.” Wells also quoted research
conducted by Gartner Inc. in support of mentoring; “Mentors
were promoted six times more often and protégés
were promoted five times more often than those not in a mentoring
program.”
Recognizing the value of mentoring, SHRM, in 2007 created
a mentorship program that has quickly garnered the interest
of more than 3,000 of its members. Experienced HR professionals
are invited to complete profiles on line at www.3creekmentoring.com/shrm,
as do potential protégés, who list the characteristics
they want to mentor. The program than sends you matches to
choose from.
With great anticipation, I went online and completed information
about my experience and interest and within a very short period
of time, I was matched with several potential protégés.
I sent off a quick email to my best fit and now waiting contact.
If you have participated in SHRM’s program, I would
be anxious to speak with you and I invite you to go online
and check out a mentorship opportunity for yourself.
Reproduction of this article cannot be accomplished without
the expressed consent of Human Resource Staffing. Don Schmitz
is a popular speaker and writer on all aspects of HR and CEO
of Human Resource Staffing. Don holds graduate degrees in
Education, Administration and Human Development.
Contact Don@HumanResourceStaffingInc.com
952 854 6040
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