Now that mentoring is widely recognised as the way to motivate, develop and keep employees, the role of "in-company" mentoring is being explored by those aware of the profit improvement it bestows. It is a big topic so I am devoting two articles to it.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is helping people to realise their own abilities. It is not coaching, although the two are not far apart. But coaching involves teaching techniques for achieving short-term and very specific, limited objectives. At the right time and for the right purpose coaching is a highly important tool.

Mentoring takes a more holistic view of a person’s career, ambitions, needs and ultimate fulfillment. Every Mentor will devote some of his mentoring time to coaching but he will look beyond the immediate future to the longer-term rewards and achievements.

A good Coach imparts ways of doing things. A good Mentor gets his Mentee to discover what he or she really wants and helps them to achieve it – but does not achieve it for them.

“If you truly care for someone you help them to stand on their own feet, not on yours.”

Why should in-company mentoring be adopted?

To be helpful a Mentor must understand something about the work his Mentee is doing. It is usually possible to pick this up fairly quickly, but not always. Where the Mentor is already employed in the company the learning curve is much shorter, almost non-existent, and the process gets off to a flying start. Most jobs have a technical element about them and all companies have unique cultures; to have these pre-understood is a great way to speed up the Mentoring process.

There is a built-in stability in a company. Those who will become Mentors are likely to be either the very bright, young staff who will want to make their mark and climb the promotional ladder or somewhat older members of the organisation who have no intention of moving on.

How is in-company mentoring done?

Different companies have adopted different models for their in-company mentoring; there are many ways of approaching the task. Looking at the record of those few companies who have actively promoted in-company mentoring I am impressed by the success of those who have clearly separated mentoring from authority.

While there is no one ‘right’ way to introduce mentoring, the following seems to be the most efficient, effective and rewarding approach.

What are the do’s and don’ts?

The best Mentor is one who has been selected by the Mentee. Sympathetic understanding, a predisposition to listen and shared interests are the basic tools of good mentoring. No Mentor has the same amount of these for everyone. Good communication between Mentee and Mentor depends significantly on chemistry.

Authority is generally a bad basis for mentoring because the lines of command are difficult to disentangle from an essentially personal relationship. A Mentee is left in an ambiguous position as to what his / her response can be. Telling the boss what to do with his ideas is still not advisable as a basis for promotion, however egalitarian the organisation or society.

It follows from this that any formality or procedure is in danger of getting a Mentor / Mentee relationship off to a stilted or shaky start. A company that wants to introduce mentoring has, therefore, to be sensitive to the fact that personal likes and dislikes play a legitimate part, in much the same way as they do with counseling.

In my next article I will set out the seven steps I regard as likely to lead to the most successful mentoring for an organisation.

My experience is that any organisation wanting to introduce mentoring should follow these simple steps to maximise the chance of success.

1. Senior managers and top HR staff should be given a half-day exercise explaining what is to be done and how. This will tell them what mentoring is, why the organisation wants to adopt it and the sort of people who will make good Mentors.

2. Those attending should then be asked to submit the names of any members of the organisation they think fit the criteria for a good Mentor. They should be encouraged to include those approaching retirement as well as those showing early promise of becoming top rate managers. The young are often excellent Mentors and those at the end of their careers have much experience and wisdom to bestow – indeed, they can be encouraged to continue as Mentors after they have retired, to the benefit of both themselves and the business.

3. Senior management, together with the help of the best HR staff, should decide which of the names submitted are likely to be viable candidates and these should be asked if they would like to be considered. It must be made clear that saying "no" does not in any way lead to a black mark.

4. Those who select themselves should be given a two-day course of explanation and role-play with real examples of successful mentoring. Being a Mentor is enormously rewarding for those predisposed to helping their fellow humans, but it can also be demanding, often requiring much patience and perseverance.

It is essential that the candidates understand that mentoring is not another form of appraisal or talent-spotting. Senior management and HR will participate in this two-day exercise with a view to identifying the truly dedicated potential Mentors.

5. Once candidates have been identified, have had a brief training and have agreed to become Mentors they should ideally be given an external mentoring contact to act as a "Guardian Angel" during the first six to twelve months in which they are acting as Mentors. They will not be required to submit reports or verify the way they are handling their Mentees but they will be able to call on their Guardian Angel Mentor for advice if they feel they need it.

6. Once Mentors are in place they should be identified to all staff, preferably by a one-hour meeting at which the Mentors’ roles will be explained and staff will be told how they may access a Mentor of their choice. Short written introductions to Mentors will be made available to staff voluntarily seeking a Mentor. They must understand that the choice is theirs, not their boss’s, and it must be made clear that the Mentor will not be reporting back to their boss or management in any specific way.

The relationship between Mentor and Mentee is sacred, in all respects.

7. Mentors should be asked from time to time – but not at appraisal time – to comment on their experiences generally without betraying confidences of a personal nature. Their views on the value of mentoring will be revealing – as much about themselves as Mentors as about the concept.

In-company mentoring is set to become a major way of developing new managers. Enlightened organisations that adopt it will certainly see the very real benefits from improved staff morale to enhanced profits. Those who do it well will make a dramatic difference to the lives of their employees and create a high level of entrepreneurial stability – the goal of every business.

I know it works because I did it.