Mentoring is a continuous process
that can maximize the success of an
institution while guiding and supporting each person toward individual and
collective achievement opportunities.
“Mentoring is a developmental, caring,
sharing and helping relationship where the
mentor helps the person being mentored,”
says Bahaudin Mujtaba, D.B.A., an assistant professor for Nova Southeastern
University at the School of Business.
Smart Business talked to Mujtaba about
what it takes for an organization to implement an effective mentoring program.
What does a mentor do?
A mentor can be a person who offers
knowledge, insight, perspective or wisdom
that is helpful to another person in a relationship that goes beyond duty or obligation. A mentor creates opportunities for
exposure, provides challenging and educational assignments, and serves as a role
model and adviser.
How can mentoring programs help an organization?
The goal of a mentoring program should
be to help leaders, managers, coaches and
senior employees become highly skilled,
self-aware, inclusive, energetic and creative, and to carry a zest for mentoring
every day.
Effective mentors and leaders understand
that developing others requires self-reflection, sensitivity, risk-taking, interdependency and teamwork among all parties. They
also understand that such a synergy requires forging a partnership, inspiring commitment, growing both the mentor’s and
mentee’s skills, promoting persistency and
shaping the environment so all parties can
achieve their goals.
In the business world, how do mentor/protégé relationships begin?
They often evolve informally, but managers can encourage and formalize them.
Effective mentoring requires listening,
caring and other forms of involvement between mentors and mentees. According
to experts, mentoring is often used to
achieve the interests of special groups and
populations, conserve and transfer special
know-how, encourage contributions, bring
employees together in a new social environment, help people reach their full
potential, enhance the competitive position of a person or department, and develop better relationships around the globe.
What is the key to a good mentoring program?
Mentoring is a collaborative effort.
Effective mentoring is a relationship built
on trust, in which the mentee confides personal information and characteristics to the
mentor and the mentor guides the mentored
toward growth and learning opportunities.
A good mentoring program is usually
focused on specific learning objectives, in
which both the mentor and mentee receive
training.
Many deliverables originate from a mentoring program, including easier talent
recruitment, more rapid induction of new
recruits, improved staff retention, improved opportunities, performance and diversity management, increased effectiveness
of formal training, reinforcement of cultural change, improved networking and communication, and reinforcement of other
learning initiatives.
Successful organizations recognize the
value of mentoring programs as an effective way to address diversity, manage organizational knowledge, retain stellar performers and prepare for succession.
What roles does a good mentor play?
There are many, including teacher or
tutor, coach, friend, counselor, information
source, nurturer, adviser, networker, advocate and role model.
Regardless of the mentoring location,
highly effective mentors and leaders share
some of the same characteristics.
- They are experienced and respected in
the field. - They have current knowledge.
- They are trustworthy, confident and
show high self-efficacy. - They use transformational leadership
skills. - They willingly share their knowledge
and guide others. - They are approachable.
- They have great passion for their work.
- They know what, how and when to
communicate, and how to help improve
those they mentor. - They connect well and challenge those
they mentor to reach their full potential. - They get extraordinary results using a
variety of skills to bring about the needed
behavioral changes in those they mentor.
BAHAUDIN MUJTABA, D.B.A., is an assistant professor for
Nova Southeastern University at the School of Business. He is a
former senior training specialist and manager of Publix Super
Markets. Mujtaba recently authored a book entitled “The Art of
Mentoring Diverse Professionals,” published by Aglob Publishing. Reach him at (954) 262-5045 or
[email protected].
