I have mentioned on my previous post that more often training and development programs are shunned and treated as additional operational overhead, if not a real financial burden to the company. I cannot blame them. Because in the first place, training programs are expensive. However, this should not deter HRM managers and small business owners to think of creative and effective ways of developing employees. In fact, employees can also develop skills and increase their competencies by simply interacting with highly skilled and experienced employees. This can easily be initiated through mentoring and coaching. To date, these are still the two most cost effective ways of training and developing employees.What is Mentoring?
A good and concise definition is as follows:
“Simply stated, mentoring is a process in which a more experienced person supports and aids a less experienced person in his/her professional or personal development. Mentoring has been traced back to its roots in Greek literature, beginning with The Odyssey, when Odysseus’ friend and advisor, Mentor, served as the king’s son’s teacher and guardian while the king was away. Just as Mentor served as a teacher, advisor, and role model in Homer’s masterpiece, mentors today serve in much the same way.”
In the corporate or business setting, a mentor is an experienced (more often, expert in a specific area of business operations), senior employee who helps develop a less experienced employee (the protégé). Usually, mentoring initiatives develop informally as a result of interest or values shared by the mentor and protégé. Research suggests that employees with certain personality characteristics (like emotional stability, the ability to adapt their behavior based on the situation, and high needs for power and achievement) are more likely to seek a mentor and get guidance therefrom. However, it is better if mentoring initiatives are developed as planned developmental programs for employees with lesser experience and expertise.
Developing Successful Mentoring Programs
When mentoring programs are formally initiated by the organization, one major advantage is that they ensure that employees can participate in wider latitude. In addition, in this way, the employees (both mentor and protégé) involve in the process know what is expected of them. Therefore, they know if certain goals or criteria are met over a certain period.
In relation to that, it is recommended that mentors should be chosen based on interpersonal and technical skills. They also need to be trained. As I have always mentioned to my trainees, a good musician does not necessarily mean a good music ‘maestro’ or teacher. However, a good ‘maestro’ is a definitely a good musician. In the same way, it takes different sets of skills to become a good mentor. Hence, mentors should at least be trained on the basic knowledge and skills required for an effective mentoring.
By the way, it should be noted here that the key to successful mentoring programs is when the employees involve spend more time interacting through any effective medium available. In this way, the protégé’s progress is easily monitored.
What is Coaching?
“Coaching” can be defined as “a developmental strategy that enables people to meet their goals for improved performance, growth or career enhancement.”
Again, in the business context, a coach is a peer, a supervisor or manager who works with an employee to motivate him, help him develop skills, and provide reinforcement and feedback. Unlike mentoring, coaching is more of advisory in nature and focuses on the behavioral aspects of the employee rather than on the technical side. For example, a supervisor who is hurting his relationships with his subordinates by his strong and rigid personality. His manager stepped in to advise her on the ineffectiveness of his attitudes and approach towards his subordinates. Through coaching over a few weeks, this supervisor learned how relate well to his subordinates.
Also, unlike mentoring, coaching is performance oriented. Meaning, the coach assigned takes an active role of telling the employee concerned of areas needing improvement. The role provides resources available (such formal training courses or a mentor) that may otherwise not easily recognized as necessary by the employee.
Developing Successful Coaching Programs
The success of coaching programs hinges on how well the supervisors or managers involve understand and have direct influence to the employees they are managing. They need to establish good rapport and inspire confidence, otherwise they will be perceived like “drill sergeants” who demand obedience. Coaching is delicate because you will be confronting behavioral and performance issues. As such, to successfully effect change, you need to be trustworthy as a coach.
Benefits of Mentoring and Coaching Approaches to Employees’ Training and Development
- Both the coach/mentors and employees involve benefits from the process. When formalized, it means the relationships built will allow for the development of desired skills and competencies for both parties. As they say, “iron sharpens iron.”
- Camaraderie that is built on trust and respects is developed and strengthened. Lateral and vertical interpersonal skills are also honed thereby creating harmonious work relationships.
- For the organization as whole, this means higher employees morale, improved productivity, better performance, and most of all, increased profitability.
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About the Author
Nor Franco is the Managing Director and Virtual CEO of nextManager.net. He's a former corporate executive whose passion is bringing out the full potential of HR in Businesses. This time that passion is pursued through Virtual Management. He writes and blogs about his management views and insights here. Follow him on Twitter.
