n
Benefits
Benefits
for the Mentee
The most obvious
beneficiary of mentoring is the person being mentored.
Access
to information. Mentors
are primarily selected for the information, knowledge, or skills they
possess, as well as the ability to provide the mentee with direct access
to that information.
The
experience of others. The
mentee can learn vicariously what the mentor took years to absorb through
experience.
Higher
levels of confidence. The
mentee can garner greater confidence by knowing that an experienced
individual is available to check information, make sure the skill is
executed properly, and provide additional help, encouragement, and
support.
Opportunities
to practice new skills and try ideas in a safe environment.
The mentor may provide an environment protected from critique by others
while the mentee explores ideas and tries out untested skills. Once a new
idea has been thought through or a new skill has been elevated to the
appropriate level of expertise, the mentor can provide encouragement for
its use in a larger environment.
Protective
feedback. Practice makes perfect--as long as there is feedback. Because of
the mentor's level of expertise and the access the mentee has to the
mentor, the mentee can receive feedback on how the new skill should be
acquired and what changes are necessary.
Opportunities
to vent frustrations and anxieties.
New job assignments,
colleagues' attitudes, downsizing, restructuring, and overall changes
within an organization frequently increase levels of frustration and
anxiety. Mentors may provide the opportunity to express those frustrations
and suggest ways to overcome them.
Motivation. Changes, especially with
attitudes, often require time and energy to complete. Mentoring
relationships can encourage and motivate mentees to continue learning new
skills, attitudes, and information.
Networking. There is an increasing
emphasis on the importance of networking within organizations, industries,
and disciplines. Contacts made through the mentoring relationship and
through the mentor's other professional relationships give the mentee
access to knowledge and information more efficiently.
Benefits
for the Organization
The organization
benefits from mentoring in a variety of ways (e.g., Newby and Heide, 1992;
Zey, 1991).
Increased
levels of expertise. Mentoring
fosters increased productivity by providing assistance, guidance, and
informal skill training for the mentee.
Reduced
turnover. Mentoring helps prevent
talented mentees from becoming lost in the corporate woodwork. With the
increase in organizational downsizing and reorganization, many individuals
are beginning to feel like they are "just another number" to the
organization and that no one really cares about what happens to them.
The one-on-one relationship acquired through mentoring helps foster
a feeling of caring and support through such trying times. Mentees feel
like someone cares for them and mentors feel like they have something to
give. Both mentors and mentees feel like the organization, as a whole,
still cares about them.
Development
of managerial talent. A
mentor can provide skills and knowledge that a mentee may not otherwise
receive. Within many
organizations, individuals go to training for such skills only after they
have entered a managerial position. Through mentoring the mentee builds
these skills earlier so that he or she will be ready for a leadership
position when it becomes available. Even if the mentee is not interested
in a managerial position, the organization will receive the benefit of the
mentee's leadership skills. The
mentoring process increases the mentor's skills of communication, problem
solving, and resource management as he or she models these skills for the
mentee.
Increased
integration. The
mentor can help the mentee accept the organization's vision, mission, and
goals and facilitate the mentee's sense of belonging.
More
efficient training. Mentoring
can be one of the most cost-effective tools for maximizing training
dollars. Using the knowledge
and talent within the organization reduces outside training costs, vendor
contracts, traveling, and more. In
addition, even if an individual has attended a training activity, the
reinforcement it provides adds to learning and retention.
Increased
loyalty. When
individuals invest their own time and energy in a process, they tend to be
more committed to the organization supporting that process. A
mentor who helps an individual succeed within the organization has a sense
that he or she is helping both the organization and the individual grow. The
mentee feels as though the organization cares about him or her and is more
willing to make a commitment to the organization in return.
Benefits
for the Mentor
The benefits for
the mentor are less apparent, but just as important (Murray and Owen,
1991; Schulz, 1995).
Augmented
work assistance. As
the mentee practices new skills, he or she may be able to perform tasks
the mentor usually does.
Enhanced
career. As the organization begins
to recognize a mentee, the reputation of his or her mentor grows.
Increased
pride and satisfaction. Guiding,
watching, and helping another individual achieve his or her potential
fosters satisfaction and a sense of pride in the mentor, who has had a
direct hand in the mentee's success.
Valuable
information. Mentees
may have access to information at different levels within the organization
that is not readily available to the mentor. This information may provide
a new perspective on what others feel about the organization and its
members.
Increased
competency and confidence. Being
selected to mentor, teach, and coach others in the various aspects of
one's own job or workplace implies that one has a high level of skill and
knowledge, which can boost confidence.
Enhanced
challenges and interest. Mentoring
can add a new aspect and variety to jobs and tasks that may have become
mundane.
Job
satisfaction and retention.
In today’s
workplace, research across a wide range of professions demonstrates that
employees who are involved in mentoring relationship have higher levels of
job satisfaction and higher levels of commitment to their organizations.
A recent study reported that 35% of employees who do not receive
regular mentoring planned to seek other employment within a year.
In contrast, only 16% of employees with good mentors were planning
to leave their companies.
