Jerry Gildea

Even the Best Teams Require Training

Elements of a Successful Peer Mentoring Program for Almost Any Business

 

Did you know that Aristotle mentored Alexander the Greek and Johann Bach mentored Mozart? Mentoring has been around for centuries. During the Middle Ages, there was a system of training/passing on knowledge to the inexperienced, younger workers. It was known as apprenticeship. Today in a similar fashion, peer mentoring is a valuable technique used by businesses to excel professionals through the learning curve more efficiently and effectively. 

Basically, peer mentoring gives less-experienced workers a straightforward pipeline to internal experts who, in turn, share information such as professional skills and practices. Peer mentoring also helps ensure consistency with the transfer of knowledge within an organization. Effectively, peer mentoring is a valued asset to an organization because it is actually a form of coaching. In the most general sense, a peer mentoring program serves to help keep your business operations flowing efficiently so you can ultimately grow your business successfully. 

If you are contemplating a formal peer mentoring program, you will want to consider the following basic elements to make this investment worthwhile: 

1. Make sure you have support of the executive management team.
2. Involve the executive management team in the selection of the mentors and mentees.
3. Allocate sufficient time to ensure that mentors and mentees can meet on a regular basis.
4. Ensure that mentors have access to resources and guidance materials.
5. Develop an orientation program for both mentors and mentees. Program objectives should explain the process and point out the resources and benefits.
6. Include an evaluation tool that can be used throughout the peer mentoring program; this helps ensure that adjustments can be made to maximize results.
7. Finally, establish and utilize a recognition program to reward and recognize mentors and mentees alike. A recognition program serves to underscore the peer mentoring program and its importance to the development of the employees and to the company. 

Developing a peer mentoring program is a wise investment and will help ensure that important business knowledge and skills are passed along. When managed well, a mentoring program is also inspirational to all the participants. 

As with any relationship, successful mentoring is built upon effective communication skills and reciprocal accountability. By doing your homework, planning ahead and establishing boundaries, you can avoid some roadblocks along the way. 

In a future HRTools.com Insight, I will review some common missteps that can trip you up when developing and managing a peer mentoring program.

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