Are DeMentors sucking the soul out of your culture?
Image credit: Charles Deluvio - Unsplash
In November of 2018, I wrote the LinkedIn article, “Are DeMentors sucking the soul out of your culture?” And it holds true today.
Due to COVID- 19, our workplaces have drastically changed over the last few months. You may have had to let some staff members go, temporarily lay them off, or recruit new hires.
Though it may be tough now is the perfect time to take a good hard look at your workplace culture. With everything happening in the world, especially the worldwide conversations being had about racial injustice, you want to make sure that when the time comes for your staff to head back to the office that it’s an open and safe environment for everyone.
Also, the author of the Harry Potter series has received negative comments on social media due to some of her views and lack of diversity in her famous books. We all have a lot to learn going forward as we navigate this new reality. For me, however, the DeMentors in that series really made me think about the type of behaviours you wish to allow in the workplace. What I wrote below was also based on a talk I did for DisruptHR and a link to the video is near the end.
Do you want a DeMentor culture or do you want to create a Mentor culture? It’s up to you!
DeMentors come in many forms. They are the sexual harassers and the bullies. They are the racists and the discriminators. They are the Gossipers at the office cooler and the Narcissists that often come in the form of Managers and Leaders. DeMentors are your employees that love to "B-S".
The most common type of DeMentor is the Negative Naysayer. Why do they feel the need to pass on their negative vibes? It is toxic, and the chilling effect spreads like a common cold. It’s called Emotional Contagion. Scientifically proven.
Gallup reported that negativity cost the U.S. economy over $250 billion in lost productivity. If you lift the office carpet, you’ll find DeMentors hiding out there too. Those hidden costs like turnover and lawsuits also impact your organization's bottom line.
How do we rid the workplace of DeMentors?
By waving our magic wands and conjuring up our Patronus? For those unfamiliar with Harry Potter, “The Patronus is a kind and positive force that will defeat the Dementors”. HARRY POTTER DID IT. So can we... If only it were that easy.
How do we rid the workplace of DeMentors? By creating a Mentor culture instead. Mentors not only for high potentials or emerging leaders. A Mentor for all. Your company’s TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE will soar. People. Planet. Profit.
Do you think Harry would have been successful if he didn’t have Dumbledore with all his wisdom? Yet, I think Harry taught the famous wizard a few things as well. Like the Millennials and Gen Zs will certainly do. Reciprocal mentorship is the way of the future.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash, Photo by @emrecan_arik
Take the leap! Check out the ROI...
Take the leap into the unknown you never know what’s behind Platform 9 ¾ if you don’t try. If you need convincing some stats from the Deloitte Research Brief 2012 might help:
25% higher employee retention for those who participated in a mentoring program at their organization;
80% of Learning takes place between mentors/mentees;
79% of millennials believe mentorship programs are crucial to their career success; and
88% increase in productivity.
It needs to start at the Top - we need leaders with “No Ego”. Leaders who “Walk the Talk” - Not DeMentors disguised as Executives. Mentor Leaders Put People First. People Planet Profit. Givers Gain.
Leaders want to see the results though before agreeing to try out a new program. The American Society for Training and Development found that 71% of Fortune 500 companies have mentor programs. Prove impact. Gartner’s Sun Microsoft study proves a return on investment. Some of their findings included:
Mentors were promoted six times more often than those not in the program;
Mentees were promoted five times more often than those not in the program; and
Retention rates were much higher for mentees (72%) and mentors (69%) than for employees who did not participate in the mentoring program (49%).
Have an open mind.
Take The Intern (love that movie) where what started out as a joke to hire retirees turned out to be an amazing example of Reciprocal Mentorship. Each person learns from the other. Age and gender did not matter! Experience never gets old!
As we adjust to our new normal you may want to seriously think about offering an internship program or internship opportunities within your company.
Paid internships and Co-Ops are a great way for those just getting into the workforce to hone their skills and also to learn from the more seasoned professionals within the industry. By offering fair and competitive internships you are showing you have an interest in supporting the next generation of talent.
Mentor programs come in many forms. From Traditional, to Reverse, to Peer, to Circles, and my favourite Reciprocal. Mentoring is different then coaching or sponsorship which are also beneficial. Some organizations have a combination or several programs.
Creating a mentor culture that is for everyone takes planning. The most important component is Trust. Without trust DeMentors will rule. The other steps will then be simpler. It’s all about Connection. Participants should have choice, not assignment. Some of the best mentoring relationships start out informally or "organically" but structure will make it succeed.
Mentoring should be part of an on-boarding program and measured early.
It increases retention and can ease the transition to new assignments for existing employees.
It is known to foster Collaboration.
Mentorship leads to higher engagement, higher productivity and inspired employees. Inspired employees will create a kick-ass mentor culture. Remember Givers Gain. Mentors will succeed in the triple bottom line tournament. People Planet Profit.
If Mentor programs attract, retain and engage high performers then surely they will help strengthen competitive advantage. Employees will upgrade skills and knowledge if provided across the board. Mentorship promotes diversity of thought and style, and creates inclusion. Mentor programs develop leadership talent, a line of succession and preserve institutional memory.
Other important things to think about if you want a mentoring or coaching culture:
Focus on Discussions not only Tests
Change the B-S to Best Self
Focus on Strengths
Everyone deserves a Mentor
Bring Back the Magic!
Pull out your magic wand and scream EXPECTO PATRONUM!! If that doesn’t work, take out the Bubble Wand and have some fun. Blow some positivity and soul back into the DeMentors and your culture.
Put some magic back into your workplace where everyone mentors, learns and grows together. We are all role models for someone.
Here’s the link to the talk, it was a lot of fun being Hermione!
This post was originally written on LinkedIn and was modified and updated.