Mentoring – it's a gift that keeps on giving
(Image credit: Freepik)
The year 2024 is off to a fresh start – Happy National Mentoring Month!
Everyone deserves to have a mentor (or even better, many mentors) throughout their lifetime and career.
Every person deserves to have someone in their corner to help them learn new skills, enhance their knowledge, and increase their potential for professional and personal growth.
Kudos to you if your life's passion and purpose is to give back and pay it forward!
And if you have never experienced mentorship, why not give it a try?
Your time is valuable, so you may be asking yourself, what's in it for me?
When rules of engagement with your mentee are set, a plan of action confirmed, and expected outcomes clear, you are on the right path towards having a rewarding experience.
Ideal mentor-mentee relationships are built on trust and respect.
If your business or organization doesn't have a robust online program, team up with some like-minded colleagues, do your research and start on that business case proposal.
You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.
“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”
– Steven Spielberg
Meaningful mentor moments
Reflecting back on your mentor moments and following your mentee’s career journey can be meaningful.
A newcomer who had a difficult time with their job search, despite their impressive resume, integrated well into Canadian culture, and is now a program director.
A young professional who settled for a lower level role to get their foot in the door, after several unsuccessful interviews finally got promoted to a job in their chosen career path.
A student enrolled in a mentorship program for equity-seeking groups, completed their internship with a prestigious company and was offered a temporary contract.
Take a minute to ponder your most memorable mentor (or mentee) moment . . .
Facts and stats
In the 2023 HR.com and the HR Research Institute’s The State of Mentoring and Coaching Report, these were the three top reasons for using coaching and mentoring programs:
To guide others in realizing their potential.
To promote diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.
To prepare talent for future critical roles.
The report indicates that 78% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that mentoring positively impacts individual development.
Watch out for their 2024 survey coming soon!
MentorcliQ gathered key mentorship statistics from Fortune 500 companies that solidify that mentoring continues to be on an upward trend and that mentoring supports an organization’s employee engagement strategies.
Mentorship programs – 92% of US Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs (up from 84%).
Employee engagement – 94% of workers would stay longer and their employer offered more learning and career development opportunities.
Career and Skill Development – workers want the opportunity to grow and learn. In fact, over 66% of workers are willing to retrain and reskill for new jobs.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion – 80% of workers want to work for companies that prioritize DEI.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity – 80% of workers believe that inclusivity, sponsorship, allyship, participation, and skill-building are key drivers for DEI mentoring programs.
Gender Diversity – 78% of women in senior roles have served as formal mentors at least once in their careers.
Millennials – 68% of millennials who stay at their organization for five or more years have a mentor, compared to just 32% of those without a mentor.
Gen Z – 82% of Gen Z individuals want supervisors to help them set goals. Millennials and Gen Z – Millennial and Gen Z workers who have a mentor are 21% to 23% more likely to report being satisfied with their current job, compared to those without a mentor.
”If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
– John Quincy Adams
Create a mentor culture
At Life Works Well our vision is to enrich people's lives by championing and advocating for meaningful mentorship programs and positive experiences.
New or scaling businesses who want to foster a supportive mentorship culture, attract and retain talent so they can reach their full potential and contribute to your company’s overall success, are welcome to reach out for advice and support.
Browse our resources , learn about the various programs that Life Works Well has to offer, and sign up for book updates.
Helen Patterson can`t wait to share Create a Mentor Culture – How to mentor with heart and start a ripple effect!