Why mentoring is mighty

Back in the day, when the word ‘grooming’ was a positive thing, at the tender age of just 26 I was selected to be a regional Sales and Marketing Director for a major UK house building company. Not only was I the youngest member of the board, but also the only female, and one without any formal qualifications or university degree to my name. Instead, I was mentored by some of the best names in the industry. I was taught everything I needed to know, not only to do the job but to do it to a standard way beyond my years. I learnt from the best, alongside the best, to be the best.

These days, this style of preparation for role is, thankfully, referred to as mentoring. Companies struggling to recruit team leaders with enough energy and drive to last the course, but with the desired amount of experience, have reverted to more apprentice-style methods of training with great effect. Mentors provide the opportunity to develop whilst working within role and to prepare for career growth and future roles in a gentle and holistic way; a way of working in which guidance and advice are given, rather than the more performance-driven methods associated with coaching. Mentoring focuses more on the person, not the process. It is less about specific skills and strategies and more about general acumen, knowledge and experience. It usually involves a longer-term relationship, as much about personal development as it is about professional growth.

By engaging mentors, we ensure that the extraordinary insight, skill and attitudes of those professionals we hold in high esteem are not lost from the sector, and that our most qualified and skilled professionals share their expertise and insights with those less experienced. This bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, so that those individuals earmarked for success are supported expertly and emotionally.

Mentoring helps to build confidence and self-esteem and assists us in recognising talents and skills we may not realise we have. It can help us to navigate team politics and to learn the unwritten rules of the workplace, nurturing and building the three Cs critical for great team performance: connection, communication and collaboration. The skills gained in staff management and development, together with the opportunity for self-reflection, create a happier workplace with better management in place. They ensure we develop and maintain a broader perspective, and benefit the wider team by encouraging an environment in which fresh ideas and innovation are welcome.

Mentoring encourages problem solving and, as it uses active-listening techniques, helps us to learn to appreciate the importance of listening when leading a team. Mentors serve as a guide for behaviour, values and attitudes. Sometimes playing the role of Devil’s advocate, a mentor can gently challenge without criticism or condemnation, leading to deeper, more considered thinking and giving greater context and clarity as each challenge arises, addressing concerns and answering questions in a positive and collaborative way.

But why should we particularly focus on using mentors in the school environment? The current climate dictates that change is required, but with change come uncertainty and doubt, and with doubt, resistance. To give our less experienced the very best chance to meet those challenges head on, with confidence and competence, requires a deeper level of understanding than their experience might otherwise support. Having the advantage of seeing the role through a more seasoned, better informed and one could argue more astute perspective, where the lessons have already been learnt and can be imparted without fear or favour, will give confidence to the wider team and help them to accept that the changes are necessary, well considered and, most importantly, of value.

“Whilst it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experience of others.”