Robert Logemann is the CEO of Elevator Solutions Holdingsa national platform for crane, crane service and rigging solutions.
I believe Big Brothers Big Sisters represents one of the largest mentorship ventures in our country. The simple concept of pairing an experienced voice with a young mind has helped develop strong leaders and even more mentors. Indeed, according to a director of a Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter, children who are supported by a mentor have a 95% high school graduation rate, even if they go to schools whose general rates are half. “This is a life thing, not a work thing,” Carlos Lejnieks, president and CEO of BBBS’s Newark, New Jersey, division, told McKinsey.
Mentorship works. Everyone in business knows (or should know) this, and studies prove it. According to MentorcliQ, Fortune 500 companies with mentoring programs performed 53% better than those without. Deloitte found that millennials with mentors were up to it stay with their employer for more than five years more often than people without a mentor. MentorcliQ also found that companies with mentoring programs rank higher on the Fortune 500 list than those without.
I appreciate how Lejnieks framed mentorship. While we accept its power in business, mentorship also fundamentally connects people through essential life skills such as communication, empathy and listening. It promotes shared knowledge that leads others to “write their own story on their own terms,” as Lejnieks said. Moreover, mentorship is universal. Experienced leaders who embrace mentoring better equip themselves to grow and evolve.
Mentorship is a “natural impulsethat needs to be honed and nurtured. So let’s look at ways we can become better mentors.
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1. Build relationships through structure.
Big Brothers Big Sisters encourages participants to spend more time than money on their little ones. The key is structured time: consistent outings that the little one can rely on. Successful business mentors should follow the same model. Mentors who make themselves available for a weekly meeting or monthly lunch bring familiarity and trust to the relationship. Telling a mentee to “call anytime” but not being available for regular contact can lead to aimless mentorship and a disappointing relationship. Even the best advice in the world, if given haphazardly, can become ineffective.
2. Listen actively.
My favorite mentors taught me to listen. They were exceptional listeners themselves, practicing the technique known as active listening: This means looking at the other person while you talk, maintaining eye contact, and letting them finish. You can also repeat the other person’s words or statements and ask open-ended questions, such as, “How did that make you feel?”
This approach shows that you understand your mentee’s problem or frustration, making them more receptive to your advice. By mentoring others now, I save bits of our conversations to ask about later. For example, “You were worried about that meeting. How did it go?”
Mentees want to learn, so mentors may feel compelled to steer conversations around their experiences. That is sometimes useful. But effective mentors listen first, which helps them discern a mentee’s needs and provide thoughtful responses.
3. Encourage.
Studies have shown that verbal encouragement improves athlete performance. Using simple phrases like “You’re going to make it” and “I’m proud of you” also allows mentees to think independently and build positive learning strategies. Research further suggests that encouragement is the most important factor most valuable mentoring skill. Good mentors praise their mentees (privately and publicly), say thank you, and emphasize positive traits and accomplishments. Calling mentors instead of calling out.
CEOs who support and encourage team members are effective leaders. Those who don’t are just bosses – and not very good mentors.
4. Give examples.
Many successful leaders believe that the best path to mentorship is to follow in their footsteps. But mentees need to go their own way. Mentors encourage this by acting as role models.
Mentors and role models can be different. Many people look up to a successful person as their role model, but usually only a lucky few can consider that person as their personal mentor. Still, strong mentors naturally serve as role models. They give examples of how to act in the office, how to deal with team members and how to respond to crises. Want proof of the best role models? ask mom; 99% of millennials say yes love parenting because they had good role models.
Anyone can tell you what to do, but good leaders and good mentors show you. That is another difference between being a boss or a leader.
5. Embrace mentorship.
I learn daily – from my mentors, the leadership team and younger collaborators. It is important to never stop learning from everyone and use reverse mentoring whenever possible.
Reverse mentorship is not new. General Electric’s Jack Welch promoted the concept in 1999, when he asked junior employees to teach senior leaders new technology. “We turned the organization upside down,” Welch said. “We now have the youngest and brightest teaching the oldest.”
Dozens of companies are using reverse mentoring programs to leverage Millennial and Gen-Z expertise in technology, social media, and evolving workplace norms. Reverse mentorship can make organizations more diverse, inclusive and digitally literate. It helps build more creative and innovative organizations and energizes emerging leaders. It can also help keep senior leaders on their toes.
Having mentors can not only help you launch and advance your own career, but it also allows you to nurture the careers of others. The cycle feeds on itself. As the Lejnieks from BBBS“[M]Entoring is a noble cause, but it is also a business imperative.”
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