Why is it important to have mentors in your business?

Mentors are employees who have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Holding on to that knowledge and experience and not passing it on to other employees prevents your teams from developing.

It’s common for even the most successful business owners and entrepreneurs to have mentors. For example, tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs had mentors who helped guide them to further success.

Thanks to their experience, mentors can provide a different perspective. This helps with collaboration and can speed up processes and make improvements. It can also prevent issues from developing that may have without mentorship.

Mentors will also help grow your organization’s culture and are seen as highly trustworthy figures who are accessible and accountable. Because mentors are there to help and guide other employees, they must be willing to embrace the role and be there when needed. This can be a challenging skill for some to learn, but training provides mentors and future mentors with the tools they need.

The skills and knowledge employees learn through mentor training can also be used by managers to effectively lead a team. These transferable skills, such as communication and leadership, also help managers with strategizing, setting goals and objectives, and problem-solving.

What are the 3 types of mentoring?

There are three main types of mentoring, and either one, two, or all three may be options for your organization depending on the number of employees and the industry.

• One-on-one - which pairs one mentor and one mentee. This ensures the mentee has dedicated time to working with the mentor and allows a strong professional relationship to grow.
• Group - one mentor works with a number of mentees. Useful for developing multiple employees if one-on-one time isn’t needed.
• Distance - undertaken in a virtual environment. This may be done in a one-on-one or group setting.

The skills and knowledge developed in mentor courses can be applied to any of the three types.

Are coaching and mentoring the same?

Coaching and mentoring have many similarities, however, there are some key differences.

Mentoring is often a long-term commitment between a mentor, and one or more mentees. Coaching can be a one-off session or number of sessions that don’t require the same level of commitment.

No formal qualifications are needed for an employee to become a mentor, which is why many organizations find it so appealing. Once the decision has been made to start mentoring, it can be turned around relatively quickly. However, it is important to ensure employees have the skills necessary to be effective mentors, which mentor training can provide.

Mentoring is far more personal than coaching. Mentors work closely with mentees and there is often very little structure, unlike with coaching. Coaching often follows a set plan, whereas mentoring has a more natural flow. This also ensures that mentees can retain what they learn.

What skills are needed to be a good mentor?

There are a number of skills needed for effective mentoring. These include:

• Communication, including active listening
• The ability to engage others
• Reliability and trustworthiness
• Problem-solving skills
• Patience and understanding
• Empathy
• The ability to inspire
• Instructing
• Offering constructive feedback

How to train your employees in coaching and mentoring

Mentoring isn’t necessarily a skill that comes naturally. While some have great instinctive coaching or leadership skills, and can help an employee be a great mentor, there’s more to it that training can help provide.

Even mentors need mentors. In-person training can be a great - but time-consuming - way to develop the relevant skills. However, having a mentor to specifically develop these skills may not be an effective use of time.

Online training courses are a flexible and convenient way to upskill employees on their way to becoming mentors. Not only can learning be slotted into an employee's day-to-day responsibilities, it’s also affordable and easily scalable.

eLearning courses cover a wide range of topics, and are great for micro-learning, meaning more of what employees learn can be retained. Course materials can be picked up and put down as and when employees have the time to learn - even during the morning commute.

What are the best online courses in mentoring?

Mentoring training courses cover a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals to more intermediate and advanced levels. Even employees with years of experience can benefit from training to refresh their knowledge and upskill.

• Coaching and Mentoring Module
• Coaching and Mentoring: Self-Coaching
• Get Set To Coach and Mentor
• Coaching and Mentoring: Coaching Peers
• Make Mentoring Count
• Essentials - Training and Facilitation Skills - Mentoring Skills
• Mentoring – Definition and Role of the Mentor
• Coaching Vs. Mentoring

Upskill your employees in coaching and mentoring

Ready to train your employees and make them effective mentors? At Go1, we have a wide range of courses that can be accessed instantly to help develop your employees. For more information on how Go1 can support your organization’s learning and development strategy, arrange a demo with a member of our team today.