Why your organisation needs a mentoring programme.

In today’s competitive work environment attracting and retaining staff is hugely important. One of the strategies that is being increasingly used in recruitment and retention packages are mentorship programmes that can offer a wide range of benefits for both mentors and mentees.

In the past mentoring was often seen as a great way to help new employees integrate into the workforce but a strong mentorship programme can do so much more

• Knowledge Transfer - Mentors provide valuable insights and practical knowledge gained from their own experiences which can help helping mentees navigate challenges more effectively. Mentors can also have industry-specific knowledge and a background in best practices that may not be available through formalised study.

• Career Development - As well as providing guidance on setting and achieving career goals, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and developing the skills needed for success, mentors can introduce mentees to their professional networks, expanding their opportunities for career advancement and collaboration.

• Personal Development - Mentors help mentees identify and work on areas for skill improvement and personal and professional development. Their encouragement and constructive feedback helps mentees gain in confidence and self-assurance.

• Feedback and Support - Mentors offer constructive feedback and guidance which helps mentees recognise areas for improvement and how to enhance their performance. Mentors also serve as a source of encouragement during challenging times, offering a listening ear and advice to navigate both professional and personal issues.

• Increased Productivity - Mentors assist mentees in aligning their goals with the broader objectives of the organisation, contributing to overall productivity and success. Learning from a mentor's experiences can also help mentees avoid common pitfalls and achieve their goals more efficiently.

• Diversity and Inclusion - Mentorship can contribute to diversity and inclusion by connecting individuals from different backgrounds and fostering a culture of support and understanding.

• Succession Planning - Organisations benefit by developing a pipeline of talented individuals who are groomed for leadership roles through mentorship programmes. Mentorship also helps to pass on institutional knowledge and expertise from experienced employees to newer generations, ensuring continuity within the organisation.

• Mutual Learning - While mentors share their knowledge, mentees can bring fresh perspectives and ideas, creating a dynamic exchange of knowledge and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

By connecting experienced individuals with individuals who are eager to learn, mentorship programmes can play a crucial role in professional and personal growth as well as in creating a supportive environment that enhances skills, builds relationships, and contributes to individual and organisational success.

Upskilling to retain your top talent.

According to the World Economic Forum, by 2025, 50% of employees worldwide will need to be reskilled as the adoption of technology continues, whilst LinkedIn’s ‘2022 Global Trends Report’ reveals that upskilling and development opportunities were top priorities for employees.

As we move into 2023, in the UK economic uncertainty, and a competitive labour market means businesses face an on-going talent shortage. The pandemic changed job requirements and left many people feeling unprepared as businesses quickly reorganised and traditional learning and skills development tried to adapt.

The global labour market is also changing. A report from the McKinsey Global Institute says 14% of the workforce will have to change their careers by 2030. With so many employees looking for new jobs, employers have to be creative in their retention strategy and upskilling is an effective way of retaining top talent in the organisation.

Acquiring new skills or knowledge in order to improve job performance or career opportunities is advantageous to both employers and employees. For employers, identifying skills gaps and then investing in training initiatives to upskill the current team moves the priority to talent development rather than recruitment. This helps the business to remain competitive, increases the efficiency and productivity of the current team, boosts employee motivation and job satisfaction which results in improved employee retention. From an employee perspective, it not only offers the opportunity to develop or learn new skills, but also to increase their value and enable them to take on more responsibility or higher-level, better-paid positions within their organisation.

As we move into 2023, it’s clear that employees need to be prepared for the ‘future of work’ and that businesses will need to be resilient to the economic problems ahead. Upskilling can become an important part of a businesses workforce planning, talent acquisition and retention strategy and those that show a commitment to employee growth and implement better learning and development opportunities will be the ones that attract and retain top workers.

What relationships need to succeed. Communication, learning and resilience.

Kathryn Ford has been practicing psychotherapy for over 20 years. She now specialises in working with couples and other relationships having realised the importance of relationships and that she could do a better job if she had the whole relationship in the room rather than a single piece of it.

Kathryn feels being in a couple is very natural but that it’s also very natural to have difficulty being in a couple. Statistics show that about 75% of all human beings will attempt to be in a couple or major relationship at some point and, as Kathryn says, these relationships are the major way we continue to grow as adults.

When people make the mistake of thinking that the relationship is difficult because there is something wrong,  wrong with one of them, wrong with the relationship or that they are the wrong match, what’s really going on is that there is a lot of learning to be done and it takes a while to figure out how to do that.

Kathyrn feels that realising that being in a relationship is the single most important thing you can do for your own happiness and that pursuing your own happiness separately doesn't usually result in happiness. Some people ask her what is the most Important thing to look for in a partner and she thinks that we need to look for someone who likes to learn and is interested in learning because most of what you will need to do with this person is to learn together.

People often look for a type of person for a relationship without understanding what a type is and how restrictive that is. You could also look at there being different relationships for different stages in life. In the same way a company grows, relationships can have their entrepreneurial, start up and acquisition phases. The need is always to figure out how to learn together because relationships can run their course if you don't keep doing this.

Children can change relationships. In previous generations children were not at the centre of the parental relationship but in many cases now that is completely reversed. Couples need to realise that they have to prioritise their child’s health and wellbeing but that the learning for that child will come from how well they do as a couple. The main task of the family is to help the children learn to be with other people but how can you help your child learn how to relate if you’re not doing a good job of that yourself? There needs to be a emphasis on the couple. Previously families were larger social groups and there were a lot of people around to help each other. These days its more likely that two adults are trying to raise their children so the quality of their relationship makes the difference in sustaining the energy needed for the demands of being a parent. This highlights how couples need resilience. We need to face our battles together, help each other as we fail and bounce forward and learn from the experience.

Kathryn feels that the type of conversation that many couples have does not help. Often it boils down to a debate, a checking in about who knows what and whose ideas are better. What’s needed is an enlivened conversation that builds resilience and allows both people to explore and learn together. They can then move out of an adversarial mindset to a place where they can learn and be resilient together. Kathryn feels learning is the most important thing that a couple needs to do. A relationship can be demanding and needs energy and an inspiring vision, something to aim for that learning can be added to. The vision is what you’re going to learn to do together not who you already are when you start the relationship. Relationships do through different stages and this can bring different aspirations - one person moves forwards and leaves the other one behind.

You can listen to the podcast in full and find out further information here. Our upcoming guest list is also available along with our previous blogs.

You can find out more about Kathryn and her work at her website including details about her new course starting this month with Stanford Continuing Studies .