Building an organizational culture of mentorship

From corporate boardrooms to office water coolers, it’s the hot topic for every organization looking to attract, develop and retain top talent: mentoring.

But building an organizational culture of mentorship doesn’t just happen. Likewise, it can be overprescribed, stifling the inherently organic nature of relationship building.

Cheryl Leitschuh, Ed.D, faculty in the School of Business and Technology at Capella University, has conducted research on mentoring in business and has worked with many organizations in establishing mentoring programs.

“Organizations that value developing talent need mentoring as a critical component of their culture strategy,” Leitschuh says.

Mentoring can include both formal and informal relationships. When both approaches are embraced, mentees can find the resources they need, mentors can pass their knowledge on to others, and organizations can retain the institutional knowledge they need for the future.

But how does an organization create a true culture of mentorship? Leitschuh offers the following four strategies:

Don’t discount informal mentorships –“Mentoring should include both formal and informal relationships,” Leitschuh advises. “Formal and informal mentorships approaches are not mutually exclusive. It is critical that organizations understand that. Without that understanding, developing a true culture of mentorship is impossible.”

Not everyone is a perfect match – “Not everyone desires to be mentored or have a mentor,” Leitschuh says. “A mentee may have specific knowledge needs that require a specific mentor, or there may be a desire for more generalized development, support and advice.  Being specific as to what is needed is a key component to a successful mentoring relationship.  A clear discussion regarding the needs, goals, and appropriateness of the match needs to occur before the mentoring relationship begins.”

Set clear expectations early and honestly – “In order to support a mentoring culture, the organization needs to provide training and information on the expectations and the process within that organization,” Leitschuh says. “Whether it is an informal or formal mentoring relationship, an organization needs to communicate the key elements for a relationship to be successful. Setting clear expectations early is critical to the success of the relationship.”

Sarah Fenner, a strategic learning consultant, has benefitted from informal mentoring relationships with clear expectations. “As a mentee you have to own your expectations. You need to be proactive about what you want and what you can deliver. Be candid. There can’t be any sugarcoating. Direct and honest communication works best,” she advises. “A mentee should always be thinking, ‘What should I bring to the table?’ It should be a reciprocal relationship; not simply transactional. And, always pay it forward; share what you learn.”

Mentorships evolve and change – “Mentoring relationships are not often a lifetime commitment,” Leitschuh advises. “Relationships often hold value during specific times of career development.  It is important to define the time period in which a mentoring relationship will occur with an evaluation at the end of that time period to decide if the mentoring needs to continue.”

Fenner concludes: “Mentoring programs should not be cookie-cutter. It’s not a

one-size-fits-all situation. Nor does it have to be gender-specific; I’ve had amazing female and male mentors throughout my career,” she says. “At the end of the day, whether you are a mentee or a mentor, we are all students. If you find that one mentee or mentor you gravitate toward, that’s where you want to be.”

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