While virtually every office has leaders, there are only a few that respect and appreciate what it takes to mentor. A mentor is a staff-member who is invested in teaching other employees to grow. In a mentor-based culture, all levels of staff are committed to the mentor philosophy. People come to work with the firm assertion that they will be learning something and in turn, teaching someone else. Colleagues are open and receptive and the workplace is viewed as a safe place to share ideas and express emotion.
VibeCatch helps push the mentorship mentality throughout the workplace as a tool that encourages leadership to communicate better with their team. How can a mentor be invested in their employees if they aren’t frequently being receptive and trying to understand their own team dynamics?
Building a mentor-based culture in the office has some big bonuses:
- Engaged and empowered workers
- Accountability as a priority
- Deeper appreciation for one another
- Transferable skills – both professional and personal
- Strengthening of career goals
- Exploration and expansion of team boundaries
Sounds ideal doesn’t it? A culture of mentors has so many benefits that it’s worth your while to introduce this concept into your workplace. Here’s how:
- Implement a mentor program; pair up peers with those who have the skills the other lacks. Make this a voluntary program, most people rarely respond well to pressure.
- Encourage precise goals and expectations for the mentor-mentoree relationship.
- VibeCatch makes it easy to check in regularly. Allow time for consistent reflection on what is working and what isn’t. Daily or weekly check-ins work best.
- Using VibeCatch, you’ll want to allow for anonymous peer feedback. Create a safe environment that does not allow space for judgment. Anonymity will precipitate more honest responses.
A 2016 Employee Job Satisfaction Report showed that 47 percent of employees feel that career development and opportunities for training contribute to how engaged they feel at work.
Mentors can provide strong leadership to new employees while also giving their career decisions shape and direction. Peer to peer mentoring has been shown to increase communication pathways and create conducive environments to change and growth.
From our research, there really is no reason you shouldn’t implement a mentor program. The benefits are diverse and in-depth. The only question you should ask yourself is – who will YOU be mentoring?
