Q & A - Northeast HR Association Workshop on Mentor Program Design

I recently had the honor of being a guest speaker at the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA) Learning and Development event where I led a virtual workshop on Positive ROI: Effective Mentor Program Design for Workforce Development for a great audience of HR leaders!

Here are a few of the questions that the audience had on designing a mentor program that works:

How do we roll out mentor programs effectively in the COVID era? I suggest that communication is even more important during COVID-19 with launching new development programs for organizations. With many employees working remotely, it is critical that the design of a virtual mentor program start with very clear objectives and purpose along with specifically who the audience will include and how to get support from stakeholders.

How to handle a mentee who doesn’t want to participate? I would never force participation in mentoring. I always advise that an important rule with mentor programs is if it is not a good fit between the mentor and mentee, it is best to end the partnership as soon as possible and find a new mentor for the participant. Early on in the design process, planning the marketing and communication of a mentor program is key to building excitement and desire for people to want to be involved in the program. Testimonials, both written or on video are great ways to promote mentor program participation!

Should a person’s boss be their mentor? Mentoring works best when a supervisor or boss is not the mentor. This is because mentees often want to share things with their mentor, such as work challenges or a desire to change positions, with their mentor that they may not be comfortable sharing with their boss. Mentoring with someone the person doesn’t report to also helps to build the mentee’s network.

At the C suite level, should you look outside the company for mentors? When I consult with clients and design their succession programs, mentoring is often used as a way to help high potentials close gaps to move within the organization. With members of the C-Suite often being at the highest level in their industry at their company (e.g., CFO, CHRO) it is important to find them a mentor outside of the organization or business unit.