The Competitive Advantage created by Mentoring, by Seyi Adesina -Nigeria

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction” John C. Crosby

The process of selecting the right mentors within an organization is very important. Possession of technical knowledge of a particular discipline is not synonymous to good mentoring. Engagement of young staff, use of appropriate teaching methods and readiness to adequately guide young staff are qualities of a good mentor.

There are four (4) main types of Mentors:

 Information Sources – technical resource

 Intellectual Guides – constructive feedback provider

 Career Guides – career developer

 Friends – social

All mentorship categories have important roles they play in the growth of a young professional, while building different relationships. Firms need to identify what mentorship categories senior staff fall into and appropriately pair younger staff with them. Some young staff may prefer particular people as mentors (which do not fall within their appropriate categories), in this instance, the firm might need to include a second mentor to this individual for balance.

Firms need to provide guidance and direction to ensure consistent outcomes along with the required flexibility for various departments and personalities. It is to be noted that the ROI of mentorship pairings are only visible long term. Input from the young professional is highly required for successful mentoring programs. The firm is to seek new-intakes who are hungry for knowledge and have come to terms with the advantage of this type of programs. The new intakes are tasked with the responsibility of mentoring younger professionals later on (i.e. pay-it-forward) to assist the long term ROI.

Every side of the firm benefits from the mentorship pairing with young professionals acquiring new skill sets, visibility, high value and in turn higher returns for services.

The need for young professionals to have mentors cannot be over-emphasized with firms which embrace these programs earning huge competitive advantage.