Why Managers Must Mentor!

Buffer

Email

Print

Managers, supervisors and leaders must mentor their subordinates because they have immediate responsibility for:

• Retention
• Productivity
• Learning and Development

And mentoring can produce better outcomes all three.

Retention

More than a third of your employees are looking out for better opportunities[i] and Gallup’s world-wide research into what makes great managers has found the critical questions that links to retention include “Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person? [ii]

Productivity

Managers who are focused and effective at developing their people have teams that out-perform those that are not by around 25%.[iii]

Learning & Development

We know that of the learning and development that people use on the job, only 10% comes from formal education and training courses; 20% comes from observing people and 70% comes from experience.

We also know that when you send people to training only 16% of participants transfer their learning in a way that improves performance[iv].

All this means that managers need to lead the learning and development of their subordinates and demonstrate that they care about their people. In other words, managers must mentor.

What Prevents Managers From Mentoring?

Mentoring those who work under you is different from other forms of mentoring. In some ways it takes greater skill and maturity. Managers and team leaders have responsibility for the day-to-day performance of subordinates. There is a power dynamic not present in other forms of mentoring. The immediate demands of getting the job done may take precedence over strategic objectives, particularly in today’s lean organisations.

Mentoring Is Easier When Managers:

• Have the skills
• Are Motivated to use them; and
• Have been Mentored themselves

Many managers who take part in mentoring programs take the skills they have developed and their experience back into their management roles. They find the investment of time mentoring others pays dividends in their own team.

If you want to provide more support to your managers who mentor:

View the webinar recording Manager as Mentor here

Purchase Mentoring Mindset, Skills and Tools here

Contact me to set up a time to talk about online Mentoring Master Classes or in-person workshops. email: ann@mentoring-works.com phone +61 2 4342 2610

References

[i] BlessingsWhite Inc Global Engagement Report of 2011

[ii] Buckingham & Coffman (1999) First, Break All The Rules

[iii] The Corporate Leadership Council / Learning and Development Roundtable Employee Development Survey

[iv] Wick, Jefferson & Pollock (2008) How To Get Your Money’s Worth Out Of Training