The Role of Mentoring and Coaching in Employee Growth

 

'The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting'
-Plutarch-

Today, organizations are putting more focus on developing their employees. Mentoring is one way they’re doing this, leading to more research and more formal mentoring programs (Wanberg et al., 2003).

Many companies offer technical training, learning, and development programs due to advanced technology, which makes it easier to set up learning systems for employees.

However, there’s also a need for human interaction in learning. Studies have shown that people often learn better through real-life experiences than through machines alone (Wanberg et al., 2003).

Mentorship has proven to bring out the best in people (Dungy, 2010). Personally, I find that learning through real conversations and sharing ideas helps me remember and apply lessons in my life.

Both formal and informal mentoring can be valuable:

• Formal Mentoring:
  
  
• Structured Learning Paths: These align with company goals and personal career growth, with mentors who may be in-house or from outside the company.
• Clear Skill Goals: Programs set specific objectives for employees to develop key skills.

• Informal Mentoring:
  
  
• Flexible Guidance: Allows employees to seek advice as needed from experienced colleagues, adapting to real-time challenges.
• Building Relationships and Networking: Helps employees meet new people, gain life insights, and build a balanced outlook on work and personal growth.

Employees should have the freedom to approach mentors and even become mentors themselves, which encourages a proactive approach to skill-building.

Cross-Functional Learning: Knowledge-sharing sessions across departments can help uncover hidden talents, with employees exploring roles that fit their strengths. For instance, I started in travel and tourism, but during COVID, I transitioned to an Executive Assistant role at the London Stock Exchange, discovering my ability to make quick decisions and connect with others—skills I hadn’t realized I had.

Mentoring supports different working styles and leads to meaningful growth through quality interactions with experienced mentors. As organizations continue to focus on professional development, mentoring will remain crucial. Statistics back this up:

• Companies with mentoring programs are 18% more profitable on average, while those without mentoring programs had profits 45% below average.
• The pandemic led to a 30% increase in mentoring initiatives.
• Mentoring has risen from the No. 6 to the No. 4 most important L&D strategy.
  
  

As learning and development programs expand, mentoring continues to add value by enhancing the ROI of L&D efforts, especially with mentors who receive specific skills training (Winstanley, 2024).

Figure 1 - Benefits of Mentoring Programs in the Workplace

In Conclusion, formal and informal mentoring programs work together to support well-rounded employee development. They suit different learning styles, encourage ongoing growth, and help employees build skills that align with company goals while also naturally fitting into the organization’s culture

REFERENCES

Dungy, T., 2010. The Mentor Leader, Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently. s.l.:Tyndale House Publishers.

Lee, K. M. & Pınar, Y., 2022. Mentoring and Digital Learning to Enhance the Impact of Social Sciences. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education , 14(3), p. 103.

Outsource Accelerator, 2023. YouTube. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cZJJ4IgFEg
[Accessed 27 Oct 2024].

Wanberg, C. R., Welsh, E. & Hezlett, S. A., 2003. Research gate. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235283270_Mentoring_research_A_review_and_dynamic_process_model#:~:text=Results%20of%20this%20study%20indicate,ambiguity%20about%20one's%20work%20role.
[Accessed 26 Oct 2024].

Winstanley, G., 2024. Mentorloop. [Online]
Available at: https://mentorloop.com/blog/mentoring-statistics/
[Accessed 27 Oct 2024].