What we think
Mentoring & Coaching
Senior managers and leaders of business units need to spot the bright stars, develop a culture that they will want to join, and then invest in them once they are on board. A strong mentoring culture will go a long way towards making this a reality.
Mentoring is the means by which companies can make their organisation more attractive to prospective employees, can encourage employees to stay and can promote a feeling of community and loyalty. By the same token, mentees develop a pro-active, can do attitude. They value the opportunity to discuss things in a safe environment and are more likely to take action as a result.
It is not just the mentees that benefit from coaching and mentoring programmes, the mentors and the businesses do too. Mentors have the opportunity to develop strong listening and questioning skills. They learn more about themselves and also more about the next generation of managers - the difficulties they face and the ideas they have. And of course the business benefits enormously. Employees stay longer in organisations that demonstrate a strong mentoring culture. Morale is higher. And skills are transferred more easily. Talented new employees are easier to attract. A mentoring culture means a willingness to share, encourage and support. Silos are broken, communication and networking are encouraged. Business development and innovation flourish. It is a win-win-win.
Read about the outcome of a typical mentoring programme (PDF 74kb) run by Shine at KPMG.
Read the article 'Coaching & Mentoring: A revolution in personal and professional development' (PDF 2,230kb).
Read about 'Mentoring - Magic or myth' an interview by Barbara Walshe of Coutts Woman with Shine's director Alessandra Alonso.