Leadership is a resounding word of the 2000s. Whether from a top coach from the NFL or a TED Talk from a CEO, leadership is a sought-out term to describe a leader and follower relationship.
Don’t get me wrong, there are many benefits to leading your team to success. Improving profits, hitting deadlines, and creating new ideas are just to name a few.
When you think of a successful NFL coach, you wouldn’t typically think they are the best because of their sideline coaching, (well, maybe a little.) But instead, what actually makes a great coach is their mentorship of their players.
Coaches have played the game before and know what it takes to build a great team. A coach guides and mentors each player and their specific job on the team.
( i.e., You wouldn’t tell your tight-end the same information as your kicker, and vice versa.)
In the workplace, your staff is your team, requiring the same kind of mentorship to achieve their next goal.
Why Should I Mentor My Team?
As we see on certain NFL teams, when you don’t have the right mentorship, your team may not work as efficiently as it can. Whether you are a team of 5 or 50, each job requires a different skillset from each person.
There are many benefits to mentoring your team. Taking the time out of your day to guide your team members can go a long way.
Increase Retention Rates
Mentorship starts from the top of the company and downward. Creating an internal mentorship program allows team members to analyze projects, assess company pain points, and maintain a healthy well-being.
Team members are more likely to stay where they feel valued and are not just a number. Along with going over new projects, mentorship can also be a way to see what is working and not working within the company.
Increase Staff Morale
Office morale can make or break a company. Providing a mentor for your team members can alleviate stress and increase productivity.
Grow Your Own Leadership Skills
Like a new coach, it takes time to learn how to lead others, (especially if it’s a new team). There’s a saying in college that the best way to retain new information is to teach it. So if you need to teach your team about new software, you might learn more along the way as well.
But don’t worry, mentorship doesn’t always have to start from Day 1 of hiring a new team member. As new projects arise, take the opportunity to teach your team, and help them navigate the assignments ahead.
As you are mentoring, keep in mind the three A’s of mentoring.
- Availability– A mentor needs to be available to offer encouragement, feedback, and advice.
- Active Listening– Be involved in the conversation and minimize distractions.
- Analysis– Provide honest feedback. Be transparent about the improvement that needs to be made. Analyze what your mentee says and take action to resolve any issues they might have. Source: The Balance Money
Gain New Perspectives
One of the great benefits of mentorship is feedback. There might be an issue from one department that needs to be addressed, to make your operation run more smoothly. By keeping an open-door policy with your mentee, issues can be resolved quickly, and workflow can remain consistent.
Without a good flow of communication, you might not realize your team has an issue that needs solving. Sometimes gaining a new perspective from your team members is all it takes to reevaluate some company pain points.
How To Mentor Employees
Mentorship skills don’t happen overnight, but you can start with a few tips below to help encourage a mentor-mentee relationship.
Using these steps, you can set yourself up for a successful mentorship program. And with your guidance, your team will be set to take the championship! (Or, the next project.)
Now that you’ve learned ways you can mentor your team, check out how to amp up your team’s productivity over on our SAGE Project Management Blog for some helpful tips & tricks!
