Mentoring is a great way to engage and retain employees or members, develop future leaders, and transfer valuable knowledge. But to get the most out of mentoring, a complete program needs to be created. Such efforts benefit more than just those involved in the program; they benefit the entire organization.
There are several essential ingredients that help ensure the success of a mentoring program. Take this quiz to see if your organization is ready to get started.
Score each question: 1 = Not yet, 2 = Possibly, 3 = Definitely
1. Have you identified a business case/need for mentoring at your organization?
Score: _____
2. Do you know how results will be measured?
Score: _____
3. Do you have leadership buy-in?
Score: _____
4. Do you have a budget for the mentoring program?
Score: _____
5. Do you have a plan to embed mentoring into the culture of your organization (e.g. performance review process, re-certification hours)?
Score: _____
6. Is there a person or people who will dedicate a certain number of hours per week to running the program?
Score: _____
7. Do you have an idea of who you would like to participate in the program?
Score: _____
8. Do you know how the matches will be made (e.g. manually, software)?
Score: _____
9. Do you know how you will structure the program (e.g. length of relationships)?
Score: _____
10. Do you have a plan to train participants on how the program will work and how to be an effective mentee and/or mentor?
Score: _____
11. Do you have a communications plan to promote the program beforehand and to keep participants engaged throughout the program?
Score: _____
12. Do you know the timelines for rolling out a mentoring program?
Score: _____
Total Score: ___
If you scored 26 – 36. You are in a good position to start a mentoring program. But before you do, take the necessary steps to get a perfect score. When launched, the program will run smoother.
If you scored 25 or less. Now may not be the right time to start a mentoring program, but don’t give up hope. Keep working on flushing out the details while pushing to move mentoring onto the agenda at your organization.
Running a mentoring program can be a rewarding experience for your organization and all participants involved. MentorCity can help turn your mentoring plans into a reality.
The ROI is Priceless.