It’s no coincidence that 71% of Fortune 500 companies have mentorship programmes in place. The influence of meaningful mentorship is well known, and it could be particularly powerful during the pandemic.
An article published in the Harvard Business Review notes that mentorship can help boost confidence. The tailwinds of uncertainty brought on in 2020 had many people feeling lost. Mentors can prove a calming presence during a difficult period.
Here are Santam’s three types of mentoring that could be beneficial to your business:
Peer-to-peer mentorship
This is the best approach for a new employee joining the organisation, especially in a remote-work set-up. It will help with smooth onboarding and introduce the new member of the team to the company culture.
Career mentors
Career mentors serve as coaches, assisting mentees to reach professional goals. They help provide direction and assist anyone hoping to move up the ranks or start his or her own venture.
Life mentors
A life mentor is great for someone who is searching for synergy between professional development and one’s greater life journey. A life mentor can provide holistic guidance to integrate personal and professional goals.
In the current circumstances, traditional topics of mentorship focused on self-development and career acceleration may need to take a backseat. Mentors should instead focus on the emotional and social support of mentees.
Santam understands that the first 1 000 days of running your own business are the hardest and therefore having a mentor or coach with you on the journey is a great way to achieve success.
Santam is an authorised financial services provider (licence number 3416)
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