Remember when we thought that mentors had to be older people with many years of experience? Well, those days are over. A better definition of a mentor is “anyone who has knowledge you don’t have.” This new take on mentoring is playing out in organizations today as Millennials mentor Baby Boomers in how to get the most out of technology as often as Boomers mentor Millennials in how to survive office politics!
If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that we can learn a lot from the Millennials. We’ve a younger colleague who had worked to get her organization up and running on Microsoft Teams—well before the pandemic hit. Her efforts were resisted at first, but lauded when the rest of the management team realized that the transition to working from home was seamless. The new normal that we’re facing isn’t necessarily hard, it’s just different, and we’ve got to adjust to the differences. This is where the Millennials can help. They can show us how to use new tools and upgrade our technology and skills if we’re willing to listen and expand our point of view.
Mentoring is the classic win/win situation. The mentee gains knowledge they didn’t have, and the mentor has the satisfaction that comes from doing something to benefit another. Those who are challenged by the new technology will come to realize that it’s taking business to the next level and it’s Millennials who are driving that path forward. Take them seriously and learn from them.
Manager’s Tip: If you want more ideas on mentoring, The Manager’s Answer Book answers this question: “I’ve had wonderful people during my career who served as mentors and helped me get to the management level. I’d like to start a formal mentoring program and have the support of senior management to do so. Can you give me some ideas on how to get started?”
“Answer: Good for you to want to ‘pay it forward’ and encourage mentoring in your organization. Mentoring is an excellent tool to develop staff that doesn’t cost much (or any) money but it can pay huge dividends for the individual and your organization, including your ability to hire talent employees. Smart job applicants ask if they might have a mentor to help them be productive if they join your organization. Other benefits of mentoring programs include the development of cross-organizational connections as people mentor employees from other departments and build channels of communication—often between people who might not have otherwise worked together.”
For more information on designing a formal mentoring program or selecting a mentor go to page 138 of The Manager’s Answer Book, a proud 2020 Winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award. It’s available from Amazon -- https://tinyurl.com/y8umaqpz - Barnes & Noble or your local independent bookstore.
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