You have launched or plan to launch a company-wide mentoring program. Regardless of the objectives of the program, here are some “must haves” to ensure success:

1. Clarify goals and expectations of the program

When clarifying goals, specify what the purpose of the mentoring program is and what it helps to achieve. Is the goal of the program to develop the next round of leaders in the organization? Or is it to provide mentoring to a select group of individuals? As you develop the purpose for the program, think about the areas of talent that need mentoring the most and that fulfill the strongest business need.

Both mentors and mentees should be clear as to the expectations of the program and what is expected of them. This includes understanding the time commitment involved.

Once the goals and expectations are laid out, allow for mentors and mentees to opt-out of the program without any negative repercussions. Mentoring programs are beneficial to all parties but the timing of participation may not be right for a mentor or mentee.

2. Assessments

Although matching a mentor with a mentee can seem somewhat random, it is important that both mentor and mentee are aware of their strengths and areas for development. In the mentoring relationship, the mentee receives the mentoring but the mentor also benefits and learns. One recommendation is to provide self-assessments to both the mentor and mentee and have them share some of the information during the first meeting. This way, there is already some upfront disclosure and a foundation to build upon the relationship.

3. Actions plans

A successful mentoring relationship is when the mentee drives the agenda. Working with the mentor, the mentee should create an action plan that outlines his/her developmental needs, actions to be taken to meet the needs and the resources needed, if any. This action plan will be referred to during the mentoring sessions.

4. Resources

Provide resources to mentors and mentees to help them develop their relationship. Resources for mentees include self-assessments, articles on mentoring, an action plan template, a resource to go to if the mentoring relationship is not working and a network of mentees to share experiences with. Resources for mentors include self-assessments, coaching training, articles on mentoring and a network of mentors to share experiences with.

5. Leadership support

As with any company program, leadership support is key to success. Ensure that leaders have been involved in creating and shaping the program, and that they are supportive of the program. Managers of the mentees and mentors should be made aware of those in their team who are participating in the program and the program expectations so that they can support the mentees/mentors as needed.

6. Infrastructure

Running a mentoring program requires a significant time commitment from mentors, mentees, managers of the mentees, program organizers and other individuals. Ensure that the right level of infrastructure and resources are in place to run the program. If the program starts off small with the idea of scaling it up in the future, make sure that the infrastructure is in place to do so. For example, there are sophisticated software tools on the market that match mentors with mentees, which can cut down on the amount of manual work involved.

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