Adventures in Mentoring

My dad knocked on the door and entered my room.  I looked up from studying and saw a huge smile on his face.  He held a piece of paper and couldn’t hide his excitement.  

“I’ve got the plane tickets and itinerary for your trip,” he beamed as he handed me the papers.

I cheerfully took them from his hands and flipped through the small booklet.  I’d spent years studying Spanish in high school and was heading to Seville, Spain to immerse myself in the language and culture.  I had never done anything so exciting and risky and terrifying.  I had stayed with my small circle of friends and had taken the easy road through school.  I didn’t stretch myself to apply to “stretch” schools and I quit classes when I couldn’t grasp the concepts. I’d come to realize that challenging myself was more important than maintaining an A average and living a life of comfort.  I was headed to Spain.  To spend a semester away from home, my friends, and comfort. . As I thumbed through my itinerary, my excitement grew as I read Sevilla typed on my airplane ticket.  And Rome as my departing airport.  

“WAIT!!! Rome?!?!”

“Ummm, Dad, I’m studying in Seville.  In Spain.  Rome’s in Italy.  Shall I get out a map?  They’re nowhere close to each other…”, I trailed off.

“I know, but you’ll also see that I booked your departing tickets three weeks after classes end.  You have time to find it.”, my dad claimed. 

WOW!  What a great idea!  Terrifying, but exciting, too.  It was the push I needed to explore new worlds and challenge myself.

Years later, I lived in a small town with my parents and yearned to live in a big city again.  Chicago, specifically.  I’d lived there before and loved every minute of it.  The friends I’d made, the sights I’d seen, the vibrancy of the city was calling me back.  BUT, I didn’t have a job. I didn’t have income.  I didn’t have a place to live.  I couldn’t go back without knowing where I was living or working.  Once again, I wasn’t challenging myself to grow.  

One night, while talking to my dad about Chicago, reliving the great times I’d had there, my dad, stopped me in the middle of my daydream and said “Why don’t you just move back?  Once you’re there, you’ll find a job and a place to live.   You just have to go.”

That stopped me in my tracks and the wheels in my brain started turning.  What do you mean “go”?  Once again, I was terrified of shaking my comfortable life.  But, I went.

Too often “what if” stops us from finding our dreams.  Too often we get in our own way and we don’t move forward.  My dad spurned me on great adventures.  My dad helped open my mind to great possibilities.  Without my dad, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  Looking back, he was my first mentor.  He saw what I couldn’t see and pushed me when I needed to be pushed.  Since then, I’ve had many great mentors.  People who willingly shared their knowledge.  People who freely gave their time to help me.  People who encouraged me to reach for the stars. Mentors have changed my life.  

Mentoring

My story is one example of how powerful mentoring can be.  When companies introduce mentoring in the workplace, it’s a strategic tool that strengthens employee engagement, accelerates development, and supports retention. For organizations looking to reduce turnover and build a pipeline of future leaders, establishing a structured mentoring program can deliver measurable impact. 

Mentoring is a developmental partnership where a more experienced or knowledgeable person (the mentor) supports the growth and development of a less experienced person (the mentee). The focus is typically on long-term career development, knowledge sharing, and broad professional guidance.  

Mentors play a critical role in supporting a new employee and helps develop their confidence in becoming a contributing and productive team member.  Mentors should:

• Be approachable and supportive

• Be willing to share their knowledge and experience

• Be open to learning from others

• Commit to regular meetings and follow through

• Listen actively and offer guidance

• Build trust

• Celebrate mentees’ successes

Mentees are expected to take ownership of their learning and be proactive.  They should:

• Come prepared with questions or concerns

• Be willing to learn

• Communicate openly

Benefits

For mentees: 

• Knowledge transfer

• Expanded networks

• Confidence building

For mentors: 

• Leadership development

• Fresh perspectives

• Personal and professional growth

For organizations: 

• Retention

• Knowledge transfer and succession

• Stronger employee engagement

• Higher productivity

Hallmarks of a strong mentoring program:

• Setting clear goals and expectations

• Regular and consistent communication
  Confidentiality and trust

• Measuring progress and reflecting on the relationship

Pitfalls to watch out for:

• Mismatched pairs

• Addressing challenges and conflict

• Time constraints

• Communication breakdowns

• Addressing how to gracefully end a mentoring relationship when it has run its course

Mentoring is a powerful investment in both people and organizational strength. Whether you’re building one-on-one relationships or launching a formal program, the benefits reach far beyond individual development — they shape a more engaged, connected, and resilient workforce. By fostering mentoring in your organization, you not only support career growth but also strengthen retention and leadership for the future. Now is the time to take the next step and make mentoring a cornerstone of your talent strategy.  

If you’re interested in exploring how a mentoring program can support retention and leadership development in your organization, I’d be happy to help. Contact me to discuss how we can design a mentoring strategy tailored to your business needs.