Transformational Mentoring for high-performing individuals
To understand how mentoring works, it is useful to contrast it with coaching.
A coach does not need to possess subject matter expertise in their client’s role or skillset: the focus of a coaching session is the individual, not the content of their job. In theory, a coach can help to anybody to improve their performance.
Mentors have relevant prior experience. They are chosen to help their clients because they are proven experts with demonstrable success in the mentee’s learning objective, subject or challenge. Mentors have been in the role before, normally at a senior level, and are able to guide their mentee accordingly. In effect, they are a role model.
While the topics and subjects of mentoring can be broad and deep, the end goal is normally the career success of the client, and often specifically to get a promotion. As such, mentoring sits alongside leadership coaching.
Our Mentors
How we mentor clients
Successful mentor programmes require the highest levels of trust, transparency and access from clients, including their sponsor (normally a Board Member or CEO). If we mentor a C- or D-level client we may join client Board meetings, gaining a level of buy-in from senior sponsors that ensures the best chance of success for our client, and which helps us initiate mentor programmes with minimal disruption and in a spirit of shared goals.
As mentors we sit beside our clients at agreed periods and intervals, as they do their jobs. Our mentor programmes include regular reviews with our clients against agreed objectives, and reviews of the success of our programmes with a nominated senior sponsor (often the CEO, although we mentor CEOs too).
Though challenging for a client, being mentored is often a transformational experience that helps them to achieve the next level of performance. Our mentoring comes with our signature emphasis on customer care.