In our January Issue, we started 2012 celebrating National Mentoring Month. Organizations across the country held ceremonies, events, activities and programs to observe it, acknowledge the value of mentoring and celebrate mentoring success.  

National Mentoring Month offered a perfect opportunity to begin a new mentoring relationship, reflect on current and past mentoring relationships, celebrate lessons learned through mentoring, and make some New Year resolutions to enhance personal and organizational mentoring.  It's not too early to start thinking about how you will be celebrating mentoring in your organization next January.

Begin a Mentoring Relationship

If you've never been engaged in a mentoring relationship, now is the perfect time to get started. What can  a good  mentor help you achieve? Our research at Leadership Development Services reveals a wide variety of answers. Some people look for a safe haven where they can vent, and/or get candid feedback. Others seek a mentor as a sounding board to test out new ideas or to get the support that they need in their jobs, at school or in their organizations to manage priorities or improve their productivity that they might not get in their own institutions. Others tell us that their mentors were invaluable in helping them navigate the organization and learn about what works and what doesn't work.  There are many other compelling reasons as well.  

In our March 2012 Issue, we interviewed Ines O'Donovan who is the Director at Alamundo International Research Institute for Mentoring, Coaching & Leadership, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching; and PhD Researcher, Lancaster University Management School.

MM: I know that you are passionate about mentoring. How did that passion develop? Did you have a very special mentor that ignited it?

IO:I have always been very interested in helping other people and myself in a 'natural' way. I don't know if that was the start of it but even as a child I was looking for plans and approaches to healing and developing people. At that stage it was my mother who guided me. But the real passion surfaced when I had my well-being business. It is such a wonderful feeling to see that you can make a difference to people's lives. And when the opportunity arose to build up a mentoring program for the Cote d'Azur chapter of the European Professional Women's Network in 2005, I embraced this opportunity and did not only develop this regional program but also created a European mentoring program so that all members could benefit. Mentoring is really the most 'natural' way to help others to advance.

In our May 2012 Issue, we interviewed Sandra Staehle, a former executive, with the Boeing Company to share her perspectives about leadership and mentoring after having spent 22 years on the dance floor. Staehle was Director of Finance and Business Management for the Apache Program and held previous positions as the Director of Operations, Director of International Business Support and as Counsel in the Law Department.  

MM: What about coaching and mentoring where do you see them fitting into the picture?

SS: Coaching and mentoring are great tools to develop people. Coach on the skill issues to drive improvement and mentor to provide insight into the endless possibilities available and to help people realize and attain their own potential. Setting high expectations and seeking out creative challenges are important. The bar is raised not only for the leader, but for everyone else. People cannot be managed into exceptional performance. To tackle the creative challenges and perform at the highest level, people must be empowered to act on their own. They must be allowed to experiment and take risks and learn from mistakes. Lifelong learning is important for everyone. It is disappointing that in 2012 we still have to talk about diversity and a culture of inclusiveness and still attend annual classes on the subject. Perhaps that is part of the problem. Meaningful measurement systems are required for accountability.