If you watched the X-Factor this weekend, you probably saw how Simon Cowell left audiences and his fellow judges shocked when he launched into an expletive laden tirade after being announced as the mentor to the Overs category. For the first time in the show’s history, the judges were assigned their contestant groups based on a public vote. And the show’s Mr Nasty could not hide his disappointment.

But let’s face it, mentoring can be the making of pop stars, managers and even of companies as a whole. Mentoring is, after all, a relationship and a journey of two people.

Success comes from being aware of what it takes to enter into a mentoring relationship.

A genuine desire for success and a clear commitment to the process by both mentor and mentee are a necessity.

Done well, mentoring improves the productivity and effectiveness of the people involved. It’s not a matter of luck; effort is needed to build meaningful mentoring relationships.

Take a look at five top tips for successful mentoring from Creativedge Training and Development:-

1. Mentor outside own department

The chosen mentor is not part of the mentees reporting line or department…

Why?

The mentor offers an opportunity for the mentee to step back and get a wider perspective on a situation. It is therefore invaluable for mentees to talk with somebody who:-

Can provide an objective and impartial ‘helicopter’ view of a situation.

Does not have a personal investment in the mentee choosing a particular solution to a challenge.

For these reasons, it is beneficial if the mentor is far removed from the mentee’s own reporting line.

2. Mentee drives it

Why?

Good mentors want to share their knowledge and experience but are usually very busy professionals. At the same time they realise it is important to set aside real quality time to ensure that mentees get the full value from the sessions.

Past experience in other organisations shows that mentoring works best when the mentee is proactive and takes responsibility for the practical things.

For example, setting the sates for sessions, flagging-up beforehand the kind of issues they would like to discuss; identifying their own potential solutions before meeting their mentor and so forth.

3. Mentoring is regular

Mentoring sessions take place regularly…

Why?

Busy people can easily get sucked into “fire-fighting” and catching up on yesterday’s business. Everybody needs to take time out to take a more strategic view of their challenges and possibilities. People who do this are more able to shift from being reactive to proactive,

Mentoring is one vehicle for helping people to make this happen. It is therefore important for mentees to schedule specific times for mentoring sessions that enable them to find creative solutions to their challenges.

How often? A 2 hour (max) session every quarter is recommended as a minimum, however the exact frequency should be determined by the mentor and mentee.

4.         Mentor and Line Manager

The mentor and line manager function are kept separate…

Why?

Mentors need to create a safe sanctuary in which mentees feel able to talk openly and honestly about the challenges they face.

Whilst the line manager may benefit from the fruits of the mentee attending mentoring sessions, there should be NO formal report back to the line manager from the mentor.

Certain line managers (usually autocratic-style ones!) can feel a little uncomfortable about this situation and therefore, need to also fully understand and support the mentoring process.

One of the rewards for the line manager may be, however, that the mentee rapidly becomes more self-managing, builds their confidence and is more able to find solutions to their challenges.

5.         Mentor and mentee Contract

The mentor and mentee agree on a joint contract…

Why?

It is important to ensure clarity of who is responsible for what in the relationship, so mentee and mentor should jointly agree a clear ‘contract’ and commitment to each other from the outset.

A contract may include things that the mentor and mentee jointly agree:-

They WILL DO

They WON’T DO

They CAN DO

They CAN’T DO

Contracting also clarifies any areas which the mentor is either not prepared or able to discuss.

For more advice and tips, why register to join our NEW Mentoring Virtual Training Course on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 – 14:00:00 PM BST – 15:30:00 PM BST

To learn more and to register visit:- http://www.creativedgetraining.co.uk/virtual-open-courses/mentoring-virtual-training-course/