Originally published in the April 2003 Issue of Link & Learn.

A question on the lips of many HR professionals of late is: What are the secrets to ensuring a great mentoring program? Answers abound, sometimes it's about ensuring a corporate fit, getting senior management buy-in, proper selection, matching strategies, and commonly - adequate training, development and expectations management for all involved. Looking at mentoring program standards and benchmarks is a good place to start. Based on our experience of delivering programs in a wide range of organisations we have developed the following standards that we apply in designing and implementing successful mentoring programs.

Mentoring Program Standards

1) Begin with the end in mind
2) Design programs with a corporate fit
3) Get senior management buy-in
4) Provide incentives
5) Prepare all participants
6) Set clear boundaries
7) Incorporate a goals focus
8) Select and match like the program depends on it
9) Evaluate and innovate regularly
10) Engage an experienced and committed program manager

1) Begin with the end in mind
Beginning with the end in mind gives your program a clear focus to underpin the design process. Start with clear program objectives and desired benefits for all involved - the mentors, the mentees, the line-managers and the organisation. Create clarity for all by stating program expectations at the outset and including these in promotional and training materials. Once expectations are clear, the design needs to match resources to the expectations. Cutting corners on training and support resources can spoil even the best program design so be realistic about what you want to achieve and what resources you are able to commit to meeting this.

2) Design programs with a corporate fit
The right corporate fit needs to permeate all aspects of the program design. Don't base a program on a previously successful program without accounting for the unique needs of the participant group. Communication and training practices within the organisation, politics, and organisational structures also need to be considered. Get the corporate fit right by starting with a small and closely monitored pilot program. This will allow for tailoring and refining the tools, resources, and program design along the way. A committed and experienced program facilitator will spend adequate time with the organisation's internal HR team to determine the corporate fit of a program for your organisation. They should be asking questions about the unique needs of your organisation, the key stakeholders, participants, previous experiences with mentoring, challenges, communication channels, training preferences, protocol, and internal politics.

3) Get senior management buy-in
Senior management needs to take an active role in promoting the mentoring program. This includes officially launching the program, introducing training workshops, and being pro-active in the evaluation and implementation phases. Commitment of senior management increases the credibility and reputation of the program within the organisation. It is also an incentive that enhances the buy-in of participants.

4) Provide incentives
Experience shows that the most effective mentoring programs are generally those where participation is voluntary. This ensures that both mentors and mentees are internally motivated to participate. When a mentoring program is designed to target a particular group of participants there are ways of harnessing voluntary participation. This can be done in the promotional phase of the program by communicating incentives such as program outcomes and benefits. Incentives can also include senior management support, social and peer support for participants, training and development opportunities, and linking involvement into performance and development plans.

5) Prepare all participants
Thorough preparation includes appropriate training for all participants - the mentors, mentees and the line managers. Tailored training at the program outset is important. This needs to be supported with training and skills development at regular intervals. Regular training provides opportunities to monitor program effectiveness and the success of the mentoring pairings. It also provides opportunities for peer interaction, sharing of experiences, and means of managing expectations among the mentor and mentee groups. Training and group interaction activity have proven popular and valuable in mentoring program evaluation.

6) Set clear boundaries
Program design and materials need to set clear boundaries around the mentoring relationship. This includes practical issues such as the time participants need to allocate for the meetings, training and development, program length, and graceful exit points throughout the program. Training should also cover agreements about the relationship, confidentiality, methods of communication, and feedback. Regular training intervals provide the opportunity for checking-in and reminding participants about boundaries and ensuring the right foundation for the mentoring partnerships.

7) Incorporate a focus on goals
A common complaint in many mentoring programs is a lack of focus or structure. Without a focus, mentoring programs that start with a bang can quickly deteriorate into chats over a cup of coffee. While the social and informal aspects of a mentoring relationship are important, an effective way of sustaining motivation is to have a clear goal achievement process underpinning the program. This way there are clear objectives for all participants to ensure that energy and momentum are sustained. The resultant achievement of goals for participants can also then be evaluated as part of the program return on investment (ROI).

8) Select and match like the program depends on it
Strategies and selection and matching should be clearly defined. Whether matching is based on skills-gap analysis, succession and development planning, or type indicators, an effective process needs to be in place. Matching is usually a combination of formal and informal strategies, taking learning styles, preferences and personalities into account. Where possible there should be an element of choice built in to the matching, this is particularly important for the mentees and a way of building program buy-in among participants.

9) Evaluate and innovate regularly
Regular evaluation and innovation ensures a dynamic program that is relevant to participant needs. Evaluation points need to be built into the program design at regular intervals. Ensure that all participants -- mentors, mentees, line-managers, internal HR professionals, and senior management -- have the opportunity to provide feedback and include this in the evaluation reports. An experienced program facilitator will be on the lookout for innovation opportunities and won't get stuck on a program design because it worked previously. Participants need to see program changes resulting from their input; so when you do get a good suggestion, implement the change at the first opportunity. With the current rate of organisational change, staying alert to changing needs within an organisation and a participant group is crucial to the success of a program.

10) Engage an experienced and committed program facilitator
Perhaps the most important step in ensuring a successful program is engaging a program facilitator who is a mentoring specialist. General consultants who are willing to try their hand at mentoring should experiment in their own time and not with your reputation or employees.

So how do you choose an experienced and committed program facilitator? Firstly, ensure he/she has formal training in mentoring. Related training in goal achievement, adult learning and workplace training and assessment are also relevant. Next, check the facilitator's track record in delivering successful mentoring programs in organisations similar to yours. Ask for referees and do your own detective work. Speak to the HR and Organisational Development professionals they have worked with and if possible some of the program participants.

Once you have established knowledge, training and expertise, ask how the facilitator ensures successful program design. Question their evaluation and reporting processes and how they plan to demonstrate ROI. Ask to see some of the tools and resources they use, looking at the mentoring manuals and development handbooks can give you a good snapshot of their program design. Establish the level of on-going support. A committed and experienced program facilitator will ensure on-going support for the duration of the program and will be available to meet with you and your internal staff as the need arises. Finally ask yourself how you feel about working with this person or persons. The program success will also depend on their relationship with you and the other HR staff in your organisation. Feel free to use these program standards as a benchmark for assessing potential program facilitators.

Sally Armstrong specializes in designing, developing, and delivering tailored coaching and mentoring programs focused on leadership development. Sally's programs enhance people development and have facilitated private and public sector organisations in meeting and exceeding people development goals. Satisfied clients have included a range of organisations in finance, retail, travel, hospitality and service sectors. Sally has completed a Masters in the area of career and life coaching and has worked in Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Asia in the fields of marketing, business development, goal achievement and management. In 2002 Sally was awarded an Australian Microbusiness Award. Sally is currently a Principal Consultant with Oystercorp, coaching and mentoring specialists who deliver tailored programs nationally. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the organisation provides successful coaching and mentoring programs to large organisations, government departments and small to medium enterprises.

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