In recognition of National Mentoring Day on 27th October 2024, we have taken some time to reflect on our studies and experience of mentoring as a way to share knowledge, learn and develop. This blog presents some of our findings, highlighting why mentoring matters.
Mentoring is a flexible tool whereby participants can share knowledge, skills and guidance. In a professional setting this often relates to supporting career progression, overcoming business challenges or seizing new opportunities. It can take a variety of forms including traditional ‘one-on-one’ mentoring with a more experienced individual acting as a mentor to a less experienced individual, or ‘peer’ mentoring, where participants of similar experience levels mentor each other to foster a supportive community. As Steven Spielberg – yes, him, of Jaws and ET fame – rightly articulates, mentoring is all about supporting an individual in their own unique development path:
“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves”
SQW has conducted several studies focused on the effectiveness and impact of mentoring. This includes evaluations of business support programmes offered by Be the Business. Established in 2017, Be the Business aims to raise the productivity of UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) through various initiatives designed to enhance management and leadership (M&L) practices, which are associated with productivity growth.[1] Mentoring is a core support offering of Be the Business, providing SME business leaders the opportunity to receive tailored guidance from senior figures at top multinational companies or expert consultants. This includes various M&L related programmes, such as: ‘Mentoring for Growth’, the Covid-19 ‘Rapid Response Mentoring’, and ‘The Productivity Programme’. Some of our evaluation evidence on mentoring can be found here.
Our studies for Be the Business have shown that mentoring is an effective approach for knowledge exchange, with a variety of benefits reported by individual mentees. Benefits include improved confidence and enhanced skills (e.g. in relation to business planning, communication and leadership). Mentoring generates these benefits by providing access to experienced individuals with relevant expertise, as well as inspiring a renewed sense of focus and accountability amongst mentees.
Business mentoring not only benefits the individuals directly involved, but also their businesses. For example, in line with the core rationale for Be the Business, SMEs often adopt new (or improve existing) M&L practices as a result of mentoring. This includes practices related to target setting, performance monitoring, leadership, technology adoption, and team management. In some cases, these changes translate into increased employment, turnover, and ultimately productivity growth.
Further, mentoring is not a one way street: mentors also benefit . Motivations for participating in Be the Business programmes as a volunteer mentor vary, from a desire to “give back” to the SME community, to a practical way to improve skills and gain experience in an advisory role. Regardless of the motivation, mentors widely agree that the experience benefits them personally. For example, our evaluations show that mentoring helps volunteers to gain better insight/understanding of SMEs, provides valuable networking opportunities, enhances soft skills (e.g. communication, problem solving), and builds confidence.
Alongside researching mentoring, SQW has implemented its own internal mentoring programme, including to support new graduate recruits through their first two years with the firm. The process involves matching a new Research Consultant or ‘RC’, with a team member, a Research Consultant Mentor or ‘RCM’, who has been working at SQW for several years. Through regular fortnightly or monthly catch ups, the pair gradually work through a formal induction plan as well as navigating any challenges or opportunities for the new start as and when they arise. Having experienced both sides of the partnership – that is both now as an RCM, and a few years back as an RC – I can vouch for the fact that it is an effective way to learn new knowledge and skills related to the job (as a mentee) as well as being a useful reminder of best practice and good way to enhance communication skills (as a mentor).
However, a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship is not always guaranteed. Our research and practical experience suggest several ingredients which are essential to success:
- Establishing clear goals and expectations at the outset is crucial. Both the mentor and mentee should discuss and agree on what they hope to achieve. Depending on the context, this might include specific skills, career aims, or personal growth objectives. Clear goals provide direction and help measure progress over time.
- A compatible match between mentor and mentee, both on personality and experience, is important for a successful mentoring relationship. Whilst finding the ‘perfect match’ is not always practical or possible, at a minimum the pair need to get on well on a personal level, and the mentor should have experience which is relevant to the mentee’s situation. In most cases, a suitable match can be achieved if both parties are willing to work on the relationship to find mutual shared interests, build trust, and actively seek to understand each other’s perspective. However, participants should be open to the idea of moving on to a new match if the initial one does not work out.
- Mutual respect and commitment are key foundations for a successful mentoring relationship. Both the mentor and mentee should value each other’s time, perspectives, and contributions. This should be demonstrated through commitment to organising and attending regular meetings, as well as following-up on agreed actions.
- Flexibility and adaptability are also necessary. Whilst having a structured plan is useful, effective mentoring relationships should be adaptable and accommodate changing needs and circumstances. Being open to adjusting goals, meeting schedules, and approaches can help keep the partnership relevant and effective.
- Regular feedback and reflection are vital for continuous improvement. Mentors should provide constructive feedback that helps mentees grow, while mentees should be open to receiving and acting on this feedback. Reflecting on the mentoring process itself can also help identify areas for improvement and celebrate successes.
Each mentoring partnership is unique – the benefits achieved (in terms of scale, nature and timings) will depend on the individual characteristics, experience, and current situation of those involved. I agree with the advocates of National Mentoring Day that good mentoring involves active listening, effective communication, critical thinking and constructive feedback. From my perspective, you also need to achieve the optimal match – the ‘chemistry’ – between the mentor and mentee. Whilst this is partly luck of the draw, it can also be achieved through commitment to building the relationship and clear communication from both sides. When a good match is achieved, mentoring can be a powerful tool which benefits both individuals and organisations.
[1] Bloom, N., Brynjolfsson, E., Foster, L., Jarmin, R., Patnaik, M., Saporta-Eksten, I. and Van Reenen, J., 2019. What drives differences in management practices? American Economic Review, 109(5), pp.1648-83.
Forth, J. and Bryson, A., 2019. Management practices and SME performance. Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 66(4), pp.527-558.