How mentorship can maintain corporate culture in a hybrid world
I believe that more active mentoring will help build the sort of corporate culture and leadership pipeline that firms of all sizes need to thrive and grow in hybrid times.
And it seems I’m not alone – 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies now offer mentoring schemes, up from 84 percent in 2022, according to analysis from MentorcliQ.
With the shift to hybrid working, the role of the CEO as chief mentor becomes both more vital and more difficult to implement. It’s true that there’s no substitute for regular in-person interactions, both formal and informal. But building trusted, meaningful relationships online is possible, even if there are challenges involved.
When it comes to mentorship, there are plenty of ways to make it work remotely – especially if more frequent and planned appropriately.
Frequency matters
It’s always been up to the CEO to create a work environment where everyone has access to mentoring opportunities. With chance encounters in the office corridor now less likely, the onus is even more firmly on executives to be proactive about initiating relationships with mentees.
It’s always been up to the CEO to create a work environment where everyone has access to mentoring opportunities.
Make a conscious, deliberate effort to create time for mentoring, and always honor the arrangement. I met my dozen mentees around once a month or every other month and allowed very few things to disrupt these sessions. If a mentoring session needs to be cancelled, reschedule it as soon as possible.
Fortunately, the nature of virtual mentoring is perfectly set up to facilitate regular, intentional sessions. This yields both short-term results, like improved productivity and the longer-term rewards of a more engaged team, including better retention of top talent and increased profitability.
Building trusted relationships
One of the most common arguments against remote mentoring is that it’s harder to build trusted, meaningful relationships online. The reason hybrid is now the predominant work model is because, as research is showing, some things are better done together in an office setting (think brainstorming and collaborating), and some things can be done just as well, or better, away from office distractions.
I continue to believe that meeting a few times face-to-face helps lay the foundations of the mentor-mentee relationship, if logistics allow. Yet if mentoring is fully remote from day one, simple tactics like unblurring your video background and making conscious use of pictures and books on display can help initiate early conversations.
I continue to believe that meeting a few times face-to-face helps lay the foundations of the mentor-mentee relationship.
Ensuring the virtual space is private and cell phone-free also helps maintain presence and focus. All of this goes a long way to help mentees feel important, comfortable and confident.
Be intentional when forming the relationship by asking questions and discovering shared experiences and values. One of my long-term mentees shared my love of reading history books and biographies. Unearthing our mutual and perpetual curiosity helped cement a wonderful mentoring relationship.
Mix up formal and casual sessions
The most valuable learning of my early career happened not during mentoring sessions but in casual observations, like in the office cafeteria.
I saw some executives push their way to the front of the line, grab a coffee and hotfoot it back to their office. But others graciously joined in at the back of the line and engaged in friendly small talk – and every behavior in between.
The most valuable learning of my early career happened not during mentoring sessions, but in casual observations.
Observing all this, I learned how to dress, make conversation and conduct myself in the corporate environment – all skills that have served me throughout my career.
To replicate this sort of informal mentorship opportunity, mix up sessions that have a formal agenda with a more freestyle approach. Much can be taught and learned with interaction over a casual conversation about a family photo, for example.
Honing the craft of feedback
With mentoring comes great privilege and responsibility. At the highest levels, in particular, imparting feedback harshly can be damaging.
That said, offering regular feedback is the key to effective mentorship. The answer to developing strong leaders isn’t to avoid or soften constructive criticism but rather to create an open learning environment where mentees know they are supported.
Delivered thoughtfully and frequently, feedback becomes a gift rather than a punishment. And even if you mess up the delivery on occasion (anyone can have a bad day), then the rich context you’ve established over time should help soften any unintentional mislanding.
Finally, patience is key to developing positive mentoring relationships. Trust isn’t built overnight, but unfortunately, it can be irreparably destroyed in an instant. Take your time. Try to end all sessions on a positive note with an opening for a future conversation.
In the spirit of Michael Lopp’s book, The Art of Leadership, mentoring is less about preaching lofty philosophies and more about small things, done well, to build lasting trust and respect. Taking a deliberate, consistent approach to mentoring ensures maximum success – whether your firm is hybrid, fully in-office or still figuring it out.