Increase connection through mentorship

- All world-class athletes have one thing in common. They all have coaches. That's kind of surprising. You might think they got there on their own, or they didn't need coaches once they reached the top. Here's what you need to know. No one becomes great at anything that requires skill unless they undergo training and have people who help them develop and adapt and refine their skills. We need coaches and mentors to help us develop competence and excellence in the tasks that we undertake. We need guidance when it comes to the relationship side of work too. We all have blind spots, things that we say or do that are disconnecting. We need others to help us recognize our blind spots and then advise us, encourage us, and hold us accountable so that we make changes. In research my colleagues and I have done, we've learned that people have been primarily influenced to become better connectors by mentors who've connected with them individually. After we did a culture assessment in 15 languages for a client, the CEO selected a highly regarded connected leader in the organization to become Global Vice Chair. He made him responsible for mentoring leaders who needed help developing healthy workplace cultures in their locations. As an aside, the CEO also replaced a senior leader who the culture assessment results showed was abusive toward people he was responsible for leading. These actions sent a powerful message throughout the organization that connection matters. Doing a culture survey will not only help identify leaders who struggle with connection, it will also help identify connected leaders and connected members who can become peer mentors to those who are struggling. To support personal development for all employees in the area of connection, provide people with mentors or coaches. Make mentors available for anyone who wants to improve in a specific area of competence or character and select a mentor who is strong in the given area. While there are advantages to meeting together in person, remember that a mentoring session can be done virtually and that broadens the pool of available mentors. It would be beneficial to offer training on how to be an effective mentor and make it available to anyone who's interested. One way to match mentors and mentees is to use a flash mentoring format, which asks participants to commit to meeting once to see if both parties connect and if the mentor has the knowledge, expertise, and time available to meet the mentee's needs and expectations. If both parties agree to continue, they should set a finite number of additional meetings rather than leave the term open-ended. Unless both mentor and mentee agree to the arrangement, there is no commitment to meet again. What is an area that you would like to strengthen? If your organization doesn't have a system in place around mentoring and coaching, you can take steps on your own. Who do you know either at work or outside of work who has exhibited strength in the area you identified? Approach the individual and ask if he or she would agree to meet with you one time. You'd like to know how they developed that strength and what advice they have that would help you be a more effective connector. Mentorship boosts connection and helps people develop competence and connection skills. If you don't have a mentor or a coach already, make it a priority to reach out and start the process.