Having regular L&D initiatives doesn’t mean you won’t get any benefit from mentoring programs. In fact, mentoring programs can complement your Learning & Development efforts.
As we mentioned in a previous post, today’s workforce increasingly demands L&D that’s engaging, immersive, personalised, and mobile. So why do so many programs still centre around web-based e-learning platforms or instructor-led classes? Long gone are the days of longer attention spans and a preference for in-person learning—if there ever was.
The time to make your L&D efforts match what your team is looking for—and will actually engage with—is now. Here are some ways you can implement a mentoring program to take your L&D efforts to the next level.
3 Ways Mentoring Can Boost Your L&D Efforts
1. Mentoring Helps Your Team Identify Strengths And Areas For Improvement
Most people will know where they’re strong or weak, but sometimes, they need help drilling down on which areas they should address most urgently (relative to their job, role, or ambitions). Someone already on your team may have the insight—because they’ve experienced it themselves. Oftentimes, the best way to learn is from people who’ve already been through a similar situation; that way, you don’t have to spend all that time on trial and error the way they most likely did.
Mentoring can also help your team members see gaps in their knowledge that they might not even have known about. When paired with more traditional or peer mentors, mentoring partners can point out blind spots the other may not have previously considered. This can take the mentoring partnership to a whole new level of trust and insight.
2. Mentors Can Direct Mentees To The L&D Programs That Are Right For Them
If your organisation has regular L&D programming like seminars and workshops, mentors can help mentees decide which ones would be good for them to attend. This won’t only help them get the most out of your programming, but will also allow them to weed out the ones that might be too basic or advanced for them.
Speaking of L&D programming — always make sure you’re setting budgets. Remember, you want these to be used well so that you can make the most out of your L&D initiatives. One tip we can offer is to leverage the talent that lies within your organisation via a mentoring program. This not only encourages people to share knowledge and creates a powerful, engaged community, but also serves to maximise your L&D budget.
3. Mentees Can Supplement Their Learnings With Insight From Mentors’ Experiences
Classroom learning is rarely ever enough. Mostly, it should be used as a foundation for knowledge that can be built upon as we gain experience. Thankfully, mentors can help here, providing mentees with the insight that they might be years away from learning on their own personal career journeys.
Having mentors’ insights available when going into a workshop or seminar can also give mentees a little something extra as they learn new skills or improve upon the ones they already have. They can also come back and practise those new skills with their mentoring partners, providing them with a safe space to make mistakes and hone their craft.
Why Not Try It Out?
At the end of the day, adding a mentoring program to your more traditional L&D initiatives might be worth considering. Why? It’s a cost-effective way to increase the effectiveness of your existing efforts. In fact, a Mentoring Program with Mentorloop is 680 times cheaper than executive coaching and 373 times cheaper than an in-person training session.
Ready to learn more about how you can enhance your L&D efforts via a cost-effective mentoring program? Book a demo with us today.
