Many executives, when they reach a certain rung on the corporate ladder, have risen beyond the formal mentoring programs offered by their organizations. Yet many are also at a critical point in their careers where they still have a lot to learn.
According to Mary Kier, Vice Chairman for Cook Associates, Inc., "It's never too late." Kier oversees the executive search division at the firm's Chicago headquarters, and has been in the industry for over 20 years. "Even well-experienced executives have room for growth, a lot of which comes from the kind of advice and guidance only another experienced professional can give."
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"Anyone can benefit from having a mentor, regardless of the years of experience one may have.
I view professional development as an ongoing endeavor and there is always room for improvement. One cannot have too many scenarios to learn from!"
- Irma Long, Director of Staffing ACCO Brands |
John Mariotti, President & CEO of The Enterprise Group and author of the recently released book The Complexity Crisis,agrees. "An executive who has been promoted to a l k ibilii inew roleor takes on new responsibilities is like a juggler. They've become adept at juggling three pins, and then all of a sudden someone throws them six. Even the most skilled will start to drop pins and be unable to keep them from rolling away. It helps to talk to someone who's been in their position. It adds perspective "It adds perspective.
Oftentimes, an executive will hear the word "mentor" and cringe at the awkwardness of the label, deeming the idea a little "goofy" for someone with their years of experience. They think of Jack Welch's Six Sigma, and institutionalized forced mentoring relationships.
"I've seen the most success in mentoring when people can get beyond that ‘You're my mentor' label," Ms. Kier says. "The most personal and valuable relationships seem to be those that develop behind the scenes, without any dramatic declarations. It's a bond that forms when one person reaches out to another with the intention of developing something meaningful and longlasting."
It's important to note the difference between mentoring and executive coaching. A quick Google search will yield dozens of firms who claim to offer both, but while coaching is more institutionalized and behavioral, true mentoring is a more informal process.
An "executive mentoring program" is often interchanged with coaching, or may even merely act as a sort of match-making service for those who've signed up. Meaningful mentoring is where the guidance comes in shared stories and lessons learned.
Irma Long, Director of Staffing at ACCO Brands, describes it this way, "The difference between having a mentor at work and an executive coach is simply that an executive coach has a set program and structure in place. They are also held to very specific competency models to determine which quadrant one falls under. A mentor is someone operating with less structure, and is more hands on."
Mr. Mariotti has been mentoring people for over 25 years, and populated the executive ranks with many who grew up in his division as President of Huffy Bicycles. Being a high-ranking executive can be a lonely place," he says. "You can't openly talk to your subordinates, you're hesitant to share your fears with superiors or your board and your peers are often the ones competing against you for the small pool of advancement opportunities. A mentor is someone you can trust, who can talk to you about the rocks they tripped over on the same type of path. They help you create a ‘watch out for' list."
Yet a mentor doesn't necessarily need to be a superior, or even those those with more experience, but also to their peers, those outside of with a similar career path. Kier encourages executives to look both at their industry, and even those outside their geography. That kind of diversity will help broaden an executive's perspective.
Ms. Kier recommends that once a person identifies someone as a possible mentor they take a casual, informal approach. "Say something like ‘I'd like to pick your brain on an issue, if you have the time' and take it from there. People who are genuinely interested in mentoring someone will jump at the chance to sit down over a cup of coffee and share their insight."
Executives should also always be aware of it coming the other way around, she adds. If someone reaches out and says, "You know, I heard what you said in that meeting about your current dilemma, and if you ever want someone to bounce ideas off of, I'm here," that's the quiet way many\ meaningful mentoring relationships begin.
After the relationship is initiated it's not something that can be neglected. Ms. Kier recommends reaching out at least once a quarter, even if it's just casually to touch base. "This is a relationship. You don't have to speak every week, but it should be a relatively frequent and open line of communication. Then if a specific issue comes up, you're not coming out of left field trying to get a mentor's time."
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"The strongest executives know when they should ask for help.
Yet there are very few who know how to truly grasp where they need to grow - and what they need to do it."
- Mary Kier, Vice Chairman, Cook Associates |
Mr. Mariotti adds, "There is no substitute for face-to-face communication, especially in the beginning. 70% of communication is non-verbal, so when two people don't know each other very well - and even if they do-it's easy to miss the context." He does offer that technology, including emails and phone calls, can be valuable to keep in touch after the relationship is more established.
In the end successful mentoring comes down to a end, personal relationship that can't be forced or dictated by the corporation. Ms. Long notes that her years of experience in human resources have shown that in order for a mentoring to work, there needs to be commitment and desire for improvement. "On the mentor's side, there not only needs to be a commitment not only to ‘show someone the ropes', but also a true desire to help someone grow. A mentor needs to have patience and have a positive mental attitude, as their behavior will be reflective and if not positive, it can actually be detrimental. The mentee needs to be receptive to constructive feedback and open to change."
About Cook Associates, Inc.
Cook Associates, Inc. is a retained executive search and M&A advisory services firm. We are uniquely positioned to help our clients capitalize on the brightest talent and best performing companies in the marketplace. Our client base ranges from multinational With the ability to admit there's still more to learn, and the courage to reach out, even an executive with years of experience can benefit from a valuable and meaningful mentoring relationship. corporations to early stage entrepreneurial companies, private equity and venture capital firms. www.cookassociates.com
Mary Kier is Vice Chairman of Cook Associates, Inc. and a senior consultant within the firm's executive search division. With over 20 years of experience delivering exceptional search services in consumer related markets, Mary is well-positioned to comment on industry trends. She can be reached at 312.755.5614 or via email at mkier@cookassociates.com.