Millennials are taking over. They make up a large proportion of most top company offices and are ready to be the change. The old fashioned ways of giving career advice and training are proving to not be enough. Instead, they demand unlimited access to key people in the organisation and industry. They also expect customised advice based on what they want and need.
If you want to be a successful mentor, here are some points to keep in mind:
- Provide Constant Feedback
Millennials don’t look at their job as work; they like to make their role a major part of their lives. In other words, they are not focused on achieving a work-life balance as much as they are trying to find a career that is personally fulfilling. A strong sense of purpose rules the millennial agenda, so as a mentor, you need to recognise that. What does that translate to? Constant constructive feedback is a necessity. Be there with your inputs about projects, career development needs, personal growth, and anything else that matters to them.
- Keep Them Engaged
The millennial generation sets high standards for themselves and everybody around them. They’ve started creating a resume way before their parents did and have grown up eyeing the best schools, colleges and jobs. With that kind of drive, you must make sure that they are engaged at all times. That doesn’t mean overworking them. It just means that you have to keep on throwing them challenges. For this set of employees, one achievement follows the other. Keep the motivation levels high.
- Try Out Reverse Mentorship
Some companies employ a reverse mentorship programme where the manager and executives mentor each other. You’d be surprised at what you can learn from them with their unique ways of processing life. For instance, you can get insights on how your junior colleagues are responding to your leadership and understand what may be going wrong when problems arise. You will help each other and build a bond that can last a lifetime.
- Consider Group Mentoring
Another method of mentorship that has worked is group mentoring. It is probably best as an add-on programme because mentoring via a technology platform takes away from the one-on-one aspect. Your organisation will need to invest in software that will bring together employees from different locations according to their skills or roles. There will be community forums, document sharing opportunities and polls. It could be you mentoring a group of people or a group of managers including yourself mentoring certain employees. Conference calls, webcasts and online coaching would keep up the regular communication. You will need to be super organised to make this successful.
A great mentor lets the millennials be emotionally and intellectually forthright with them. He or she is not supposed to be a coach or a boss but a motivator who inspires both within and outside the workspace. The more you invest in them, the higher the chances that they’ll be happier and choose to stick around.
