Dive Brief:

• Mentorships can be a great thing, but when they fail, the result is often frustrated participants and wasted resources, according to Chief Learning Officer. Judy Corner, director of mentoring at talent development software maker Insala, told CLO that in order to avoid a bad experience, employers need to have a clear process and methodology prior to rollout.
• To avoid that, Corner said CLOs should prioritize specific aspects of a formal mentoring program prior to implementation, including things as basic as identifying objectives and success measures, as well as determining key mentor qualities that will bring success.
• CLO offers four major hurdles to a successful mentoring program, including having on a "one-mentor only" policy, putting mentor choice into someone else's hands, doing "zero" check-ins and making the outcome about something other than development.

Dive Insight:

CLO's article also offers solutions. For example, multiple mentors might be required because no one person’s experiences can be everything to an employee that needs development. Try using a network of mentors, which can deliver a variety of valuable perspectives. The best person to identify a good mentor is the employee, because a mismatch between mentor and mentee is quite often the source of mentorship failure, Mimi Brent, global career development strategy leader at General Motors, told CLO. 

Corner told CLO that if a problem arises, it is best to fix it as quickly as possible. She thus recommends multiple check-ins, with the first occurring no later than eight weeks after the start of a new relationship.

Finally, it's critical that the mentorship is focused on the individual's overall development, Corner told CLO. Both parties should have a clear understanding of their roles within the partnership, meaning some training of mentors may be required.