Enhance your organisation with WIG’s mentoring programme | Article

Mentoring can be an effective tool to support talented individuals in your organisation to achieve their potential. Providing individuals with an external mentor can help them work through challenges and gain clarity on aspects of their careers. At WIG, we offer a mentoring programme for organisations, where we find external professionals from across the sectors to suit the needs of the individual. They are matched with a senior industry leader for 12 months, accompanied by a designated coordinator. In the last 12 months, we have made over 45 bespoke mentoring matches, supporting both the mentee and their respective organisations to reach their development goals.

Here is how your organisation’s talent can benefit:

Impact on Personal Development

The impact mentoring has on personal development can be profound. Mentoring plays an essential role in helping individuals grow, develop self-awareness, and even unlock their potential. Mentors often guide their mentees toward new opportunities and even introduce them to their own networks, which can then lead to growth within their professions. The feedback we have received from mentees highlights how closely they have worked with their mentors, who have assisted with job applications, interview preparation and CV reviewing. The insights gained by the mentees from their external mentors have proven to be invaluable, not only for personal growth but also for the benefit of their respective organisations.

Mentoring also provides individuals with the opportunity for self-reflection and introspection. Through open and honest conversations with their mentor, mentees can gain deeper insights into their strengths and areas for development. This heightened self-awareness grants them the ability to make more informed decisions about their career development or personal development. Mentees are better equipped to understand how their behaviours and actions impact their personal and professional lives and those around them. Mentoring can contribute to building mentees' confidence and a sense of empowerment. As mentees receive encouragement and support from their mentors, they may feel more empowered and motivated, which will, in turn, have a positive impact on their leadership capabilities.

Equity Diversity and Inclusion

Mentoring can play a role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in organisations. Research shows mentoring relationships that span across marginalised groups can contribute to fostering a more inclusive and psychologically safe work environment for both participants. Through mentoring, both the mentee and mentor have the opportunity to share their experiences, perspectives and challenges in an open, honest, confidential and judgement-free space. The flexibility of mentoring programmes makes them the development scheme of choice for organisations that acknowledge the benefits of affinity-based mentoring and having role models for their mentees of colour, for example.

At WIG, 89% of our mentees found the option of being matched with a mentor with a similar lived experience to be life-changing. Having that hour a month to discuss any workplace-related challenges, including micro-aggressions, misogyny, structural barriers, as well as societal topical issues, has been invaluable as they may not have that internal support and advocacy for their unique challenges and needs. Mentoring can be a powerful tool in advancing EDI efforts; mentors act as advocates for their mentees, helping to amplify their voices and support their career development.

It's important to note that the impact of mentoring can vary from person to person, depending on their willingness to engage in the process and the quality of the mentoring relationship. Nonetheless, when these relationships are established on trust, mutual respect, and a commitment to growth, they have the potential to create lasting and meaningful changes in individuals' lives.

Find out more about WIG’s Organisational Mentoring Programme here.