Are DeMentors Sucking the Soul Out of Your Culture?

DEMENTORS vs. MENTORS - Who Will Win the Triple-Bottom-Line Tournament?

Are DeMentors sucking the soul out of your culture? They are everywhere, in every organization, lurking around every corner. They are also in your boardrooms bringing that coldness with them wherever they go.

DeMentors come in many forms. They are the sexual harassers and the bullies. They are the racists and the discriminators. They are the Gossipers at the office cooler and the Narcissists that often come in the form of Managers and Leaders. DeMentors are your employees that love to "B-S".

The most common type of DeMentor is the Negative Naysayer. Why do they feel the need to pass on their negative vibes? It is toxic, and the chilling effect spreads like a common cold. It’s called Emotional Contagion. Scientifically proven.

Gallup reported that negativity cost the U.S. economy over $250 billion in lost productivity. If you lift the office carpet, you’ll find DeMentors hiding out there too. Those hidden costs like turnover and lawsuits also impact your organization's bottom line.

How do we rid the workplace of DeMentors?

By waving our magic wands and conjuring up our Patronus? For those unfamiliar with Harry Potter, “The Patronus is a kind and positive force, that will defeat the Dementors”. HARRY POTTER DID IT. So can we... If only it were that easy!

How do we rid the workplace of DeMentors? By creating a Mentor culture instead. Mentors not only for high potentials or emerging leaders. A Mentor for all. Your company’s TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE will soar. People. Planet. Profit.

Traditional mentors provide guidance to a protégé, the wise old owls teaching the younglings. Think Oprah, Jack Welch, Sir Richard Branson, Michelle Obama, Zuckerberg, Gates, Tom Brady, Roberta Lynn Bondar, the list is never-ending. They’ve all credited a Mentor or Coach to their success.

Do you think Harry would have been successful if he didn’t have Dumbledore with all his wisdom? Yet, I think Harry taught the famous wizard a few things as well. Like the Millennials and Gen Zs will certainly do. Reciprocal mentorship is the way of the future.

Take the leap! Check out the ROI...

Take the leap into the unknown you never know what’s behind Platform 9 ¾ if you don’t try. If you need convincing some stats from the Deloitte Research Brief 2012 might help:

• 25% higher employee retention for those who participated in a mentoring program at their organization;
• 80% of Learning takes place between mentors/mentees; 
• 79% of millennials believe mentorship programs are crucial to their career success; and
• 88% increase in productivity.

It needs to start at the Top - we need leaders with “No Ego”. Leaders who “Walk the Talk” - Not DeMentors disguised as Executives. Mentor Leaders Put People First. People Planet Profit. Givers Gain.

Leaders want to see the results though before agreeing to try out a new program. The American Society for Training and Development found that 71% of Fortune 500 companies have mentor programs. Prove impact. Gartner’s Sun Microsoft study proves a return on investment. Some of their findings included:

• Mentors were promoted six times more often than those not in the program;
• Mentees were promoted five times more often than those not in the program; and
• Retention rates were much higher for mentees (72%) and mentors (69%) than for employees who did not participate in the mentoring program (49%).

Have an open mind

Take The Intern (love that movie) where what started out as a joke to hire retirees turned out to be an amazing example of Reciprocal Mentorship. Each person learning from the other. Age and gender did not matter! Experience never gets old!

Mentor programs come in many forms. From Traditional, to Reverse, to Peer, to Circles, and my favourite Reciprocal. Mentoring is different then coaching or sponsorship which are also beneficial. Some organizations have a combination or several programs.

Creating a mentor culture that is for everyone takes planning. The most important component is Trust. Without Trust DeMentors will rule. The other steps will then be simpler. It’s all about Connection. Participants should have choice, not assignment. Some of the best mentoring relationships start out informally or "organically" but structure will make it succeed.

Mentoring should be part of an on-boarding program and measured early.

It increases retention and can ease the transition to new assignments for existing employees.

It is known to foster Collaboration.

Mentorship leads to higher engagement, higher productivity and inspired employees. Inspired employees will create a kick-ass mentor culture. Remember Givers Gain. Mentors will succeed in the triple bottom line tournament. People Planet Profit.

If Mentor programs attract, retain and engage high performers then surely they will help strengthen competitive advantage. Employees will upgrade skills and knowledge if provided across the board. Mentorship promotes diversity of thought and style, and creates inclusion. Mentor programs develop leadership talent, a line of succession and preserve institutional memory.

Other important things to think about if you want a mentoring or coaching culture:

• Focus on Discussions not only Tests
• Change the B-S to Best Self
• Focus on Strengths
• Everyone deserves a Mentor

Bring Back the Magic!

Pull out your magic wand and scream EXPECTO PATRONUM!! If that doesn’t work, take out the Bubble Wand and have some fun. Blow some positivity and soul back into the DeMentors and your culture.

Put some magic back into your workplace where everyone mentors, learns and grows together. We are all role models for someone.

Helen has a passion for creating high-performance human-centred cultures that are engaged, inspired and healthy. She offers you insight as a consultant, writer and speaker. #HumanFirst and making sure #LifeWorksWell

#mentor #humanfirst #hr #lifeworkswell #give #teach #learn #grow

This article was initially prepared for a 5-minute DisruptHR event in Kitchener-Waterloo (I expanded slightly). For more on mentoring, please feel free to reach out to me, and check out prior articles and presentations below.

Are You an Everyday Mentor?

Reigniting Mentor Relationships

Reciprocal Mentorship, HRPA 2018