Tehcnology in modern mentoring

The last blog post from Sodexo´s 2013 Workplace Trends called: Modern Mentoring, some of the big thing was modern technology brought to mentoring. In this blog post I will talk more about the technology.

Technology plays a large role in enabling this to happen because it allows organizations to view mentoring as a “for the masses” practice that harnesses the collective knowledge, skills, abilities and passions of an

organization’s entire workforce. Employees can create their own personal learning and advising networks that grow and flex as their individual needs and strengths change. This adaptability means insights are shared and applied on the job in a just-in-time manner, with people seeing real work results from their mentoring activities.

Adults want to drive their own learning, and as they address their own personal real-time learning needs by connecting with colleagues from anywhere in the organization, they are in control of their learning. These

knowledge-sharing connections help break down silos and spread expertise and innovation quickly across the enterprise, which can spark new solutions and creative ideas among employees that they can then bring to the job.

An ideal mentoring and knowledge-sharing network is:

• 5-15 people

• Learners and advisors come from across functions, locations, generations, etc.

• People shift in and out of the network and of the roles themselves, as learning needs and knowledge strengths evolve, creating a diverse, fluid and dynamic network

 

The diverse networks that people form can help them generate creative solutions, novel ideas, and unique approaches to organizational problems or issues they are facing. In fact, researchers Christoph Lechner, Karolin Frankenberger, and Steven W. Floyd found that among colleagues who are collaborating for work, the more diverse the networks were in terms of values and viewpoints, the more they increased their performance

Tips:

In light of this result, organizations looking to foster and encourage major creative solutions and thinking among workers, as well as innovative improvements in current processes throughout the business, would do well to encourage more diversity in individual learning networks. This type of inclusive knowledge sharing thrives at Sodexo, where they actively support learning connections across generational, geographical and organizational boundaries.

Modern mentoring

Mentoring has proven again and again to be a powerful and effective workforce development tool, and the need for mentoring, knowledge sharing and skill building continues to grow.

However, traditional mentoring is no longer adequate in today’s hyper-connected and fast-paced world. Companies today must embrace a new form of mentoring and knowledge sharing that allows workers to find and connect with their colleagues so they can learn while on the job, share best practices throughout all areas of the business, and collaborate with people no matter where they may be located

As you can see from the figure traditional mentoring with standard meeting between the mentor and the mentee ones a month at the same place and the new mentoring mindset. Where it could be one mentor and one, two or more mentees, and different kind of meetings. Meetings could be Skype, Chat as well as face-to-face meetings.

With the help of technology, the age-old practice of mentoring is being redefined into modern mentoring that centers around connecting people across an organization to share critical knowledge and skills. Virtual relationships and multi-participant engagements form the basis for modern mentoring, which incorporates a more inclusive mindset about who should participate, a broader scope for making meaningful learning connections, and an open flow of knowledge among participants. No longer just about one-to-one relationships between senior leaders and potential successors, today’s mentoring is focused on removing the barriers between people and engaging them in rich learning and teaching opportunities in a broad, networked manner so that knowledge can flow to the point of need.

More about the technology in the next blog post.

Accenture Skill Gaps Study

One of the studies that Sodexo is looking too is the one  Accenture did in november 2011, where they found that 55 percent of workers in the U.S. reported they are under pressure to develop additional skills to be successful in their current and future jobs, but only 21 percent said they have acquired new skills through company-provided formal training during the past five years.

They concluded that to support workers for future challenges, the organizations must:

• Plug into and leverage the collective intelligence of the enterprise through learning connections.

• Encourage creativity and innovation through diverse learning networks.

• Accelerate speed to competence through self-directed approaches that generate real-time learning content.

 

Well I see lot of  mentoring programs in U.S both in past and in future…

 

Reference:

Accenture conducted an online survey of 1,088 employed and unemployed U.S. workers to assess skill development. The resulting Accenture Skills Gap Study is part of Accenture’s
ongoing research into the workforce challenges faced by employers today. 

Accenture

Sodexo trends

I am so very happy that mentoring is in the trends for 2013, for me that is important. Telling me that mentoring still is important, so important that it is among the other «IMPORTANT TO DO IN 2013».

I am working on mentoring for entrepreneurs and that really is the future. The future for business and the future for personal development.

More on mentoring entrepreneurs is to come, so stay tuned

Sodexo’s 2013 Workplace Trends Report

Every year Sodexo have this report and this year’s report takes a comprehensive look at what is driving efficiency, development and satisfaction in the workplace, and offers a unique perspective on what is essential to organizations to help them be productive and grow.

They asked top practitioners in human capital solutions, information technology, facilities management, real estate and hospitality what issues are being considered at the C-Suite level that are key drivers of success and essential to individual and organizational performance. The result: an overarching theme that “people centric” approaches are yielding positive outcomes and driving value beyond traditional brick and mortar strategies.

Technological advances, coupled with globalization, continue to play a significant role in today’s ever-evolving workplace, shifting the landscape toward a true virtual work environment. Collaboration is king and information is available on-demand, allowing almost everyone access and connectivity whether at work, home, or play.

 

They have also learned that the expectations of the most recent generations entering the workforce are more and more pronounced in this year’s trends. How this generation expects to be recruited, recognized and retained is reflected in many of the trends: social media has become the primary method of sourcing talent, establishing buying and endorsing ownership is a key component of recognition, and alignment of values, mentoring programs, as well as a culture of inclusion, have all become driving forces in employee satisfaction. All have a significant impact on the holistic well-being of today’s workforce.

And finally Sodexo says that with continuing pressure on companies to be lean and efficient, these trends are not only a direct reflection of today’s new economic reality, but they reflect a global influence that tells us that the only thing constant is change. The workplace as we know it never ceases to evolve, and will continue to do so through 2013 and beyond.

I will take the mentoring trends and present it and discuss it in the next three articles, stay tuned.