Recently, I had an a wonderful conversation with Audrey Shah of MO.com. We talked about how I started Odyssey Mentoring & Leadership, my take on the distinction between competent and great leadership and I shared one of the mentoring stories from my upcoming book, “Aspire to Go Higher: Get a Mentor, Be A Mentor,” due out at the end of August.

From the Interview:
“The best leaders should be expected to identify and cultivate leaders and peak performers to keep the organization growing and successful. When I interviewed Sarah Mensah, Chief Marketing Officer of the Portland Trail Blazers for my book, she could point to major turning points throughout her career where mentoring helped her to grow and develop. I live in Portland and often run into members of her staff, they all tell me that Sarah maintains a culture of mentoring that makes them feel honored to work with her. They know they have a future and that they are valued. That is the secret to high employee engagement and productivity.”

“I was lucky because Bob was a natural mentor and sponsor. He was a professional colleague who readily stepped up to become my mentor. This is clearly the ideal of informal mentoring. Bob and I had been working together on a project for the chamber for two years. We met through our jobs, but didn’t work for the same companies. Our relationship began as a situational acquaintance and over time warmed into a collegial friendship and then mentoring.”

To read more click here.

“Women have been over-delivering for decades and watching men who do less consistently be given more opportunities for advancement,” is what I told writer Bob Calendra of Human Resource Executive On-line, when he asked me what I thought about Jack Welch’s comments at the Wall Street Journal Conference, Women in the Economy, held in May. I believe my statement is also true for people of color, regardless of their gender.

According to attendees and various reporters Welch created quite a stir when he called corporate mentoring programs for women “victim’s units.” He said women get ahead not because of mentorship programs and diversity initiatives aimed at females, but rather because they work hard and show how their skills can benefit the company.

“Over deliver,” he told the audience. “Performance is it!” But is it really the only thing?

Welch went further by criticizing corporate mentoring initiatives as being “one of the worst ideas that ever came along,” adding that women “should see everyone as a mentor.” Welch advised women wanting to get ahead to grab the most difficult assignments and prove themselves. He also recommended women pay attention to what their bosses say about how they are doing at their jobs. Welch noted that “without a rigorous appraisal system, without you knowing where you stand” as well as “how you can improve, none of these ‘help’ programs that were up there are going to be worth much to you.”

His evidence came from his recollections of a GE forum for women, in which he described the reactions from some of the women who had been recommended for it: the “best” of the women involved, claims Welch, told him, “I don’t want to be in a special group. I’m not in the victim’s unit. I’m a star. I want to be compared with the best of your best.’” He then added, “Stop lying about it. It’s true. Great women get upset about getting into the victim’s unit.”

Where do I get off disagreeing with one of the most successful corporate leaders? Let’s start with a look at the Fortune 500 companies. Did you know that just 3% have a female CEO. Yet a recent survey of 60 major companies by McKinsey shows women occupy 53% of entry-level positions, 40% of manager positions, and only 19% of C-suite jobs.

Could it be possible that so few of these women are rising stars worthy of promotion? Or could it be that men in leadership still tend to choose men who look like them to promote and develop as leaders?

Let’s take a look at Welch’s own career. I actually studied it in graduate school. He joined General Electric in 1960 as a junior chemical engineer with a starting salary of $10,500 – which was pretty good pay at the time. While at GE he was a risk taker. In one project that didn’t go well, he blew off the roof of the factory, and was almost fired for doing it. But someone in management saw a possibility in him so they kept him on.

In 1961, Welch planned to quit his job as a junior engineer because he was dissatisfied with the raise offered to him and was unhappy with the bureaucracy he observed at GE. Welch was persuaded to remain by Reuben Gutoff, an executive at the company, who promised him that he would help create the small company atmosphere Welch desired and shield him from the bureaucracy he hated.

Welch was not in a formal leadership or mentoring program. At the time, GE and most other companies had career ladders that systematically groomed men for leadership. You just had to keep your job and do it well to rise to the top with the help of someone in senior management who could be your mentor or sponsor. Welch became one of the anointed.

He was named a vice president of GE in 1972. He became senior vice president in 1977 and vice chairman in 1979. He became GE’s youngest chairman and CEO in 198. He was smart, talented and effective. But, had it not been for Gutoff’s personal interest and sponsorship so early in his career, we might never have heard of Jack Welch and his accomplishments as the leader of GE.

As for mentoring programs being designed for the “victims,” I agree with Welch. Corporate mentoring programs, and I am willing to bet the program Welch was referring to was among them, were in fact, exercises to address diversity and leadership development for those who were not and never would become the anointed. In a corporate culture like that, I wouldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to participate.

Effective mentoring is not a remediation program for “victims” and the “disengaged.” When set up properly, mentoring programs are interactive, dynamic and empowering for both mentors and mentees. Everyone grows, develops and advances. Participants become fully accountable for the actions they take and learn from their mistakes, their triumphs and everything in-between. In successful mentoring programs mentors and mentees understand their roles, trust each other, are willing to listen and try new things.

Any time a person takes on a formidable challenge, the going will get tough. That’s when a mentor is there to ask the hard questions that provoke their mentee to think more deeply and clearly. They cheer the loudest when there’s a breakthrough, a step toward the seemingly impossible, or attainment of a goal so challenging there could be no certainty of accomplishment until it was achieved. They are also there to point out what could be done better, what contributed to the success that can be reliably repeated and built upon.

Welch asserts that women can get this kind of guidance and feedback from their bosses. In some cases, that is probably true. If we look at the ranks of leadership, we can see it is not translating into results for women in most corporations. Some of that can be attributed to women who are juggling family and work. I believe more of it is due to the flattened corporate structure invented and refined by Mt. Welch, himself. In many companies managers have 30 or more direct reports. They simply cannot spend the time it takes to mentor their stars. Not without help, anyway.

Mentorship programs for the winners those who could become the anointed for future leadership can be designed and delivered. The most successful mentoring occurs when the mentor has the basic skills to be an effective mentor. And when the mentee has the drive to succeed plus the willingness to take coaching, try new things, and strive to master the skills that ensure success. Programs like that can and do work. The most effective mentoring programs occur when there is buy-in from top, investment in design and staffing of the program and a clear path of advancement for program participants. Without that clear path, the program will be perceived as a “victim’s unit” rather than the pathway for the anointed.

Check out my latest interview at MO.com http://www.mo.com/Susan-Bender-Phelps-Odyssey-Mentoring – It will give you great insight into what really lights us up about what our business can do to help your business be more successful.

Recently I was asked if sponsorship was the new mentoring. My answer is an emphatic NO!

In my experience mentorship and sponsorship are very distinct. And I believe the most powerful mentoring includes sponsorship. While sponsorship can be a very successful stand alone strategy, it cannot and will never replace mentoring.

Effective mentoring is an interactive, dynamic and empowering relationship that improves the thinking of both partners. This allows them to grow, develop and advance together. They become fully accountable for the actions they take and learn from their mistakes, their triumphs and everything in-between. In successful partnerships both people understand their roles, trust each other, are willing to listen and try new things.

An effective mentor always remembers who you are when the going gets tough. They ask the hard questions that make you think more deeply and clearly. They cheer the loudest when you experience a breakthrough, take a step that seems impossible, or reach a goal so challenging there could be no certainty of accomplishment until it was achieved. Mentoring is all about helping you develop the skills and the kind of strategic thinking that experience teaches.

Sponsorship is all about opening doors to new opportunities. It is one of the greatest gifts a mentor can give. Mentors who sponsor their mentees share access to their own network, to people at different levels in the organization and to resources. Sponsorship when done well can lead to bigger assignments, honors and recognition, and at times, promotions. It lets your mentee know they are growing and learning, and just as importantly that you recognize their progress and value.

You may be more familiar with sponsorship as an on-boarding strategy for new hires. This is a very successful way of acculturating people into the organization so they become productive more quickly. Successful sponsorship relationships can also blossom to become life-long professional friendships. Casey Powell, former President and CEO Sequent, shared with me about how effective sponsorship for on-boarding new hires can be. It helped build a workforce of team players who genuinely cared about each other and the organization. Though Sequent was acquired by IBM in 1999, more than 1500 former Sequent employees have maintained professional relationships that were nurtured by their sponsorship program. They stay in touch via a LinkedIn Group.

When we provide staff training in the essential skills you need to succeed as an effective mentor and leader, we include sponsorship strategies and how to appropriately share your network.

Higher Ups Get Coaching on New Trends, Technology & Social Media From Young Workers

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, reporter Leslie Kwoh, notes an exciting new trend taking off in a wide range of companies. Instead of workplace mentors who are older and higher up in the ranks than their mentees – younger employees are being tapped to help senior executives learn new skills.

The idea is to give senior managers an opportunity to learn about life outside the corner office. If that isn’t enough of a reason, companies are seeing reduced turnover among younger employees because mentoring this way gives them a sense of purpose, along with an enlightening glimpse into the world of management and access to top tier leaders.

According to Kwoh, reverse mentoring was championed by Jack Welch when he was chief executive of General Electric Co. He had 500 top-level executives pair up with people below them to learn to use the Internet. Welch took his own advice to heart and was matched with an employee in her 20s who taught him how to surf the Web. Today young mentors are teaching their senior mentees about Facebook and Twitter.

Technology and global thinking are changing so rapidly, older executives don’t want to be left behind. Reverse mentoring also helps acculturate the younger employees more quickly. They begin to see a promising future for themselves in the organization. This boosts loyalty, employee engagement and overall productivity.

There can be pitfalls. Many older workers resist the idea of being mentored by someone younger, especially when they have so many more years of experience. This is where a solid launch event featuring the people skills that make for more effective mentoring partnerships can make all the difference in the success of the program.

Leslie Truex, author of the Work At Home Bible, interviewed Susan Bender Phelps, CEO, of Odyssey Mentoring and Leadership for an audio podcast on her website www.Work-At-HomeSuccess.com this week. You’ll learn how she started Odyssey Mentoring and Leadership and hear why mentoring skills and mentoring are so critical for professional development, employee engagement and productivity: http://workathomesuccess.com/wahs-podcast-163-susan-phelps-of-odyssey-mentor (you’ll have to copy and paste the link into your browser to get there).

An actively engaged employee is a productive member of your organization. They care, they’re motivated and they are actively contributing. In fact, a large part of your company’s success is the direct result of their accomplishments, creativity, drive and talent.

A 2006 Gallup poll found that higher performing companies have a significant difference in the ratio of engaged versus disengaged employees than lower performing organizations. That’s 8:1 for the best, and just 2:1 at the average companies. If yours is one of those high-performing companies, that’s very good news.

But, according to a 2010 survey by global consulting firm BlessingWhite, only 31 percent of the global work force is actively engaged. Overall, they found that 52 percent of the work force is not engaged. That means they come to work and do what’s expected or less. If that isn’t an eye opener; it turns out 17 percent of the workforce is actively disengaged: they show up when they feel like it, and continually undermine and work against you.

This is important because employees who aren’t engaged lower overall productivity and add to turn over and that costs you. Before the recession, the cost of replacing an employee averaged $17,000 and those who made more than $60,000 per year cost more than $38,000 to replace. Now human resource managers tell us to look at an employee’s annual salary and figure 100 to 150 percent is what it will cost you to replace them. This includes lost productivity, recruitment and training. When you consider managerial and C-suite compensation packages, the total cost is sobering.

It turns out that the best predictor of high performance is that ratio of actively engaged employees at every level of the company. And employee engagement is most positively impacted when managers have excellent people skills. Managers who have great relationships with their direct reports out-perform those who rely solely on management actions.

This leads me to conclude that mentorship skills (people skills) and a mentoring environment (learning and support) are important tools for improving employee engagement at all levels of your organization. Once you have hired the best and brightest, mentoring is one of the most effective ways to ensure they stay engaged and committed to your organization. Mentoring enhances loyalty by placing high potential employees on the fast track with the extraordinary benefit of high quality senior level guidance.

Mentoring programs deliver three proven outcomes:

• While the best skills training can produce a bump in productivity of 33 percent, training combined with effective professional mentoring improves productivity up to 88 percent.
• Mentees form stronger bonds with you and your company because they can see a worthwhile future that includes them.
• Mentors experience a stronger sense of purpose and satisfaction when they use their knowledge and expertise to cultivate and develop another person.

Costly employee turnover will be reduced because employees in an effective mentoring relationship feel appreciated, have the opportunity to give and grow. Mentees get personal coaching, sponsorship and encouragement, enhance their skills, and increased levels of confidence. Both sides of the mentoring partnership experience a greater sense of satisfaction in their careers and often in their personal lives.

Here’s where you can see the complete study: http://www.blessingwhite.com/eee__report.asp

The people skills employees need in order to have effective mentoring partnerships can be learned and Odyssey Mentoring provides the training that empowers effective mentorship.

Mentoring employees is no longer just a case of coaching, life skills, techniques, capabilities and experiential sharing, but also driving transformational change, says writer Chloe Herrick, Computerworld – Australia.

She reports that IT leaders are being advised to change their approach to mentoring programs to focus not just on the individual, but instead on maximising the individual’s potential in the context of the organisation.

IT consultant, Rob Livingstone, told attendees at a Not for Profits Forum in Sydney this week that mentoring employees is no longer just a case of coaching, life skills, techniques, capabilities and experiential sharing, but also driving transformational change by focussing on issues impacting employees negatively. Livingstone is also a mentor with the CIO Executive Council’s Pathways ICT leadership program, a 12-month program that helps senior IT staff develop their business acumen and management skills.

I think Livingstone is right on the mark, not just for IT companies, but for all forward-thinking organizations.  Leaders should also be willing to enhance their one-to-one communication skills when supporting a mentoring partner through organizational transformation. Weathering these changes often requires a personal transformation with regard to accepting and adapting to those changes. Once there, mentoring can foster breakthrough-thinking and innovation.

At Odyssey Mentoring, we provide training for mentoring partners so they can achieve optimum impact from their work together.

- Listening

- Being a Keen Observer

- Understanding Differences – Diversity & Personality Styles

- The Conversational Dance to Insight, Action & Accountability

- Debriefing Successes & Failures

-Sharing your Network and Sponsorship

These skills make for better mentors, mentees and overall – better leaders. Win-win-win.

Downloaded 4/13/2011. To read the full article click here: http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/380072/it_leaders_urged_transform_mentoring_styles/?c=503741

Your organization uses many tools to achieve and maintain your competitive advantage: You stick to your strategic plan, understand and react to market trends, keep budgets in line, earnings consistent, and ensure your employees have what they need to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

One of the tools you use to maximize productivity and talent development is high-quality training. Great training can give you an initial bump in productivity of about 33 percent. Most executives I talk to say, “I’ll take it.”

But can you sustain that bump or exceed it over the long-term? The answer is YES! This is where a structured and effective mentoring program can really make the difference. Here’s how:

• · By reinforcing skills-based training every day: For training to stick and mastery to be achieved, employees need daily practice, coaching, accountability and encouragement beyond the training room.  A mentor, even a peer mentor, can provide that support and boost your productivity over the long-term by as much as 88 percent.
• By creating a challenging work environment: When your employees can be assigned work that offers enough challenges to make work exciting, interesting and a learning opportunity, job satisfaction increases.  With an experienced and effective mentor who has the time and the commitment to support them as they learn, employees can rise to the challenge with minimal risk of failure and missed deadlines.
• By building your existing talent pool: Employees who align their career goals with your organizational goals are able raise the barre for themselves, co-workers and the organization– with the support of an effective mentor, they gain a better understanding of what the organizational goals are and where their skills, talents and accountabilities fit. Your organization will be nourished by this continually improved talent pool and increase your competitive advantage.
• By linking mentoring to business strategy: When your mentoring program is aligned with the strategies designed to gain over competitors in the market, your employees will be able to meet or exceed the expectations of management, shareholders and customers.
• By retaining your existing talent pool: Organizations like IBM and Nike provide structured mentoring programs for their employees. This adds a richer means of tracking employee performance while boosting productivity and innovation.
• By beginning organization-wide succession planning before it is too late: Boomers are choosing to work later for a variety of reasons. However, at some point, they will have to go – a mentoring program now can give them the direct means for transferring their knowledge and experience to the next generation. If they are partners in the process, they will not feel like they are training their replacement. The younger generation will see that they have a future with your organization.
• By increasing overall job satisfaction: When employees feel valued, see a future worth working toward that benefits them as much as it benefits the organization, they enjoy their jobs. Mentoring historically provides these benefits to both sides of the mentoring partnership.

A solid and effective mentoring program doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning, training and a top to bottom commitment to making it work. Most people do not have the skills to lead another person from one level of expertise to another in an efficient way.  Those skills can be learned. When mentors and mentees learn the skills together and use their mentorship meetings to practice their skills while they learn and grow in their job or profession, you can expect extraordinary growth and results.

Susan Bender Phelps is the Chief Navigator at Odyssey Mentoring, a consulting and training company that specializes in strengthening existing mentorship programs and helping clients build strong programs from the start.

Last month I had the great pleasure of speaking at the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Westside Business Women lunch and learn event. The topic was  Being The MESSENGER – the nine principles that make networking so powerful. To capitalize on the momentum, the Chamber is having me back on February 17th for “Where Oh Where Should I Network?” - Whether it’s lunches, meetings, dinners, building that on-line tribe – how do you determine the BEST networking opportunities for you and your business? This session will help you save hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours while increasing your ROI on what you do spend.

On March 17th – “How to Generate 50 Contacts a Week” - - You can maximize your networking and have enough contacts to keep your business growing no matter how busy you are. Learn effective tactics you can use the minute you hit the street.

Please join us at these information packed sessions. WBW will be on February 17th from 11:30 AM-1:00PM at Coyotes Bar and Grill located at 5301 W. Baseline, Hillsboro 97124. RSVP by February 15th to Darcey Edwards 503-726-2143 darceye@hillchamber.org

I am the Chief Navigator for Odyssey Mentoring. We provide training to companies and professional associations for their mentoring and leadership programs. We opened our doors a little more than one year ago and we are in the black!

When I speak and write, I  share my business-building principles, strategies and tactics. She has trained hundreds in the art and science of networking. Throughout my career, I have delivered success after success in marketing, advertising and public relations – increased sales, broadened customer bases, community action, media campaigns and charitable fund raising. She has more than 20 years of hands-on experience as an entrepreneur, manager, trainer, writer and speaker.