If effective leaders can be made, what is the best way to make them? A first-of-its-kind study suggests an answer writes Steve Smith of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in a web article announcing the findings of a recent field experiment on mentoring (http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/todayatunl/710/4275).

According to Smith, researchers found that pairing a seasoned pro with a promising prospect in an informal mentorship was significantly more potent in developing strong leaders than formal group training. The process, however, was effective only if protégés fully trusted their mentors and were willing to handle blunt criticism, not just empty praise. This is music to our ears.

The findings reinforce the notion that the more organizations can move away from one-size-fits-all training toward one-on-one mentorships characterized by trust, the better their chances for building strong leaders will be.

“Organizations in the U.S. spend billions each year trying to develop better leaders with mixed results. This study is important because it explains why so many programs may be falling short of expectations,” said Peter Harms, assistant professor of management at UNL and co-author of the study. “Our research demonstrates that if leadership training efforts are to be successful, the targets of such interventions must be ready to develop. And the foundation of such readiness is an atmosphere of trust…”

The research was conducted over six months and involved hundreds of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Researchers randomly assigned cadets to either a tailored, structured mentorship program or a comparison group that participated in group leadership training in classrooms. Results showed that cadets participating in the semi-formal mentorships were significantly more likely to increase their confidence for being in a leadership role than their counterparts.

“The research has important implications for business,” Harms said. “Organizations may want to consider approaching leadership development in new, more systematic ways by using mentors. Prior research has also demonstrated that mentoring relationships have positive benefits for mentors as well as their protégés.”

“Organizations have to decide for themselves how important leadership development is for them,” says Harms and I couldn’t agree more. Our experience with client organizations is affirmed by the results of this study. We know that setting a firm foundation for trust can make or break a mentoring program. That’s why our Mentorship Launch Program can make such an important difference. Both sides of the mentoring partnership learn critical listening and actionable feedback skills, they learn and have an opportunity to practice conversational tools that lead to breakthrough thinking and results. It allows mentors and protégés to hit the ground running.

The study was authored by Paul Lester of the U.S. Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Directorate (UNL Ph.D.); Sean Hannah of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (UNL Ph.D.); UNL’s Harms; Gretchen Vogelgesang of Federal Management Partners (UNL Ph.D.) and Bruce Avolio of the University of Washington. The findings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Academy of Management Learning and Education.

I am so delighted to share this interview of me by Tom Cox, a truly talented consultant, speaker and blog radio host. I got to tell my story, how I became involved with mentoring and explain how what we do gives companies a competitive advantage by engaging employees at a much higher level. That means higher productivity, creativity, commitment and overall performance. Please listen in. If you like what you hear, call me for a FREE consultation. Invite me to speak at your next conference.

To Listen, cut and paste this link into your browser – allow about 30 minutes. http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/tom-on-leadership/2011/12/15/mentoring-for-competitive-advantage

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.

I want to share this article from The Star Ledger because they interviewed me. Though I really grew up on Long Island – it is a true story. Of course, if you are mentoring someone with a very pronounced regional accent – this might be helpful, too.

By Lee Miller/The Star-Ledger – Published: Sunday, July 24, 2011, 11:09 AM

After college, East Coast native Susan Bender Phelps, president of Odyssey Mentoring, moved to Southern California.

Her first job was as a telephone solicitor selling solar hot water heating systems. After being on the job just two hours, her manager called me into her office and said, “You cannot talk to people like that! Your accent and the fast-talking are scaring people. Slow down and lose the accent, or you will not be able to work here.”

Well, she succeeded in quickly losing the accent when she spoke on the phone at work, but it took a lot longer to lose it in general conversation. Now, as a corporate trainer and public speaker, she occasionally uses her accent for humor or when telling a story to add character, but has found she is generally more effective without a regional accent.

A study conducted by Diane Markley and Patricia Cukor-Avila shows how regional accents can affect hiring.

The study involved 56 hiring professionals who were asked to make judgments about potential based solely on how candidates, with different regional accents, sounded. The hirers were asked to judge if each speaker sounded educated or uneducated, intelligent or unintelligent, energetic or lazy, uptight or laid back, outgoing or withdrawn, assertive or docile.

Of the 10 regional accents, a distinctive “New Jersey” accent received the most negative rating by hiring professionals. When asked to decide what types of jobs the individuals were suited for based solely on their accents, only 5 percent of the hirers selected the New Jersey speaker for positions requiring a high level of customer contact and more than 64 percent selected the New Jersey speaker for positions requiring little technical expertise and little-to-no customer contact.

Can a New Jersey accent hurt you in a job search or in your quest for a promotion?

For jobs located outside of New Jersey or for positions where you work with a national clientele, it may sometimes limit your options.

According to Sharlene Vichness, president of Roseland-based Language Direction, a company that specializes in accent reduction, employers often make snap judgments based on how you sound. She refers to this as “accent prejudice.”

Vichness suggests that “while you can talk any way you want with your friends, to maximize your career potential it is best to speak standard business English.” Her goal when she works with someone who feels that their accent is hurting their career is to “make sure that what comes out of your mouth reflects what is in your head.”

Everyone has an accent of some sort, even if it is a Midwestern “non-accent” of the type most television anchors have. Unless it interferes with your ability to communicate or affects how you are perceived, it is generally not a problem.

Some people, in fact, view their local accents as a plus. Jené Luciani, an on-air style expert, spent several years working in production “behind the scenes” before transitioning to the other side of the camera.

When she was contemplating the move to on-air personality, several people in the business told her she would have to lose her accent. They said she would have trouble getting work or getting an agent to represent her, if she did not get rid of her accent. They also suggested changing her name. She chose to ignore their advice and, as she notes, it has turned out quite well for her.

If you believe your accent may be holding you back, you can do something about it. Dawn Cotter-Jenkins, a speech therapist who works for Language Directions, recently worked with an accountant who felt that her local accent was impeding her chances of being made a partner at the accounting firm where she works.

Cotter-Jenkins was able to teach her techniques to change her pronunciation of words, such as dog and coffee, eliminating her local accent. Within six months her client was promoted to partner at the firm.

As Vichness notes, how you look and how you speak are the first things people notice about you. She adds, “first impressions matter and you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

There’s just something about opening a calendar for a new year that inspires us to improve our lives. So it’s no surprise that New Year’s career resolutions often focus on big goals–such as a promotion or a new job.

And that’s why many resolutions get tossed aside by the second week in January, according to Tracy Brisson, founder and CEO of The Opportunities Project. “We get overwhelmed when we realize that outcomes are not always in our control,” she explains. But Brisson says that there are plenty of attainable goals–such as adding people to your network or committing to read one business-related book per month–that can add up to career success.

Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of Flexjobs.com, recommends a mix of easy-to-achieve and lofty goals. She says, “The important part is to choose goals that are directly related to making you more successful in your job.”

Here are some other suggestions from the experts:

Hone your elevator pitch.
For Jasmin French, principal of the personal branding firm J. French, it starts with honing your personal brand. French advises doing a simple inventory, “What did you do in 2010 that has transferable value to your employer or potential employer in 2011?” Then, she says, turn that into a succinct (60 seconds or less) pitch on what you are uniquely positioned to do better than anyone else.

French also suggests that you get people to start talking about you by updating your LinkedIn profile with any certifications you’ve earned or classes you’re taking, as well as forwarding relevant articles. “Create your own buzz. It’s self-promotion, but it’s not shameless.”

Brush up on hard skills.
Victoria Ashford, a leadership and career coach at Fearless Leading, suggests heading back to school for additional education, certification, diplomas, or language skills. “Once you have the knowledge and skill, it’s yours forever–hard to take away,” she notes. “Industries and work environments change, so make sure you’re keeping up. Be intentional about your knowledge base and upgrade or update it now.”

Solidify your soft skills.
While you’re admiring that new diploma hanging on the wall, Ashford cautions that you shouldn’t forget about “soft” skills, such as business etiquette, body language, and personal accountability. “Master the arts of introductions, conversation, and establishing professional presence. Ask others to judge your handshake, table manners, and posture,” she advises.

A University of Illinois study concluded that 55 percent of the first impression you make is based on your appearance and your body language. And while first impressions are made within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone, it can take up to as many as 21 interactions to undo a bad first impression. French says, “If you want to be known for being detail-oriented, hem your pants, polish your fingernails, or iron that shirt.”

Work better with others.
Susan Bender Phelps, a trainer and speaker with Odyssey Mentoring, urges employees to treat everyone they work with as if they are a customer. “Everyone includes your company’s management team, your direct supervisor, even your cubicle-mate. Provide knock-your-socks-off service.”

Bender Phelps says that one place to start is by sharing credit with your team and with everyone in the organization who contributed to a success. “When you do this consistently, you become the kind of leader people will want to follow, regardless of your title.” Likewise, acknowledge people when they do great work, and be specific: “Give evidence that demonstrates you understand their work and the difference it made to the organization.”

Approach failure as an opportunity.
“Use every failure or mistake as an opportunity to learn and plan for the future,” emphasizes Bender Phelps. She recommends paying attention to what you were trying to accomplish, what you did to make that happen, what went right, and what went wrong. By taking time to consider what went into a failed initiative, you can learn what could have been done better–and in the future, if you’re presented with a similar situation or project, you’ll know what you should do differently.

by Lydia Dishman

The recession caused almost every company in America to downsize, right-size, furlough, reduce benefits, cut expenses to the bone and basically, white knuckle it until things got better. Although the recession seems to be lifting, managers are still afraid to loosen their grip, and rightly so.

The experience was traumatic for everyone. Between the survivor’s guilt and being asked to do more with much less to keep the business afloat, the best and the brightest are re-evaluating their options. At the beginning of the year, the Department of Labor noticed a new trend. More people were quitting their jobs than were being laid off.

A recent report published by Watson Wyatt Worldwide affirms that top performers are increasingly dissatisfied with their jobs. They are choosing to leave for better working conditions, opportunities and resources.  To keep the best and brightest stars of your organization, you are going to need to create a new value proposition for them. As the economy improves, employees will need to see that their future with your company will improve as well.

One effective strategy is a comprehensive professional mentoring program that will help them through the transition; concretely demonstrate your commitment to their professional growth, ensure a lower turnover rate and greater job satisfaction. To be successful the program should be structured, begin with training that prepares both mentoring partners to make the most of the relationship and consistent support from senior management.

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal (http://tinyurl.com/34eh2pn) reported that since February, more employees voluntarily quit their jobs than were laid off. This is the first time this has happened since the recession began, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics which previously recorded more layoffs than resignations for 15 straight months.

Prior to that, the average number of people voluntarily leaving their jobs per month had been about 2.7 million. In October 2008, the average number dropped to 1.72 million. This March, it bumped up to 1.87 million.

If this is the start of a new trend, and the number of employees quitting continues to grow, what could it mean for businesses across the nation? Could a solid mentoring program help to stem the tide and help the talent within step up to fill the void? We believe the answer is YES!

Recruiters and human-resource experts interviewed by the WSJ say the increase in employees giving notice is being caused by two things. First, the natural turnover of employees leaving to advance their careers didn’t occur during the recession because jobs were so scarce. Workers were waiting for the job market to improve before making a move to better jobs.

The second thing that may be making it harder for companies to retain employees is the effect of the heavy cost-cutting and downsizing on workers’ morale that occurred over the past two years. WSJ reported the results of a survey conducted by the Conference Board, a management research organization. A drop in job fulfillment was found to be the result of workers being less satisfied with wages and less interested in work. In 2009, 34.6% of workers were satisfied with their wages, down more than seven percentage points from 1987. About 51% in 2009 said they were interested in work, down 19 percentage points from 1987.

We believe that when people see a path to the future that benefits them, their careers and their families, they will take action to move toward that future. A strong mentoring program shows employees that the company is as interested in their future as they are. It provides a support structure, the opportunity to try new things, learn new things and broaden the employee’s network within the organization.

Disillusioned workers may not embrace the idea of participating in a mentoring program until they begin to see the results and a sustained commitment from management. Buy-in from upper management, training to provide a solid foundation for mentors and mentees to get off on the right foot, and support and coaching for the duration of the program will increase success.

Whenever I make a presentation, someone in the audience asks if there is a difference between mentoring, coaching, and counseling. Though the skills used for each are similar – asking reflective questions, active listening, summarizing, observing patterns, challenging assumptions, and providing support – they are fundamentally very different.

Here are some distinctions we use:

Mentoring– a developmental relationship between a more experienced “mentor” and a less experienced partner that typically involves the sharing of advice, resources and support for reaching specific goals. The mentor is experienced in a particular domain and shares that experience while bringing the protégé up the ranks.  It is a partnership between the two. Ideally, the protégé leads the relationship by asking for guidance and support. The relationship can occur in a formalized program or between two people who agree between them to work together for a period of time. In our work, the mentors and protégés work for the same company or belong to the same professional organization.

Coaching – a method of professional development that can be provided by a supervisor or a paid professional to attain a certain work behavior that will improve leadership, accountability, teamwork, sales, communication, goal setting, strategic planning and more. It can be provided in a number of ways, including one-on-one, group sessions and large scale organizational work. Business coaches often specialize in a specific practice area such as executive coaching, corporate coaching, small business and leadership coaching. A good business coach does not need to have specific business expertise and experience in the same field as the person being coached.

Counseling – counselors are professionals who are trained to diagnose and help a client with emotional problems, resolving issues from the past or a dysfunction. From time to time, a mentor or coach may find it useful to recommend counseling to a client or protégé.

The United States Senate recently passed a resolution designating January 2010 as National Mentoring Month (http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/news_events/pressreleases/senateresolution2010/). It was intended to cast a spotlight on the need for youth mentors throughout the United States. Though Odyssey Mentoring is dedicated to professional mentoring, our roots are in youth mentoring.

Throughout the 1990′s I was a founder, volunteer and later executive director for the New Mexico Youth at Risk Foundation. My passion was bringing quality mentoring programs to at-risk middle school students.  Our programs allowed hundreds of young people to transform their lives with the guidance and commitment of amazing adults who volunteered their time. My job included enrolling the adults, youth and other volunteers, providing the mentor training for the adults and leading the weekly workshops for them. I also served as a mentor in several of our programs.  These programs were my training ground.

The most important thing I learned about mentoring is that it is not a “monkey see, monkey do” process. It is a powerful relationship between two people who are both committed to the mentee’s goals for his or her life. The best mentors learn how to ask questions that make their protege think about what they are doing or facing in new ways that support positive choices and creative problem-solving.

One of my mentee’s, Claudia, was an 7th grader with failing grades. She was bright, energetic and from a family that was in shambles. Her parents fought with each other constantly and she fought bitterly with her older sister just as frequently. They lived in a Habitat for Humanity house, but didn’t have the resources to maintain it. The middle school she attended was a recruiting ground for the local gangs. And Claudia was a chatterbox who could not sit still or be quiet in class. Her sister had been in our program the previous year.

After I made my presentation to 300 students, 25 applied for our mentoring program, Claudia included. She was one of the most courageous young people I have ever met. She was willing to work on her problems with the course leader, in front of everyone. Her sister was volunteering that day and when the seriousness of their sibling rivalry came to light, he brought them both to the front of the room. They literally transformed before our eyes. Later, after their mother’s suicide attempt, they were able to rely on each other and survive the trauma together.

But her grades continued to flounder. One day we were working on what goals she could have for the rest of the program and she said she wanted to make B’s instead of D’s and F’s. When I asked her what she thought it would take, she offered that perhaps her teachers might allow her to make up all of the failing work since the beginning of the year. It was December. When I asked her what would have to happen for her teachers to allow that, she asked if I would meet with them. For a moment I thought about doing that and then a light went off and I said, “What do you think would happen if you asked them?”

It was quite a conversation. She was unsure and afraid. Ultimately she agreed to meet with her teachers by herself, apologize for her behavior in class and for not completing her assignments. Her teachers were amazing. They agreed, but only if she would sign a contract that said this was her last chance. If she did not complete the work, she could never again expect her teachers to make an allowance or accommodation for her. She signed it. Then I took on a project to raise the most money I had ever raised for the foundation and we supported each other.

Claudia completed every assignment, the do-overs and her current work on time and on her own. She never had another behavioral referral. She raised her GPA to a 3.2. She went out for the basketball team and performed in the school talent show. And I met my fund-raising target. We  stretched each other, we laughed a lot and cried some. There were days when neither one of us knew what our next step should be. We struggled, we made mistakes, and we succeeded. It was worth every minute of it.

In a professional setting, the issues that a mentee/protege address may be very different than those of an at-risk youth. But the principles are the same and the transformation is the same. The only difference is the starting point.