Mentoring for managers: learning from one another in tandem

Organizations remain agile when their employees are willing to learn both from and with each other. This especially holds true for managers. Mentoring is a proven tool that brings together members of the Executive Board and senior management with leaders from middle and lower management. The mentor passes on their wealth of experience to support the mentee in their professional development. A firm belief in mentorship drives Patrick Jacot, Head of Credit Services at PostFinance and, since 2018, Head of Partner Management at Valuu, to make himself available for mentoring sessions at PostFinance time and again – and true to form, he is just getting started on a new mentorship with a manager. He has even trained as a coach and business mentor. “Developing people has always been close to my heart and is a key factor in why I’m in a leadership position in the first place,” he explains.

Determine expectations ahead of mentoring

According to Jacot, the key requirements for successful mentoring are establishing clear expectations and formulating objectives prior to starting the mentoring programme. Realistically, a mentee can expect, say, to work through an issue together (for example, dealing with challenging team situations), develop self-confidence as a leader, formulate professional goals, attain personal growth, expand their network, or gain insights from other organizational units. On the other hand, expectations such as “Mentoring will then automatically help me to advance in my career” or “I will be guaranteed do my job better after mentoring” are not realistic, because mentoring simply offers support. The actual change itself is down to the mentee.

A safe environment for open and honest feedback

“The right chemistry between mentor and mentee is equally important,” stresses Jacot. This is because mentoring requires mutual trust in order to discuss the topics you wish to and exchange experiences, along with open and honest feedback, in a safe environment. “Mentoring is based on the principle of give and take, meaning it works well when it’s a win-win situation and both participants benefit from each other in different ways. He’s already experienced for himself that the contacts endure to some extent beyond the mentoring and even lead to friendships. 

Meetings and arrangements are binding

Mentoring requires strong commitment on both sides to dedicate time and energy to a shared endeavour. This also means that meetings and arrangements are binding – both for the mentee and the mentor. “Everyone’s time is precious. However, when I decide to go ahead with mentoring, it has the same high priority on my agenda as anything else,” says Jacot emphatically. This also includes a clear, goal-oriented approach, in which the mentee first clarifies their requirements with their line manager and begins the search for a suitable mentor. Jointly defined goals and mutual expectations are then recorded in a so-called ‘working alliance’. “Throughout the entire process, which usually lasts between six and ten months, we also check regularly to see if we’re on target. Incidentally, information given to line managers is provided exclusively by the mentee,” explains the Head of Credit Services. 

Networking is ever more important

Patrick Jacot is convinced that mentoring can have a very positive impact, especially in organizations undergoing change, and can contribute to improved knowledge transfer and valuable exchange of experience, as well as personal development. “In our increasingly complex world, networking, in particular, is becoming ever more important, and mentoring offers an opportunity to develop this further. Mentoring is also a great way to prepare for roles undergoing transformation.

Good to know

PostFinance HR provides information on mentoring for any managers interested.