National Mentoring Day 2024: Mentoring is a Win for Mentees, Mentors, and Organisations Alike
Antoinette Oglethorpe
Award-Winning Mentor and Coach | Trainer | Speaker | Author | Leadership Development | Mentoring | Career Management | Coaching and Training Programmes
As we celebrate National Mentoring Day, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the power of mentorship and the invaluable role it can play. Mentoring is a powerful tool for personal and professional development, benefiting both the individual and the organisation.
It's more than just skill-building; it’s about creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow. Research shows that employees who have access to mentoring progress faster and are more likely to stay. In fact, 77% of companies report mentoring as an effective retention strategy—because people don’t just leave jobs, they leave environments that don’t support them. Making it a key strategy for talent retention.
Mentoring also enhances career development, as mentors provide guidance, support, and networking opportunities that help mentees take control of their career paths. Helping employees take ownership of their paths. A perceived lack of career development opportunities leaves many employees feeling unfulfilled, with studies showing that 70% experience dissatisfaction, which often results in higher attrition rates. Mentors help guide employees through challenges, identifying and connecting them with their goals and supporting them in achieving those goals, building loyalty along the way.
The benefits extend beyond individuals. Mentoring fosters a sense of belonging, helping employees feel connected and valued, while also breaking down organisational silos to improve cross-departmental communication. Not only does this improve workplace culture, but it also boosts your ROI on learning and development by increasing productivity and the effective application of new skills.
Different people have very different ideas about what mentoring is. For me, I would sum it up as “Learning through sharing” – to share and learn from experiences (your own and others).
In the spirit of learning through sharing, today’s newsletter is packed with insights, tools, and inspiration to help you make the most of mentoring in your organisation.
Best wishes,
Antoinette
Join Us Live
How to Engage Early Career Professionals in Career Development with Guest Speaker Jake Richings
??? Date: Tuesday, 19th November 2024
? Time: 15:00 UK
We have the pleasure of being joined by Jake Richings for our next live webinar. Jake is the young entrepreneur behind ‘Authentic Engagement’, a strategic consultancy that supports organisations to increase engagement.
In this session, hosted by Antoinette Oglethorpe, Jake will explore the four pillars of engagement as a structure for engaging early career professionals to take action and ownership of their career development.?
By prioritising engagement, organisations can strengthen retention, recruitment, and skills development among early career employees.
Expect inspiring examples, from TikTok videos to intergenerational mentoring schemes, that highlight innovative ways to engage the new generation of people into work.
Join us for this not-to-be-missed one-off live webinar.
A Personal Journey: From Corporate Learning to Empowering Through Mentorship
I wanted to share a recent experience that took me back to where it all started—at a careers fair for sixth-formers at my old school. Reflecting on my journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, I was reminded of the incredible impact mentorship has had on my career. Speaking with students about my path—from launching products at P&G to eventually building my own training and coaching business—gave me the chance to revisit the milestones and mentors that shaped who I am today.
For me, mentorship has always been about “learning through sharing.” My mentors, like the one who encouraged me to move into HR, helped me see new possibilities and guided me through pivotal decisions. Now, as a business owner, mentorship is at the heart of what we do, supporting others to find their own path, whether they’re just starting out or seasoned professionals.
In my latest blog post , I share the lessons I’ve learned along the way, not just for students but for anyone looking to grow and thrive in their careers. From embracing new opportunities to aligning passion with purpose, these lessons are universal—and something we can all carry forward.
Investing Now for Next Year’s Success
As year-end approaches, it's the perfect time to consider how to maximise your budget’s ROI for the upcoming year. Investing in career conversation tools and mentoring resources now, that will empower your managers and employees for the year ahead. Helping build a culture of continuous growth and learning. Not only will this boost employee satisfaction, but it will also drive organisational success by increasing retention and fostering a motivated, skilled workforce.
Equip your team with the skills and tools they need to make the most of mentoring relationships, and set your organisation up for a successful 2025!
One of our values as a company is “Be Helpful”
So, we put a lot of effort into developing free and affordable resources that will be of value to our network. Including tooklits, workbooks, guides, books and eBooks, plus scorecards and assessment tools.
What Makes a Highly Effective Mentor?
Great mentors make a lasting impact by bringing certain key qualities to the table. Here’s what makes a mentor truly effective:
What's Makes a Great Mentee?
A successful mentoring relationship isn’t just about having a mentor; it’s a two-way partnership.
Here’s what makes an effective mentee:
Approach mentorship with an open mind and a willingness to grow, and you’ll reap the full benefits of this valuable relationship.
Facilitating Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) Through Mentoring
Mentoring can be a powerful tool for advancing diversity, equality, and inclusion. By serving as advocates and role models, mentors help mentees navigate challenges, build confidence, and develop skills, especially benefiting individuals from underrepresented groups. For organisations, mentoring promotes a more inclusive culture by fostering connections and providing role models. It also enables companies to identify and address barriers, creating an environment where all employees can succeed and thrive.
What is often referred to as 'reverse mentoring' also plays an important role, where the relationship is based on expertise in a topic rather than age or seniority. This approach fosters mutual learning, breaks down hierarchical barriers, and encourages a more inclusive and adaptive organisational culture.
Inspire, Share, Grow
Quotes have a special way of capturing wisdom and experience, often inspiring us to see things in a new light. That’s exactly what mentoring is all about—spreading positivity, sharing knowledge, and inspiring others to grow.
In the video below (and in this article ), I share some of my favourite quotes about the impact of mentoring. These are not just words; they’re reminders of the power we all have to make a difference in someone else’s journey.
I hope these quotes bring a spring to your step and inspire you to pass that motivation on to others.
What’s your favourite mentoring quote? Share it in the comments, and let’s keep this circle of inspiration growing!
We're here to help
If you’d like to find out more about how we can support your organisation with Mentoring and Career Management, you can find out more about our programmes here . Or book a free, no-obligation, discovery call today and we can discuss the specific needs and requirements in your organisation.
Beautifully put, Antoinette Oglethorpe. Mentoring truly is about “learning through sharing,” and it’s fantastic to see you fostering this spirit in your work. We’d love to hear your mentoring stories, so please tag us to share and inspire others. Your stories make a difference every day, and we’re honoured to share the impact of mentoring all year round at National Mentoring Day. #NationalMentoringDay