You've read in business magazines and newsletters about many successful mentoring programs. You think you'd like to try out the idea of a formal program at your company. What can you do to increase the odds for success?
- Have a clear purpose. Do you want the program solely to support leadership development or are you interested in encouraging the advancement of high-potential women and minorities? Are you thinking about the positive impact the program can have on employee and managerial recruitment and retention? Whatever the program’s purpose, it should be clearly defined, including the goals by which the initial effort will be measured. When a program has a specific purpose, it is more likely to have top management’s support.