More Praise for This Book
In my experience, mentoring is one of the most effective development strategies for both mentees and mentors; however, implementing an effective program is always more challenging than it seems. This book is an invaluable resource for creating the conditions for successful, high-impact mentoring relationships.
Erica Freedman, Vice President, Talent and Organizational Development, Day & Zimmermann
In todays world, where the career-minded need a personal board of directors, mentors need to do moremuch morethan just share experiences. Wendy Axelrods guidance will help you establish effective relationships so you will be a beacon to guide your mentees development. I wish Id had this book when I started mentoring!
Barbara Jamelli-Sefchik, Global Head of Career Development, SAP
10 Steps to Successful Mentoring is the ultimate mentoring handbook. Wendy Axelrod has distilled her years of research and practice into an actionable road map that takes out all the guesswork. Filled with assessments, checklists, templates, and more, this book provides the strategies mentors need to develop others, and support their own ongoing development as well.
Julie Winkle Giulioni, Co-Author, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go
Wendy Axelrods new book 10 Steps to Successful Mentoring is the ultimate guide to creating a successful mentoring program. Her structured approach not only provides the what to do, but more importantly the how, along with stories, tips, suggestions, and practical tools to help create a terrific mentoring experience for both mentor and mentee.
Fred Test, VP, Wealth Planning & Advice, TD Wealth
Through her extensive experience and research, Wendy Axelrod has created a practitioners field guide for any mentor or mentoring program manager. Most information available on mentoring has been fragmented and theoretical, but this book provides a comprehensive compilation of best practices and tools that any new or experienced mentor can readily apply.
Tom Kaney, Managing Partner, McKnight Kaney LLC Former SVP Human Resources, North America, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals
10 Steps to Successful Mentoring is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to start a program (individually or organizationally) or improve the quality of mentoring already in place. It engages the mentor to learn these steps by laying out the significant benefits they will receive. This is a must-have tool for building remarkable, development-producing mentoring relationships.
Dave Desch, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, C3i Solutions, an HCL Technologies Company
Mentoring can be one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. In this terrific book, talent development guru Wendy Axelrod lays out the ultimate road map for mentoring success!
Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Author, The Introverted Leader
Wendy Axelrod takes a fresh, conversational approach to the most important aspects of a mentoring relationship.
Jenn Labin, Author, Mentoring Programs That Work
2019 ASTD DBA the Association for Talent Development (ATD)
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
22 21 20 19 1 2 3 4 5
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, information storage and retrieval systems, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please go to www.copyright.com, or contact Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (telephone: 978.750.8400; fax: 978.646.8600).
ATD Press is an internationally renowned source of insightful and practical information on talent development, training, and professional development.
ATD Press
1640 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
Ordering information: Books published by ATD Press can be purchased by visiting ATDs website at www.td.org/books or by calling 800.628.2783 or 703.683.8100.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019933790
ISBN-10: 1-949036-48-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-949036-48-0
e-ISBN: 978-1-949036-49-7
ATD Press Editorial Staff
Director: Sarah Halgas
Manager: Melissa Jones
Community of Practice Manager, Human Capital: Eliza Blanchard
Developmental Editor: Jack Harlow
Associate Editor: Courtney Cornelius
Text and Cover Design: Darrin Raaum
Printed by P.A. Hutchinson Company, Mayfield, PA
Tools and Figures
Tools
Figures
Foreword
I had just finished a presentation to a large group of high potential employees and their leaders and was waiting in the lobby of the hotel for my ride to the airport. I watched as two gentlemen from the group briskly walked over to one another and exchanged a big, warm bear hug. I was intrigued since the group was quite formal and I walked over to them and asked how they knew one another. They said, almost in unison, that they were mentor and mentee. Always curious, I asked the mentee what made his mentor so great.he said, without skipping a beat, he was authentic. Then I asked the mentor what made his mentee so special and he said (also without skipping a beat) he was hungry. I never forgot those two words, because I think they define a wonderful mentormentee relationship and those words can be said about either partner.
Wendy wonderfully provides mentors and mentees with tips, tools, and exercises to fuel the passion behind both of those words. Ive read a number of books on mentoring, written on it myself, and designed programs that make it come alive. Wendy does it better. 10 Steps to Successful Mentoring is the best book Ive seen on the subject. I believe it can be used by both sides of the partnership.
Wendy and I have been on parallel paths in our work in the people-development arena for years. We are both devoted to our profession and care deeply about learning and sharing what it takes to develop people. Through the professional associations in which we participate (ATD prime among them), we each engage with others to present, discuss, and adapt development practices to the ever changing organizational and work landscape. When Wendy wrote her first book, Make Talent Your Business, it was clear she dove deeply into what develops people best, and what managers need to focus on. She has a decades-long commitment to developing people in housein organizations where people work, learn, and grow. People grow especially well when the culture, managers, and peers are intentionally focused on development, with attention that is embedded in daily actions. How do organizations cultivate such a growth environment? That is what Wendy and I have been working on, and you will discover much more about it in this book.
Todays workplace is more complex and tougher to navigate than ever before. In addition, over the last few years two notable trends have emerged among job seekers: they are favoring meaning in their work, even more than money; and, they are eager for growth. Mentoring plays an essential role in filling these needs, and can be powerful and life changing for the individuals receiving it. Yet, thats just the beginning of the story. Mentoring can be positioned in organizations to increase performance, engagement and retention and at little cost. Perhaps the most important benefit to those reading this book, is that when they do it masterfully, mentors receive incredible rewards that reach far beyond the months or years they spend with their mentee.