Despite the notion that mentoring conduction should happen through face-to-face interaction, group mentoring is emerging as a viable training and development strategy across various organizations. For small-scale organizations or start-ups, group mentoring can be a time-saver and valuable resource. On top of that, group mentoring is an excellent method for distributing educational and strategically planned mentoring programs to many people. In this two-part series, we'll give you an idea of what group mentoring looks like, explain the benefits, and help you devise a plan for implementing influential group mentoring. (Read Part 2 here!)
Group Mentoring: What is it?
If you're familiar with mastermind groups, you can think of group mentoring similarly. Group mentoring entails interaction between mentors and mentees in a group setting. The collective gathering allows organizations to extend the benefits of mentoring to larger groups, exposing both mentors and mentees to a broader range of interaction and thereby broadening the horizons of mentoring relations. It exposes employees to various learning opportunities and promotes knowledge sharing and unity of behavior across the organization.
Why Start with Group Mentoring?
Group mentoring can be a suitable method for introducing the structure and goals of mentoring to employees. It can also serve as a way to improve upon the disadvantages of individual mentoring. The advantages of group mentoring include:
- Productive use of resources
By combining the skills and insights of many, group mentoring reduces the organization's cost of time, money, and resources.
- Diversity
Group mentoring provides a diverse setting that brings together different cultures and perspectives. Mentors and mentees have the advantage of working with and learning from individuals with varied backgrounds, skill-sets, and emotions. It makes group mentoring all the more challenging and that much more rewarding.
- Training method
Group mentoring is often defined as a classroom training method. It's the only form of mentoring to train and develop your workforce as a team.
- Junior mentoring
Younger mentees are most comfortable among peers who share their concerns and struggles. Group mentoring allows communication through collaboration and activity. This kind of environment is apt for youth mentoring where young mentees won't feel pressured or singled out. Instead, they can learn together and from each other to grow in their careers.
- Defining mentoring needs
Everyone learns differently, and despite the advantages of group mentoring, some employees will benefit more from one-on-one guidance. Group mentoring will allow you to determine which mentees thrive in a group setting and which ones would gain more from one-on-one mentorship, thus helping you place employees in the programs they are best suited for.
These are a few reasons why group mentorship is critical to an organization's growth and success. Additionally, group mentoring brings people together by allowing them to share their experiences while reducing the organization's cost of individual mentorship.
MentorCloud works with top leaders, business professionals, senior employees, and group mentors to create best practices for group mentoring within your organization. Get in touch with us if you recognize group mentoring to be what your team needs to excel.
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