National Mentoring Month

National Mentoring Month is a campaign dedicated to recognizing mentoring and the impact it can have on a person’s life. Whether it’s supporting young people, inspiring college students, or developing professionals in the workplace, mentoring enables people to achieve their full potential by learning from others. Established in 2002 and recognized yearly by the US president and administration, National Mentoring Month is a time to celebrate the power of mentoring and encourage others to explore how mentoring programs can enable organizations to create more productive, developed and satisfied people.

Important Dates to Recognize in January 2021

• January 7 – I am a Mentor Day
• January 17 – International Mentoring Day
• January 29 – Thank Your Mentor Day

Why Mentoring is Needed Now, More Than Ever

Connecting People In An Isolated World

In this time of physical distancing, human connection has been made even more critical. People are experiencing an unprecedented and abrupt transition to working, learning and connecting remotely, whether they feel ready for it or not. In times of crisis, people yearn for the very basic fundamentals of survival, safety and belonging. Organizations need to build robust strategies to provide for these needs in order to overcome challenges and build long-lasting engagement.

Leaving It To Chance Isn’t Working

When it comes to improving the progress and growth of all employees, organizations continue to lag behind when it comes to women and people of color. McKinsey & Company found women face consistent challenges when it comes to ascending the corporate ladder, often in the early stages of their careers—at the first rung of promotion into management. Meanwhile, fewer than one in three black, full-time professionals say they have access to senior leaders, compared to almost half of white professionals, according to the Center for Talent Innovation. It isn’t enough to hire diverse employees and hope they rise through the ranks as everyone else. It takes greater actions of inclusion through mentoring that offer these employees opportunities to interact with senior leaders and build skills and knowledge that will enable them to grow.

Trust is Broken

With the many corporate scandals of misconduct, misuse and oversight that have come to light in the last decade, many companies are left with a broken circle of trust between themselves and their most valuable asset—their people. In turn, this distrust has bred disengagement and a breakdown of productivity and retention. Companies are turning to mentoring to reignite trust, build rapport and illustrate that the organization is prepared to invest in its employees for the greater development of its future workforce.

Explore the resources below and learn how to establish or promote mentoring in your organization and beyond. #MentoringMatters #MentoringMonth