Level Up Leadership

Companies can’t grow unless their employees grow with them. There are of course a number of ways that you can help your employees grow over the course of 2015: goal planning, open communication, and performance reviews are all high on the list. However, one of the most significant ways that employers can help their employees achieve greater success is often overlooked, and that is mentorships.

Whether you decide to personally mentor the people on your team or set up a company-wide mentor pairing program, employee mentoring can have a significant impact upon achieving company goals, improving company culture, and fostering loyalty. Here are three simple ways to be a better mentor to your employees in 2015.

1. Becoming a better leader.

Don’t assume that because you have achieved success in your career, you have a solid understanding of how to most effectively pass your wisdom down to your employees. Read books about leadership. Attend workshops. Listen to feedback from your peers and the people you manage. By being more open to ways that you can improve yourself, you’ll both set a good example for the people you mentor and learn new ways to better encourage them.

2. Helping employees set goals.

Setting professional goals is one of the most fundamental ways that people push themselves to be and do better. Without goals we all tend to coast, not necessarily satisfied with what we have, but with no real path for improving our situation. Take the time to ask your mentees about their goals. Have them write them down along with deadlines and any obstacles that may stand in their way. Check in with them regularly to encourage them to stay on a path toward success.

3. Being honest and encouraging.

Failure and success go hand in hand. You can’t have the latter without first experiencing the former. So when your employees fail, give them the advice and encouragement they will need in order to pick themselves back up and do better the next time. Also, don’t pretend like you were born an executive. Share personal stories about your own failures and what you learned from them. You’ll build a deeper trust that way and motivate your mentees to push forward.