MICHAEL GULLAN
EVEN with e-learning solutions being used or considered by 90% of businesses, coaching and mentoring are still essential to develop employees and close skills gaps.
A 2023 study by the HR Research Institute showed that 70% of employees believe that coaching is important, while 66% say mentoring is important. About half of the study respondents reported an increase in the amount of coaching and mentoring in their organisations.
Coaching and mentoring are excellent tools for preparing employees for new roles or assignments – providing guidance, improving employee engagement and retention, and igniting a positive culture. However, it can be counterproductive, as many employees say their mentors are strapped for time. This impacts the mentor’s ability to build rapport, guide conversations toward positive outcomes, listen effectively, and give insightful feedback.
For this reason, more organisations are using technology to amplify their coaching and mentoring by integrating it into their e-learning programmes. There are a number of ways to do this, including:
IGNITE A COACHING MINDSET
Like a growth mindset, a coaching mindset encourages everyone to grow and expand their skills. Leaders are essential to helping others realise their potential, develop skills, and expand their contributions.
DEVELOP A STRATEGY
Define your leaders’ roles in motivating their managers and staff. Determine how to inject mentorship moments into your e-learning programmes such as one-on-ones, all-hands, team meetings, videos, webinars, and gamification.
DEVELOP LEADERS
Leaders cannot be effective without the ability to get their egos out of the way and master their thoughts, emotions and words. These skills should form part of your leadership curriculum, including being a non-judgmental and active listener, curious, compassionate and empathetic.
SCALE
Allow all employees to develop their coaching and mentoring abilities so they are equipped with the skills to nurture and share knowledge with their colleagues and develop their potential to become a leader. Your entire organisation will feel psychologically safe, more satisfied, and more innovative. Communication will improve, and employees will be less defensive. Best of all, you will reap the rewards of greater knowledge sharing and an empowered workforce.
Organisations with effective coaches and mentors do things differently. They are built on the shoulders of giants. Employees ask smarter questions, get to the root of customer concerns quicker, solve problems, and are more accountable and innovative.
There are proven ways to scale coaching and mentorship using your e-learning programmes, so you can enhance employee engagement and productivity, make succession planning more organic, and positively impact the bottom line.
* Michael Gullan is an e-learning professional.