January = National Mentoring Month

Launched in 2002 by MENTOR The National Mentoring Partnership (www.mentoring.org) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Mentoring Month is about driving systemic change to make mentoring an integral component of youth and workforce development efforts.

Becoming a mentor can lead to unlimited opportunities: mentees can find a source of support from someone invested in their success; mentorships create long-lasting relationships; mentors impart positive values and instill a commitment to learning and betterment. Having a good mentor while you are developing your professional skills is a priceless gift, and all it takes is a little of your time.

It is no secret that time is a valuable thing, and just a little bit of time spent giving advice or spreading your expertise to someone who needs it can make a huge impact. The beginning of a new year is a great time to get involved in a mentoring program either by volunteering your skills to a community organization or taking on a mentee within your own business.

Getting involved in mentoring within your business or organization has been proven to help increase business profitability and longevity. Employees are one of the business’ greatest assets. As a leader, making yourself available to mentor your team can be a worthwhile investment in your business.

Here are a few of the benefits of employee mentorship:
1. Employee Loyalty and Retention: creating an employee-based mentoring program shows your employees that you are invested in their growth and success. A study from Kent State University shows that employees who have been mentored by organization leaders tend to stay at their companies longer.

2. Develop Stronger Leaders: spending time mentoring employees prepares them to be the future leaders of your company.

3. Create Organizational Balance: working one-on-one with your employees gives you time to realize their strengths. This can help you better delegate your day-to-day workload into their capable hands while also demonstrating trust.

Businesses that invest in mentorship programs for the community also provide an invaluable resource for future leaders. According to The National Mentoring Partnership, young adults who have been mentored showed increased motivation to participate in team sports and extracurriculars, held a leadership position in a club or at school, showed increased motivation to get a college degree, and volunteered in the community at higher rates.

The survey also identified that one in three young people are without a mentor. Businesses can fill this need by volunteering to join local community mentorship programs. Here are a few local mentorship programs through Temple Chamber Members that business leaders can connect with:

1) Temple ISD Wildcat Mentors | www.TISD.org/WildcatMentors
2) The 411 House | the411house.org/help/#mentor
3) The Un-Included Club | www.unincluded.org
4) Lake Belton High School Business Incubator Program | www.bisd.net/Page/2111

Mentoring someone within your business or in the community can have a long-lasting impact. A powerful tool that takes only a little of your time to strengthen our community.