About This Issue

As the saying goes, “knowledge is power,” and the exchange of knowledge certainly has the power to maximize your employment or the productivity of your office.  Mentoring is an often overlooked exercise in the hustle and bustle of today’s workplace.  However, those companies and employees who fail to engage in some type of mentoring are hurting themselves more than they realize.  In this issue of The Animal Science Monitor, we discuss ways in which to create mentoring relationships and programs and the benefits they provide. Thanks for being a loyal reader of The ASM and for looking to us for ways to become, well . . . more powerful.

—Dan and Don

Tips for the Boss

Want a great buzzword for the decade?  Try “knowledge transfer.”  That’s what we’re supposed to be doing with all of the stuff the Baby Boomers learned and have catalogued in the back of their heads.  We’re supposed to transfer this valuable information to younger staff members before the Boomers retire, which by the way, is starting to happen.  But here’s the catch . . . how do you do it?  My answer: create a mentoring culture within your company.

Wow, I actually impressed myself with that last tidbit, creating a culture of mentoring.  That sounds like something a consultant would say.  So exactly what steps do you need to take to create this culture?  Here are some guidelines and suggestions for you to follow.

Formal vs. informal
The first step is to decide if you want to create a formal mentoring program or simply encourage and cultivate an informal one.  Neither model is inherently better than the other.  It’s simply a matter of determining which one fits your company or department in the best fashion.  Perhaps you utilize a highly technical and complex series of systems, checks and balances, and safeguards, all of which require a certain degree of accuracy and attention.  Then a formal mentoring program might be preferable.  On the other hand, maybe devoting time to a formal program doesn’t make sense given your resource constraints.

Whatever the case, the onus for cultivating a mentoring atmosphere starts at the top.  If management encourages mentoring formally or informally, it will happen, and not just because you want it to.  People have an intrinsic need to seek out the advice and knowledge of others, and many people are more than happy to impart wisdom to those who seek it.  As a result, mentoring is a win-win situation for everybody—employers and employees.

Whichever form of mentoring you choose to implement, its success rests largely on one thing—your knowledge of the people who work for you.  This is because the success of any mentoring program hinges upon the people involved, those who are mentoring and those who are being mentored.  Some people work better and more easily together than others.  Your knowledge of your current employees, in addition to what you’ve learned about your new hires during the interview process, will prove crucial to pairing people together who will provide the most benefit for one another.  (Remember, there are benefits for those who are doing the mentoring, as well, including a feeling that they have been chosen because of their knowledge and achievements.  This goes a long way toward breeding loyalty in that employee.)

The major difference between formal and informal mentoring is documentation.  There are pros and cons to this.  On the one hand, documented processes and procedures take time and money to first construct and then implement.  On the other, these processes have a built-in efficiency and productivity component that acts as an accountability device.  You’ll know when people meet in their mentoring relationships and be able to document and track what kind of progress they’re making.

Another hazard with formal mentoring programs involves their structure.  Many times, relationships flourish more when the people involved don’t feel as though they’re being put under a microscope.  Remember, it’s your knowledge of your people and company’s culture that will help you to decide which type of program will work the best.  (If you’d like specific action steps for creating either type of program, please contact me at dan@consearch.com.)

The most important ingredient—you
Ultimately, your employees will take their cue from you.  If you believe in the benefits of mentoring and if you express that belief and show enthusiasm, they will follow suit.  Cultivating a mentoring atmosphere and culture boils down to concrete actions, not just lip service.  Here are three questions you can pose to your employees in an effort to instill in them an eagerness to create their own legacy within the company through participation in a mentoring program.

• Who has made a significant impression on you in your career?
• How far would you have gone without this person’s help?
• How do you want to be remembered by this firm?

Regardless of whether it’s a formal or informal program, take an active role, participate as much as possible, and ask those involved what they think and how things are progressing.  They will appreciate your interest, as well as the company’s desire to invest in them as employees and as people.  And once that’s happened, you’ve not only created a mentoring atmosphere, you’ve progressed to a culture of mentoring, one that will perpetuate itself and reap long-term benefits.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this issue with me further, you can contact me at dan@consearch.com.

Featured Job Listings

Sam Houston State University is seeking an Assistant Professor of Animal Science.  Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Animal Science with emphasis in Reproductive Physiology.  Applicants may inquire at 936.294.1189 or sfkelley@shsu.edu.

Is Your Company Recruiting?

Are you in the process of searching for top talent in the marketplace?  Then you should sign up for Simmons Says, the monthly e-newsletter exclusively for hiring managers written by executive recruiter Dan Simmons of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc.  Dan is a 15-year veteran of the recruiting industry, and Continental Search has provided targeted search and placement services for over a decade.  Each issue of Simmons Says is designed to inform and educate about a variety of workplace issues, recruiting trends, and marketplace dynamics.  Sign up today, and take the next step in making 2007 a great year!  To sign up for Simmons Says or to find out more about the recruiting services offered by Dan and Continental Search, send an email to dan@consearch.com.

Hot Jobs

The ASM is pleased to publish information regarding exciting new opportunities.  If you’re interested in any of the positions below, please email Don Hunter at brg@charterinternet.com.

DAIRY TECH SERVICES / Technical Sales Support

Location: Rural Ohio

1. Full Relocation Expenses
2. Interview Expenses
3. Full Benefits          

Salary: $85K – 120K

Exciting and growing animal nutrition company seeks Dairy Nutritionist to provide support to Dairy Feed Sales Rep in four states.  High-profile position with direct impact on company’s growth.  Ph.D. or M.S. Degree, ability to travel 50%.

DAIRY CONSULTANT / 3 Years Field Sales / Dairy Nutrition

Location: Osh Kosh, Wisconsin

1. Full Relocation Expenses
2. Interview Expenses
3. Full Benefits          

Established company with sales growth every year for over a decade.  If you have three years experience in field sales/dairy nutrition consulting and are interested in growing your career – contact us.

SPECIALTY FEED SALES REP / Equine Feed

Location: Massachusetts

1. Full Relocation Expenses
2. Interview Expenses
3. Full Benefits          

Salary: $50K – $90K
Regional feed company has excellent opportunity for horse lover with strong sales skills and understanding of horse nutrition.  Minimum of three years selling products to dealers.  Existing customer base with outstanding growth potential

Managing Your Career

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of landing a great job, the job you’ve been searching for, the one that fills you with a sense of excitement and anticipation.  However, that great job also often comes with a sense of trepidation and anxiety, especially if you want to grow within the company ranks in a short amount of time.  That’s why finding a mentor once you join a company is an excellent way to show your commitment to the position while at the same time accelerating the growth of your career.

The good news is that many companies have formal mentoring programs.  That means they will help to pair you with a more experienced employee for the dual purpose of transferring valuable knowledge and acclimating you to the company’s culture.  The ideal time to ask about a company’s policy toward mentoring (i.e., whether or not they have a formal program) is during the interview stage.  This will give you a crystal-clear idea of what to expect once you begin your new position.

Communicate your needs
If the company does have a formal program, you won’t have to find a mentor.  One will be assigned to you.  A formal mentoring program, like many employment situations, can be either a positive or negative experience depending upon the specific circumstances involved, but that’s an article for another time.  What if you’ve just started a new position and are seeking a mentor, but the company does not offer a formal program?

Unfortunately, many employees are apprehensive about approaching their new supervisors about being paired with a mentor—or about asking a seasoned veteran to become their mentor.  Instead, they fumble through the early stages of their employment, wasting valuable time and energy, until they come up to speed on their own.  If you’re serious about engaging another person in a meaningful mentoring relationship, make sure that you communicate this to your immediate supervisor.  Share with them your enthusiasm for the endeavor, and emphasize how you believe it will help you to become a more productive worker in a shorter amount of time.

More than likely, your supervisor will share in your enthusiasm, or at the very least, acknowledge how such an arrangement would add to the value you bring to the company.  As a result, they may help you to pair up with a mentor, or they may allow you to seek one out on your own.

A quick checklist
After you spend a week or two on the job, you’ll be able to more easily identify those co-workers who have a wealth of knowledge and experience.  You’ll also be able to identify which ones are good candidates for a mentorship.  However, there are other criteria that you may not have considered, which I’ve described below.

• They must be a good listener.  Being a good mentor doesn’t mean doing all the talking.  An effective mentor must know as much as they can about you, so that they can help you to succeed in every way possible.  This means they should be familiar your goals, ambitions, personality, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses.  To discover these things, they’ll have to listen as much as they talk.

• They must be honest.  Honesty is not only a virtue, it’s a catalyst for progress.  A good mentor has to walk the fine line between encouraging you and admonishing you.  That’s the quickest way for you to achieve professional growth.  But remember, it’s a balance.  You don’t want somebody who brow beats you all the time.

• They should have different strengths than you.  A mentor who is skilled in a certain area that you’re not will be able to help you improve in that area.  Engaging in a mentoring relationship shouldn’t reinforce your weaknesses; it should minimize them, eliminate them all together, or ideally, transform them into strengths.

Asking—don’t be afraid to
Perhaps the most important thing to remember about finding a mentor is that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask.  You might think that you’re bothering the person, but more than likely, they’re going to consider it a compliment that you’ve asked them in the first place.  In addition, people who have experienced a great deal of success and accumulated a wealth of knowledge are usually glad to pass on that knowledge and experience.  After all, it’s rather difficult to become successful unless you know how to deal with people and enjoy dealing with them.

If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at brg@charterinternet.com.  And if you’re currently engaged in a job search or are interested in advancing the scope of your career, be sure to send me your resume.  I’d be happy to discuss your career goals and ambitions, including ways in which I can help you to achieve them.  Keep in mind that any exchange of information, including resumes, will be kept in total confidence and handled in a discreet fashion.