A conversation that changes a career

A young head of division faces her first big decision: should she stop a project in which the company has already invested a great deal? Professionally, the situation is clear to her. What she lacks is the experience of how to defend such a decision in the executive board without losing trust.

She calls her mentor, a former managing director who has been at her side for a year. He does not hand her an answer. He tells her about a similar situation from his own career, asks three questions and listens. By the end of the conversation she knows what she wants to do and how she will say it.

Conversations like this are the heart of mentoring. They connect experience with development and pass on knowledge that is not written in any handbook. In this article you will find out what mentoring is, what makes a good mentor and how a mentoring programme succeeds in a company. Finally, I show you how classic mentoring differs from business mentoring with a Swiss federal diploma.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a developmental relationship between an experienced person and a less experienced one. The experienced person is called the mentor, the person being supported the mentee. The mentor shares knowledge, experience and network and supports the mentee in their professional and personal development over a longer period.

The term goes back to Greek mythology: Mentor was the friend of Odysseus, who entrusted him with the upbringing of his son Telemachus. To this day the name stands for trusted guidance from someone who has already walked the path.

In the 1980s the American researcher Kathy Kram described mentoring as fulfilling two functions. The career function includes sponsorship, visibility and challenging assignments. The psychosocial function includes encouragement, role modelling and trust. Good mentoring relationships combine both.

Mentoring and coaching: the difference

Mentoring and coaching are often mentioned in the same breath. Both foster a person’s development, but they start from different points.

  • Mentoring draws on the mentor’s experience. The mentor shares what they have lived through, opens doors and gives advice when asked. The relationship usually lasts a year or longer.
  • Coaching draws on method. The coach uses questions and methods to help the person find their own solution. To do so, the coach does not need to come from the same industry. Coaching is often limited to one topic and a few sessions.

In practice the boundaries blur. Good mentors also master coaching methods so that they encourage the mentee to think for themselves. This combination lies at the centre of our work at Living Sense Executive.

What mentoring achieves

The impact of mentoring is well documented. A 2004 meta-analysis by Tammy Allen and colleagues shows that people with a mentor are more satisfied with their careers, feel more committed to their company and are promoted more often.

For companies, the effects show in several places:

  • Knowledge stays in the company. Experience that would otherwise be lost with retirement is passed on.
  • Talent stays. People who feel supported change employer less often.
  • Leaders grow faster. New leaders settle into their role more quickly with a mentor.
  • The culture grows stronger. Values and attitudes are lived and passed on through personal exchange.

Mentors benefit too. They reflect on their own experience, stay in touch with new perspectives and see how their knowledge lives on in others.

Forms of mentoring

Mentoring is more varied than many people think. The most important forms at a glance:

  • Classic mentoring. An experienced leader supports an up-and-coming talent within the same company.
  • Cross-mentoring. Mentor and mentee come from different companies. This allows an open exchange free of dependencies.
  • Reverse mentoring. Younger employees support experienced leaders, for example on digital topics or new ways of working.
  • Group mentoring. One mentor supports several mentees at the same time, who also learn from each other.
  • Executive mentoring. Members of the executive board, CEOs or board members bring in an experienced sparring partner from outside who knows the loneliness at the top.

Mentoring at C-level

The higher the position, the smaller the circle of people with whom you can speak openly about doubts, dilemmas and strategic questions. Many CEOs and board members experience exactly this: outwardly they have to show clarity, inwardly there is no room to think things through.

An external mentor creates this room. They know the responsibility from their own experience, are independent of the company and can ask uncomfortable questions. When supporting executive boards, we often see that just a few conversations make decisions clearer, because someone is there who listens and asks questions. You can read more on this topic in the article Loneliness in leadership.

Mentoring and succession planning

Mentoring becomes particularly valuable when a succession is coming up. Whether in the executive board or in the handover of an SME, specialist knowledge can be documented, while relationships, experience and a feel for the company can only be passed on in person.

Structured mentoring over one to two years makes the handover plannable. The successor gets to know the company from the inside, and the predecessor can pass on their knowledge calmly and take their leave consciously. The article Mentoring and Succession Planning in SMEs describes how this succeeds on a human level.

Mentor and mentee in a one-to-one conversation

How a mentoring programme succeeds in a company

Many mentoring programmes start with enthusiasm and lose momentum after a few months. In our experience, six points determine success:

  1. A clear goal. The company knows what it is using mentoring for: retaining talent, developing future leaders, securing knowledge or promoting diversity.
  2. Careful matching. Mentor and mentee fit together, professionally and personally. A get-to-know-you conversation before the start is worthwhile.
  3. Prepared mentors. Experience alone does not make a good mentor. Listening, asking questions and giving feedback can be learned.
  4. A binding agreement. Goals, frequency of meetings, confidentiality and duration are set down at the start.
  5. Support for the programme. A responsible person keeps in touch, organises exchange between the mentors and steps in when a pairing is not working.
  6. A conscious conclusion. At the end, both reflect on what has changed. This makes the impact visible and creates a good transition.

You can read more about the benefits of tailor-made programmes in the article What is the added value of tailor-made mentoring programmes.

Typical pitfalls in mentoring

Even well-intentioned mentoring relationships can come to nothing. Four pitfalls come up particularly often in practice:

  • The mentor as adviser on everything. Answering every question immediately takes away the mentee’s chance to develop their own solutions. It is more helpful to ask first and offer your own experience as one possibility.
  • A lack of confidentiality. A mentee only speaks openly when they are sure that nothing will be passed on. This confidentiality belongs at the start of every agreement.
  • Mentoring by the direct line manager. Anyone who assesses and supports at the same time quickly ends up in a role conflict. A mentor from another department or from outside creates more freedom.
  • Meetings without direction. Conversations without a goal lose their strength over time. A quick look at the agreed development goals at the start of each meeting keeps the relationship alive.

Many of these pitfalls can be avoided when mentors are prepared for their role. This is exactly where sound training comes in.

What makes a good mentor

Good mentors combine experience with restraint. They know a great deal and still do not impose it on anyone. Five qualities appear again and again:

  • They listen before they give advice.
  • They ask questions that encourage independent thinking.
  • They share successes and mistakes from their own careers.
  • They open doors and introduce their mentee to the right people.
  • They respect the decisions of their mentee, even when they would have acted differently themselves.

Classic mentoring and business mentoring

Two terms are often confused in everyday use. Classic mentoring, which this article has covered so far, is usually a relationship within a company: an experienced person passes on their knowledge and experience to a less experienced one.

Business mentoring with a Swiss federal diploma is a profession in its own right with state recognition. Business mentors support people professionally in learning, change and development processes at work. They work with leaders, employees, teams or apprentices and move between three roles:

  • Coach. They ask questions, encourage self-reflection and support the person in finding their own solutions.
  • Consultant. They contribute expertise and experience when a situation needs an outside assessment.
  • Trainer. They pass on the knowledge and skills needed for the next step in development.

The quality lies in moving consciously between these three roles, attuned to the person, the question at hand and the organisation. In this way business mentors help to shape the desired future at different levels of a company and support it as process facilitators.

Becoming a business mentor: the Swiss federal diploma programme

Anyone who wants to support people in organisations professionally, for example as a leader, HR professional, training manager or coach, can qualify in Switzerland through the federal professional examination. In Zurich, Living Sense Executive offers the programme Federal Diploma in Business Mentoring, Coach SCA. It combines the three roles of coach, consultant and trainer with the holistic approach and prepares participants for the federal examination.

For companies that want to build their own programme or have their leaders supported, our Coaching for Leaders is open to them.

Conclusion: experience that lives on

Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to develop people and companies. It connects the experience of some with the energy of others and ensures that knowledge and attitude stay in the company. For it to succeed, it needs a clear goal, well-prepared mentors and a relationship built on trust.

Frequently asked questions about mentoring

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a longer-term developmental relationship in which an experienced person shares their knowledge, experience and network with a less experienced person and supports them in their professional and personal development.

What is the difference between mentoring and coaching?

Mentoring is based on the experience of the mentor, who gives advice and opens doors. Coaching is based on methods with which the coach helps the person find their own solution. Good mentors also use coaching methods.

How long does mentoring last?

Most mentoring relationships last between six months and two years. Meetings often take place once a month.

What does mentoring bring a company?

Mentoring keeps knowledge in the company, retains talent, accelerates the development of leaders and strengthens company culture. Studies show higher satisfaction and more promotions among mentees.

How do I become a mentor?

For classic mentoring within your own company, the foundation is professional and leadership experience together with the ability to listen and ask questions. If you want to support people professionally, you can train in Switzerland as a business mentor with a federal diploma, for example at Living Sense Executive in Zurich.

What is the difference between mentoring and business mentoring?

Classic mentoring is usually a relationship within a company in which an experienced person passes on their knowledge. Business mentoring with a Swiss federal diploma is a recognised profession: business mentors support people in learning, change and development processes and move between the roles of coach, consultant and trainer.

Is there mentoring for CEOs and board members?

Yes. Executive mentoring is aimed at members of the executive board, CEOs and board members who are looking for an independent, experienced sparring partner for strategic and personal questions.