I saw this post from Punk Rock HR after much research – not quite, but thank you Zemanta nevertheless. I have been on a bit of a mentoring binge thought wise anyway, but this post got me thinking about how you might make a mentoring scheme work.
Punk Rock’s post suggested that it does not really work on a formal basis in organisations, which I understand - it kind of defeats the whole purpose of what is meant to be a learner lead process if it is foisted upon you when you arrive at a new employer.
So how can businesses make it work? I think the best way is to provide the facility for the mentoring interaction to take place without forcing it upon people. But how might this look in reality?:
1. Get someone to offer up some time to try and match mentors and mentees and the admin that goes in to this
I can hear the groans already – yep it’s a thankless task and one we might not all enjoy but think about the internal networking opportunities this would provide to someone who did take this role? People love banging on about organisational citizenship and I think this is a worthy case in point – not to mention a bit of a buzz to be the go to person/hub around which the scheme depends upon.
Could also pitch it as a means of developing recruitment and selection skills or try and get some time from someone with experience in this area? Ok, it might not be possible but if you don't ask you don't get right?
2. Get more than one hub
This ties in to the point about one person perhaps having too much to do on top of their current day job. Furthermore it is always good to get a second set of eyes on things for fresh perspective – not to mention cover in unforeseen absences, holidays etc. Perhaps have management of the admin of the scheme rotating on a 2 monthly basis so people don’t get snowed under. It would also provide an opportunity to reflect on means to improve processes and practice it whilst at away from the scheme.
3. Would you consider external mentoring with other organisations?
This is something of a wild card which has just come to mind as I have been typing so I wait to be shot down on how the practicalities of this might work! Better yet if someone has an example of how they make it work please say.
There will be issues in terms of intellectual property if you are competitors, for example Barclays Capital are not going to be overly happy about their brightest and best spending time over at Merrill Lynch.
But what about cross industry or sector link ups? Could the health services not pick up a trick from a scheme which gives them access to manager in business? Might also be a good CSR opportunity?
These are just suggestions but what should not get lost in this is the the main motivation for implementing the scheme - providing the structure so individuals can find the best means to informally continue their professional development.
Showing posts with label Barclays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barclays. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Monday, 26 July 2010
Problems of the finance worlds culture club (or lack thereof)
Reading Andrew Ross Sorkin's 'Too Big to Fail' recently, it reminded me how close the global economy seemingly came to spinning of its axis.
Yet despite his worrying (and entertaining) account of what happened Sorkin was recently suggesting that there might be a danger of too much regulation being placed on those in the financial sector.
Aside from market constraints, the issues of regulation in reward is one of interest to HR practitioners - specifically, what was its roles in trying to fight/inadvertedly supporting the circumstances in which individuals and organisations were encouraged to take on such risk? As well as this, what should be the lessons that are applied in the future to avoid such a culture being fostered?
It should be mentioned that I have no experiece of working in a HR function in the financial services and from the outside looking in, it seems a catch 22 - fight the culture and you are in danger of falling behind more willing comepetitors and disenfranchise shareholders; allow the status quo to continue and there is the danger you allow circumstances to return back to the financial tsunami which we are still clawing our way back from.
Arguably it all comes down to values - what is the purpose of your role in an organisation and what are the principles which you need to apply day to day to what you do. Easier said than done no doubt and it might be argued that to think suich a mindset is possible in the sector and it is naive to think so.
However, there were some that managed to keep their head above water during the crisis. Referring to Sorkin's book again, my favourite segment was reading how staff at Lehman Brothers applauded members of senior management at one point when they were able to sell of elements of the business to Barclays, saving thousands of jobs in the process.
Sounds like it could have been the TUPE from hell! What would have been interesing to hear is whether there was some form of induction for those staff taken under the Barclays wing to perhaps address any differences in corporate culture, approaches to risk and deals, etc.
The issue of culture - so hard to pind down how it is specically created - is something that was suggested as being more of a problem than the actual remuneration issues, as suggested by People Management in 2009.
But how do you battle organisational culture which requires some risk, when its comeptitors have no problem with doing so? Answers on a postcard to messrs Obama, Cameron, et al.
In the meantime here is what the Telegraph's guide to how the EU is responding.
Yet despite his worrying (and entertaining) account of what happened Sorkin was recently suggesting that there might be a danger of too much regulation being placed on those in the financial sector.
Aside from market constraints, the issues of regulation in reward is one of interest to HR practitioners - specifically, what was its roles in trying to fight/inadvertedly supporting the circumstances in which individuals and organisations were encouraged to take on such risk? As well as this, what should be the lessons that are applied in the future to avoid such a culture being fostered?
It should be mentioned that I have no experiece of working in a HR function in the financial services and from the outside looking in, it seems a catch 22 - fight the culture and you are in danger of falling behind more willing comepetitors and disenfranchise shareholders; allow the status quo to continue and there is the danger you allow circumstances to return back to the financial tsunami which we are still clawing our way back from.
Arguably it all comes down to values - what is the purpose of your role in an organisation and what are the principles which you need to apply day to day to what you do. Easier said than done no doubt and it might be argued that to think suich a mindset is possible in the sector and it is naive to think so.
However, there were some that managed to keep their head above water during the crisis. Referring to Sorkin's book again, my favourite segment was reading how staff at Lehman Brothers applauded members of senior management at one point when they were able to sell of elements of the business to Barclays, saving thousands of jobs in the process.
Sounds like it could have been the TUPE from hell! What would have been interesing to hear is whether there was some form of induction for those staff taken under the Barclays wing to perhaps address any differences in corporate culture, approaches to risk and deals, etc.
The issue of culture - so hard to pind down how it is specically created - is something that was suggested as being more of a problem than the actual remuneration issues, as suggested by People Management in 2009.
But how do you battle organisational culture which requires some risk, when its comeptitors have no problem with doing so? Answers on a postcard to messrs Obama, Cameron, et al.
In the meantime here is what the Telegraph's guide to how the EU is responding.
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