Spring is here and the earth is awakening! Trees are leafing out and the birds have returned. Seedlings are emerging, while bushes are blooming. Sunlight is increasing and people seem more cheerful and optimistic. Spring is the perfect time to train, mentor, and support your employees, ensuring they reach their full potential. It’s a great time to teach skills and behaviours, share knowledge and experience, and encourage employees to succeed. The following are tips and techniques for mentoring, supporting, and training your employees this spring.
Tips for Mentoring, Supporting, and Training Employees
There are many ways to support, mentor, and train your employees.
- Respect individuality: Use open-ended questions and active listening to discover gaps in your employee’s knowledge and skills. Let your employees guide you.
- Determine your goals: Create a list of skills (communication, time management, analytics, teamwork, etc.) and outcomes (increased productivity, stronger leadership, etc.) that support your employee’s achievement and your company’s success. Make these goals specific, achievable, measurable, and relevant.
- Involve employees: Motivate your employees to participate fully through invitation, dialogue, and discussion. They are more likely to see value and be motivated if they are part of the decision-making.
- Provide regular feedback: Regular feedback helps workers progress, stay on track, and remain accountable. Try informal check-ins, one-on-one meetings, and/or performance appraisals.
- Provide resources: Supply guides and manuals (online and/or print) to help mentors/mentees understand expectations. Set aside time for meetings to discuss progress and provide opportunities to attend workshops/training opportunities to work toward the goals.
- Communicate candidly. Be honest, respectful, empathetic, and direct with feedback. Have the tough conversations.
- Lead by example and through sharing: Model the behavoiur you wish to see. Share stories of your learning curve and struggles with authenticity and awareness. Offer knowledge and guidance.
- Celebrate success: Show appreciation through recognition of achievement. Use awards, verbal acknowledgment, a handwritten note/card, a small gift, a shout-out on social media, a certification, a bonus, etc.
Become the top supporter of your employees, creating a positive workplace and healthy work environment. Provide multiple training and mentoring opportunities. Recognize efforts and achievement. Your business will benefit through improved onboarding, heightened productivity, better workplace leadership, increased employee learning/development, and renewed business growth.
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