Page 26 - PWM2024_May EBook

BETTER BUSINESS

Lifelong

learning

Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company
and pioneer of mass production, once said:
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20
or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The
greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young”,
by Adam Bernstein
A shared within companies and across
nd he should know. He
was the man who, it is
companies”. She holds the view that
mentoring is a great way to get the
said, was most responsi-
young into print to “ensure that we
ble for ‘refining’ the sci-
ence of mass
production.
full potential”.
Learning is not only good for us, retain them and that they reach their
Mentoring, as Daly sees it, revolves
but is also key to propelling a busi- around mutual trust and respect
ness forward. But when it comes to because it is a two-way relationship
learning many think of dedicated where learning is centre stage so that
courses, both on and offline. individuals can personally develop.
However, there is another option – In fact, she sees the process helping
learning from a mentor. all as “both mentor and mentee can
develop and improve their communi-
Mentoring defined cation and planning skills”.
The CIPD, a the professional body But in any learning process there person to gain access to impartial, non-judgmental guidance and support.”
for HR, defines mentoring as “a rela- are limits and in outlining those that Biltcliffe thinks the same and suggests that the concept comes into its
tionship in which a more experi- apply here Daly draws a distinction own when the mentor is “somebody whose mortgage doesn’t depend on
enced colleague shares their greater between what a mentor can and can-
knowledge to support the develop- not do. the outcome as they can give a different, a more measured, perspective on
ment of an inexperienced individ- She says that a mentor can guide the challenges that may be really pressing on an individual, or opportuni-
ties that they might not know to make the best of”.
ual”. an individual to look at a wide variety A supportive relationship is essential in his eyes along with being a trust-
Simon Biltcliffe, founder, and of options while considering alterna- ing and confidential relationship because it “suggests thinking quite deeply
executive chairman of Webmart, is tive courses of action to solve prob-
very keen on mentoring. He thinks it lems for themselves. However, a about the person and their approach, and things that have gone well and
“vital, absolutely vital”. He reckons mentor won’t give answers or pro- badly”.
that any person, at any stage in their vide solutions. “A mentor,” says Daly, But from the perspective of the mentor, Biltcliffe says that mentoring
career should either be a mentor and/ “doesn’t take control – they leave can be positive, and isn’t necessarily time consumptive – maybe 10 min-
or a mentee because “it’s a shortcut mentees to work out the solution. utes every so often. He expands on what he means: “I’ve given 10% of my
to experience and to critical think- They are not there to listen to gripes time for the last 20 years – with no expectation of anything back in return.
ing. And what you tend to find as a and while they will be friendly, they But what I have found, over that time, is that you get back 10 times the
mentor is this is very much not a one- must be completely honest in a way return.” He’s referring to former mentees who, from time to time, make
way street. It gives people a different which would be difficult for a friend.” contact with something that may be of interest to him.
perspective on challenges and oppor- Further, she comments that “the In line with this he offers key advice to those seeking a mentor: “If there
tunities that they have”. real value in a mentor is independ- is somebody that you respect or you think is interesting, just reach out to
Ursula Daly, programme director ence”. And when they come from a them on LinkedIn. You’d be astounded how receptive most people are to
at the BPIF, also puts great store in different department or company, or helping anybody at any stage in their career to develop further.”
mentoring. She notes that the sector elsewhere, she says that “they can
has a wealth of experience and challenge a way of thinking with The value of a mentor
knowledge and “that it is important some simple questions. It is a real So, landscape set out, it’s worth taking time to highlight statistics that
to create ways in which this can be opportunity for a less experienced relate to the value and benefits of mentoring. In particular, 2024 data from

24 PrintWeek MENA May 2024 www.printweekmena.com