Flip A Coin, Be A Good Mentor
Ask The Headhunter, Monday, April 13th, 2026
Question: My company introduced a training program so managers and senior staff can learn how to mentor employees, new hires and so on. They brought in a consultant to teach it. It's so formal and structured. That's just not me. I'd feel very awkward. But I'd like to start helping some of the people under me. Have you got some tips on how I can be a good mentor?
Nick's Reply
It's fashionable to be a mentor. You know: a wise old coot who can spout wisdom to naive young upstarts. Mentoring is such a popular human resources concept that employees in lots of companies are required to take on proteges whether they like it or not.
Most mentoring programs I've seen, though born of good intentions, result in little more than awkward meetings, because you can't really dictate how or whether two people will get along. (Don't get me wrong: there are also some very successful programs out there, but they're few and far between.) The problem, I believe, is that too many of these programs are institutionally controlled rather than freewheeling.