Your organization's annual employee turnover rate is bleeding your bottom line.

A company with 150 employees typically has an annual turnover rate of @11%.

If it costs $25k to hire and onboard a single employee, while losing $10k in development and a loss of $50k of interrupted existing productivity and missed opportunities, then those 16.5 turn over employees have cost this company about $1.57 million. While Hospitality has a voluntary turnover rate of 20.7% and the legal sector is able to maintain the highest earners, we are still seeing a high number of turnover rates across the world.

Reducing turnover employees by just 20% would save this company about $300k, which can now be allocated to new ventures.

This also helps support the existing employee's emotional drain, professional headaches, and says little about the emotional headache and cultural disruption felt from losing great people.

For larger companies of 1000 or more, expect the annual turnover rate to start @ 15%, bleeding the bottom line.

We take our clients, who are frustrated business owners like you, and reduce the employee turnover rate typically by 50%. We do that with THE MENTORING PROCESS, a 7- step proven system that works for any organization.

If you want to know how the Mentoring Process can reduce your employee turnover rates, let's talk: https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

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Doug Lawrence is an extraordinary mentor and mentor certification trainer with TalentC and is the International Mentoring Community Director of Education.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring programs will influence a happy workforce culture (mentors), improve employee productivity (mentees), reducing costly employee high turnover (onboarding), improves the bottom line (organizations), which saves 150% to 200% of the annual salary of each departing employee. He provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals and groups, all backgrounds and industries locally and internationally.

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

An international speaker and author of The Gift of Mentoring (2014), Doug's second book is set to publish in late 2020.

Do you have a workplace crisis or issue to resolve? Schedule a time to meet with Doug: https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

I am asked on numerous occasions to respond to questions regarding mentoring, mentoring process and how mentoring can bring value to individuals and/or organizations. Here are some of those questions and my responses.

Q: What kind of strategy should I look for in a mentor?

A: While each mentor is different they should all approach the mentoring arrangement/relationship using strong mentoring concepts and techniques.

Remember that mentoring is a two way trusted relationship where both the mentor and mentee learn and grow together. A good mentor will, 1) build a trusted relationship with you, 2) be willing to share something personal about themselves in order to build trust, 3) create a safe environment for your conversation, 4) communicate effectively with you and share that technique to help you grow, 5) ask for your feedback - “what value did you get from our time together today?”, 6) Ask a series of questions to guide you to the answers - DO NOT TELL you what to do, 7) help facilitate the growth of your critical thinking skills and ideally have a calming presence.

Q: How is 'effective management' possible through the delegation of authority?

A: Delegation of authority is part of “effective management”. You should be striving for a work force that is engaged, empowered and accountable and a step towards that direction is delegation of authority.

There will be an element of trust that comes into place with delegation of authority. It will also create an environment of learning opportunities.

There are not many organizations that can demonstrate today that they are practicing “effective management”. Effective communication is always what holds them back.

Q: How do you manage a team of employees if you are not as smart as they are?

A: I would look at this from a different perspective. I would suggest that your team of employees possess certain skill sets that you may not have and you in turn possess skill sets that they don’t have. You have created the beginning of your learning and development environment.

As a leader or manager it should never come down to who is smarter than the other. What matters is that you complement each other based on the skills that you bring to the table.

As the manager or leader you need to engage and empower your team and lead them to success. If they are successful then so will you be.

As a trained mentor when I hear a statement like this I immediately begin to think of self-esteem challenges and I know that is not the case here.

Value your employees for what each brings to the table. Provide them with your guidance and show them the path that lies ahead to success for all.

Q: How can you tell if a business coach/mentor is good? Are there red flags to look out for?

A: Define your expectations up front. What do you hope to get from the relationship? One of the things that I always do with people that I am working with is to ask the question, “what was the value that we got from the time we spent together today?” A mentoring relationship is all about value. What value can the participants bring to the relationship?

Some things to consider:

1. Watch the body language - it will tell you whether or not there is chemistry and whether or not the person is engaged in the conversation.
2. Be mindful of your own body language as it will send a message as well.
3. Are they present or do they appear to be someplace else when you are talking.
4. Do they hold you accountable - what I mean by that is,  do they ask you questions to guide you to answers rather than telling you what to do.
5. If they say something such as, “You should know how to deal with this so just go and deal with it. My time is too valuable for little things like this.” It is time to end the relationship and look for another mentor.
6. You need chemistry, a trusted relationship and effective communication. If any or all of these are missing then it is not a relationship for you.

Q: What are the most important leadership skills for the future?

A: Effective communication is at the top of my list for leadership skills for the future. I work inside organizations from a mentoring capacity and I see the lack of being able to communicate effectively as the root cause for a lot of the challenges that they have. When we have provided employees with the tools they need to communicate effectively the difference is like night and day. Better communicators become better problem solvers. There are a lot of segments to consider when we talk about communicating effectively. Each is key to becoming that effective communicator.

Another skill set that is definitely needed for the future is the ability to build trusted relationships. Most managers, supervisors and leaders do not take the time to build those relationships. This can and will create a culture of disengagement.

It is okay to make a mistake. If we “FAIL” at something that is alright. FAIL is short for “first attempt in learning.” As supervisors, managers and leaders we need to encourage our employees to go beyond and that it is okay to make a mistake. Let’s determine the cause of the mistake, address it and move on.

Q: What are some tips to establish a solid foundation for good corporate culture in a young company?

A: There have been some very good responses to this question already.

I would offer some points from my lived experiences working as an external mentor in some organizations.

1. Involve employees in the building of the culture. I built a culture in an organization from the bottom up and it was very rewarding for all once it was embraced. It was torn down after I left and became top down and it became a toxic work place.
2. Share your strategic vision and work with employees to understand how their function/role in the organization on a daily basis contributes to the success of the organization. Most organizations do not do this and it is most definitely needed to build a strong culture.
3. Provide mentorship to everyone in the organization but in particular to people that are new to the supervisor/manager role. If they do not have the tools it will be difficult to build a positive work place. I have observed this far too often and there is a solution.
4. Leaders in the organization need to be the role models of your culture. It should be something that they do without thinking.

These are just a few things that I have observed that would assist in building a good work place culture. It can be a daunting task but the rewards are well worth the journey.

Q: How important is it to have a mentor for starting a start-up for the first time?

A: It is very important. A must have. There are number of incubators that have built in mentoring as a service that start-ups can obtain. Some offer it as part of their fee structure while others charge extra for that service and may make it mandatory.

I had an advisory board of mentors when I first started my company and it was something I could not imagine being without. Each of my mentors brought something different from their forte and lived experiences.

Q: How do I go about finding a mentor and how do you approach someone for mentorship (especially in places like NYC)?

A: I would ideally like a little more information in order to properly answer your question.

1. What are your expectations in acquiring a mentor?
2. Is this for personal or professional growth or both?
3. What industry are you working in?
4. Are there professional associations within your industry that you could check with regarding mentoring?
5. Virtual mentoring is also a solution that you can look at it. I mentor people internationally and we do that virtually using technology to bridge the distance.

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Doug Lawrence is an extraordinary mentor and mentor certification trainer with TalentC and is the International Mentoring Community Director of Education.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring programs will influence a happy workforce culture (mentors), improve employee productivity (mentees), reducing costly employee high turnover (onboarding), improves the bottom line (organizations), which saves 150% to 200% of the annual salary of each departing employee. He provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals and groups, all backgrounds and industries locally and internationally.

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is recognized as a “Most viewed writer in the Business Mentoring and Mentors and Mentoring categories on the Quora website (www.quora.com).

An international speaker and author of The Gift of Mentoring (2014), Doug’s second book is set to publish in late 2019.

Do you have a workplace crisis or issue to resolve?  Schedule a time to meet with Doug:     https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

Have you wondered what all the hype is about this thing they call “Mentoring” and what’s the difference between it and “coaching”?

Unfortunately, Mentoring and Coaching are two terms the public uses interchangeably. While there are similarities between the two, they are unique differences that set them apart:

Mentoring

The role of the mentor is to build capability. The developmental mentor helps the learner discover their own wisdom by encouraging them to work towards career goals or develop self-reliance.

The Mentor Helps the Learner discover their wisdom.

The mentoring relationship is off-line — on both a personal and professional basis intertwined. Mentoring use to be focused on just career development/professional growth but has evolved to now include the personal growth elements. The mentor does not have authority over the mentee — and centres on the learner’s personal goals.

Because the relationship is mutually beneficial strong bonds are often forged and may extend the lifetime of the mentoring relationship both Professionally and Personally

Coaching

The role of coaching tends to improve task and performance. The role of a skills or performance coach is to give feedback on observed performance. Consequently, coaching usually happens at the workplace.

The Coach Helps the Learner stay focused on key tasks to change their performance level.

The coaching relationship is more on-line — purely professional (unless a life coach) The Coach is likely to set or suggest goals for the learner; measuring performance periodically as the learner develops new skills. This needs a good working relationship between learner and coach.

If you attempt a Google search on coaching and mentoring, you will find varying definitions.  The above was pulled from both the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Coaching and Mentoring can be further defined with:

Mentoring:

• Ongoing relationship that can last for a long period of time

 Coaching:

• Relationship generally has a set duration

Mentoring:

• Can be more informal and meetings can take place as and when the mentee needs some advice, guidance or support

Coaching:

• Generally more structured in nature and meetings are scheduled on a regular basis

Mentoring:

• More long-term and takes a broader view of the person

Coaching:

• Short-term (sometimes time-bounded) and focused on specific development areas/issues

Mentoring:

• Mentor may be someone more experienced and qualified than the ‘mentee’. Often a senior person in the organization who can pass on knowledge, experience and open doors to otherwise out-of-reach opportunities. Because mentoring is a two way relationship age is not a factor nor is industry specific knowledge. External mentors may be used along with internal mentors.

Coaching:

• Coaching is generally not performed on the basis that the coach needs to have direct experience of their client’s formal occupational role, unless the coaching is specific and skills-focused

Mentoring:

• Focus is on career and personal development with the emphasis on personal development first

Coaching:

• Focus is generally on development/issues at work

Mentoring:

• Agenda is set by the mentee, with the mentor providing support and guidance to prepare them for future roles

Coaching:

• The agenda is focused on achieving specific, immediate goals

Mentoring:

• Mentoring revolves more around developing the mentee on a personal and professional basis with the initial focus on the personal growth

Coaching:

• Coaching revolves more around specific development areas/issues

We have a ways to go to properly educate the public to be able to clearly decipher what mentoring and coaching is, isn’t, and which is needed based on a unique set of circumstances.

The public has not caught on to what effective mentoring is. There is a paradigm shift that is focused on creating a deeper, richer understanding of the true business value of mentoring and how it can create positive change in individuals and organizations. This will increase productivity and retention rates, lower employee turnover and create an engaged, empowered and accountable workforce.

I have seen many cases and have consulted with organizations where the employee did not respond to coaching, but did respond favorably and quickly to the Mentoring Approach (a 7-Step Mentoring Process of the International Mentoring Community (IMC)).

When effective mentoring techniques are applied, the results are a deeper, richer mentoring experience that gets results.

Are you aware of Sir Richard Branson’s Center of Entrepreneurship Caribbean?

The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean is a non-profit accelerator helping entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. They are on a mission to create dynamic Caribbean economies through entrepreneurship.

The “Gift of Mentoring” spans many industries and many continents. Understanding the power of mentoring is crucial to building sustainable organizations that will provide services to a global economy.

We at TalentC are delighted to report that our very own President, Doug Lawrence is one of only three mentors featured in the Branson Center of Entrepreneurship Caribbean’s 2018 Annual Report (page 33).

Doug Lawrence and TalentC are honored to be working with Sir Richard Branson’s team to create a dynamic Caribbean economy. We are collaborating with two phenomenal entrepreneurs, Christopher Boxe and Craig Hammond who are making a difference in the community they live in. Their accomplishments are a testament to the mission of the program that has been created by Sir Richard Branson and his team.  Embracing the value of mentoring has helped them in their success story.

“They [Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean] paired us with mentors and have given us an advisory board, which acts as a great resource to share ideas about the business and management.” (Christopher Boxe)

TalentC – People Services Inc. is an organization that is focused on providing mentor training, workplace mentoring programs, mentoring at all levels of an organization on an international stage and thought leadership in the mentoring space. Our services help organizations get the best from their employees through the “Gift of Mentoring.”

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC®.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring will encourage workforce culture to flow in harmony (mentors), improve productivity from employees (mentees), reducing costly employee onboarding improving the bottom line (organizations).

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is an international speaker and author about all facets of Mentoring. He published “The Gift of Mentoring” in 2014 with his second book set to publish in 2019.

Doug works with organizations to establish mentoring programs, influence mentoring as a culture, and provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals of all backgrounds and levels globally.

To contact Doug: https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

TalentC is wholeheartedly involved in the International Mentoring Community, which sets the standards and verification system (Certification) to produce competent mentors.

What is the International Mentoring Community?

Before jumping into what the International Mentoring Community is, we must first define what each term means separately. We do this because “mentoring” has been thrown around to mean different things when its true meaning is as follows:

Mentoring is defined as a two way trusted relationship where the mentor and mentee learn and grow together on a personal and professional basis as the mentee draws appropriate ideas and insights, and tools and techniques from the lived experience of the mentor.

Community is defined as a group of people having a particular characteristic in common. A community helps prepare people for challenges that lie ahead. There is a feeling of fellowship as a result of common attitudes, interests, and goals.

The International Mentoring Community is the premier mentor community to learn about the advantages and benefits of mentorship, mentoring, serving as a mentor, and becoming a mentee. It offers resources and tools to identify the ROI to support the implementation of a customized workplace mentoring program. Of particular importance in the fast paced work places of today, mentoring is a way to reduce employee turnover costs association with termination and resignation.

The International Mentoring Community offers certification about mentorship concepts, experiences, and the practices of serving as a mentor.

What is the Mentor Certification Process?

The Mentor Certification Process provides mentors and mentees with a deeper, richer experience.

The Mentor Certification Process is framed by “68 Action_Outcome Statements.” These statements highlight a series of actions and outcomes used to confirm competence of a mentor and/or implementation-evaluation of a workplace mentoring program.

These Action_Outcome Statements were written after an extensive review by the International Mentoring Community. This review was completed within the parameters of ISO Regulation 17001.

The 68 Action_Outcome Statements are split into 7 Mentor Certification Modules and identifies:

1. About Mentor
2. Mentor Characteristics
3. Mentoring Arrangement
4. Support Mentee
5. Mentoring Tools and Techniques
6. Mentoring Education and Learning
7. Certification

The International Mentoring Community guides:

• Organizational managers and leaders to create a mentoring blueprint from which they become more effective and relevant in their managing and leading while producing competent mentees at a faster rate.
• Mentors whatever their position will encounter a deeper, richer personal and professional experience that informs how they will engage and recognize their mentees.
• Mentees to access practical action and outcome suggestions based on the lived experience of their mentors.
• Business to co-create situational-based learning environments whereby the mentor-mentee are learning together that result in higher engagement and a lower turnover rate.

The International Mentoring Community offers managers, leaders and employees access to the Mentor Certification Process, which creates a movement that follows the Mentoring Blueprint: Guides you to manage a mentoring platform, programs, and movement, inform Move-Forward actions for mentors and mentees, nurture collaborative conversations among those involved, improve application of organizational knowledge shared by mentors and mentees, strengthen organizational productivity through actions taken by mentors and mentees.

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC®.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring will encourage workforce culture to flow in harmony (mentors), improve productivity from employees (mentees), reducing costly employee onboarding impacting the bottom line (organizations).

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is an international speaker and author about all facets of Mentoring. He published “The Gift of Mentoring” in 2014 with his second book is set to publish in 2019.

Doug works with organizations to establish mentoring programs, influence mentoring as a culture, and provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals of all backgrounds and levels globally.

To contact Doug: https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence