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Boston – Short-term. Multiple. Reverse. Two-Way. Informal. Virtual. Companywide.

Mentoring has been revitalized and now comes in seven different forms to serve various purposes, according to ClearRock Inc., a leadership development/executive coaching and outplacement firm headquartered in Boston..

Following are the seven ways mentoring is being used today, according to ClearRock:

1.       Short-term: Mentoring relationships can be very short-term – an hour or a day – or last weeks or months, depending on how long it takes to achieve the desired objectives.

2.       Multiple: People can have more than one mentor at the same time to serve different purposes. One mentor can be a coach for improving function-related skills and another mentor can instruct in soft skills such as how to become more persuasive and knowledgeable about the internal political landscape.

3.       Reverse: Generation X employees are counseling more experienced managers in areas such as technical skills and how to use social media.

4.       Two-Way: In exchange for teaching seasoned veterans technical and social media skills, less experienced workers are being tutored in how to sharpen their management, interpersonal, and presentation skills.

5.       Virtual: Mentoring is more often taking place via webcam, email, telephone, and text messaging. Face-to-face sessions are no longer required. Mentors are now connecting in different locations, time zones and countries.

6.       Informal: Mentoring can be very informal without the traditional mentor-mentee relationship. Some companies no do not even use the term "mentoring" to describe the process.

7.       Companywide: Mentoring has been expanded beyond the managerial ranks to non-management and blue-collar employees.

“Mentoring is no longer only a way for seasoned executives and managers to counsel and develop less experienced employees and newcomers,” said Laura Poisson, senior vice president with ClearRock.

“Employees of all ages and organizational levels – from senior executives to non-management workers – are now using mentoring to acquire job-related skills and learn how to refine their softer people-related abilities,” Poisson added.

Mentoring is generally less expensive than introducing training programs and takes less time to set up."Much of the knowledge gained from training is retained for only a short time. However, mentors can reinforce learning and deliver immediate feedback," said Poisson.

In addition, more organizations are using mentoring to transfer knowledge to younger workers before Baby Boomers retire and to keep employees engaged in their jobs.

About ClearRock, Inc.
ClearRock, Inc. is a Boston-based leadership development, executive coaching, and outplacement firm that is recognized for bringing best-in-class offerings to the coaching process. We offer developmental coaching for high-potential managers and executives; new-leader coaching for newly hired or recently promoted managers and leaders; performance coaching to help managers and executives become more effective, and outplacement coaching through a combination of a “high touch” career transition assistance and comprehensive “high tech” resources.

Our coaches and consultants have decades of experience, and our customized approach factors in everything from career goals and organizational objectives to client and consultant/coach compatibility. We tailor action plans for every organization and individual we work with, and our track record speaks for itself – numerous advancements for our coachees, rapid re-employment for our outplacement candidates, and long-lasting client relationships. For more information, visit www.clearrock.com.