Women helping women: how mentoring can help your business.(extra credit)

Corporate America spends millions of dollars each year to make the workplace more efficient and productive. Finding and retaining talented and experienced workers is key to reducing turnover and high operational costs. Mentoring new employees and helping them become successful on the job is one way to reduce turnover. Women can truly benefit from a female mentor who has knowledge and experience and can show them "the ropes." The mentor can be a guide, a role model and a good advisor.

Michelle always wanted to be a reporter and dreamed of working for a television station. She was flesh out of school and had some experience working in the newsroom. When she entered her job as a research specialist, Michelle was surrounded by reporters she idealized and admired. One of them was Joan. Joan had been at the network for 10 years as a news anchor and reporter. She was the perfect mentor for Michelle. The two hit it off immediately and Joan spent time helping Michelle gain the necessary skills to fulfill her dream. Joan admitted that when she started, she had to go it alone and often felt like no one was there to support and advise her. Things changed for Joan when a co-worker offered suggestions and helped her to find the confidence to apply for a job as a reporter. Joan got the job and to this day thanks her mentor for giving her support. Like her mentor, Michelle vows to help other women in the workplace.

Women need mentors, specifically other women who are willing to take the time to help them make it on the job. Recent research from The WomenSpeak project shows that women of all ages can be extremely competitive and negative to younger women entering a profession. In this study, women reported feeling isolated and alone on the job. They also reported they could not burden others with their workplace issues and concerns. This attitude makes it difficult for women to mentor and be mentored, even when the opportunity is there for the taking. If employers do not use mentoring techniques, they can face the costs of high turnover rates and ineffective job performance.

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Fortunately, women today are becoming aware of the importance of being helped as well as helping others. By watching good role models, women have learned how to be good mothers, good wives and good friends. But what about the myriad of other areas that women are involved with such as jobs or career moves, investing or health care issues? Where can the average woman share her feelings? Who will answer her hard questions? Women need to find a mentor, a role model to offer advice on career, education, parenting or any other life skill. A good mentor or coach can make the job rewarding and productive.

Having or acting as a mentor in the workplace does not involve an exchange of money. Instead, a mentor provides free advice and a relationship based on mutual respect. A mentor can prevent a world of headaches and it is worth searching for someone with the knowledge and experience one needs.

Volunteer mentors can be in short supply in some areas, and this has given rise to the new and trendy position of a life coach. A coach can help with business, executive challenges, sales, academics, management and any aspect of personal life. They can help attain goals and deliver maximum performance on the job.