BACKGROUND

Our client, a national training organisation, is a large employer with many locations serving an industry in constant need of new skilled workers. With employers hungry for staff, managers are under constant pressure both to meet targets and satisfy customers’ needs. Mentoring offers individuals under stressful conditions the opportunity to air their workplace and work-life balance issues with someone who has experienced similar conditions and who will help them to see the way ahead, in confidence and without compromising their in-house reputation.

Obsidian’s experience in the sector

Obsidian has had several clients in the same sector as the client and long experience in the field of industrial training. These experiences gave the client confidence in Obsidian understanding the brief and the needs of the managers concerned in the project.

Nature of the client’s problem

Despite an active management development process and good line management, the client perceived the stresses of managers working in multiple locations, often away from base and under considerable time pressures. Changes in organisation were expected to add to these pressures for certain individuals; and could be expected to apply to others in future. The client wanted to find out how beneficial to trusted subordinates the support of an experienced mentor might be, with a view both to their development and well-being; and to that of others in future.

Obsidian Experience in mentoring and coaching

In recent years, coaching and mentoring have taken a increasing profile in Obsidian’s offering to clients, driven by the realisation that one-to-one support is highly effective for those facing changes in circumstances and in need of new skills. Most Obsidian consultants have experience in coaching or mentoring; and undergo an internal accreditation process. Those selected for this project had functional skills relevant to the responsibilities of the managers selected as well.

Objectives of the service offered by Obsidian

The individuals mentored were facing major changes in responsibilities. Facing these was to be made easier through the support received. The company wanted to evaluate mentoring of these managers in order to decide on its wider application in the organisation.

How the project was conducted

Obsidian first proposed to the client how a scheme for mentoring could work for the organisation. This was accepted and applied to the specific targets selected. Each individual was offered a series of sessions with a mentor. They were able to approve their mentor from a choice offered as well as the frequency of session. Each individual was encouraged to define their own agenda for each session and for the pilot period (6 months). All conversations were conducted in confidence. At the end of the pilot, an evaluation form was given to each for submission to the client.

Benefits for the client

All three managers mentored have stated that they found their mentoring of value, particularly in enabling them to stand back from operational pressures and see where they needed improvement and re-prioritisation. The client was able to evaluate mentoring and decide on its future application.