Billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates is one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs. Having amassed such a fortune and taken such a stranglehold on the market, you'd think he'd pretty much know it all by now. However, far from believing himself above help, he has a mentor in the form of high-profile stock market investor Warren Buffett, who continues to advise and guide him through the minefield of modern business. It goes to show that mentoring can help everyone, regardless of age and position within a business.
"Anyone can have a mentor," explains Terry Watts, chief executive at Proskills. "My mentors are my board, who have experience in business management. You have to have the mindset that you can always learn from someone."
For those entering the print industry, a mentor can help a rookie get their head around the complex terminology and systems that make any company tick. An inspiring older head can also pass on the pearls of wisdom that make the job easier and more enjoyable. Having a mentor can ensure a smoother settling-in period and get them quickly up to speed.
"Mentoring helps people to understand what they are doing and allows them to ask questions they may believe are ‘silly' or too simple without feeling embarrassed," explains Watts. "It's about developing people within an organisation."
All of this is, of course, not just for the employee's benefit. Having a happy workforce that has a full understanding of their job is beneficial to companies of all sizes and in any type of industry.
However, like any form of training, successfully implementing a mentor scheme demands a high level of commitment from a print firm and, with the industry battling hard against recession, it's perhaps not surprising that any formal mentoring may fall by the wayside.
But for those willing to take the time to implement a scheme, planning and highlighting objectives are crucial to success (see top tips box). All parties have to be fully behind the initiative, not just the mentor, and a company needs to foster an environment where training isn't just an afterthought, but is a well considered, integrated part of the day-to-day process of how a business is run.
The good news is that there are plenty of experienced heads in the industry ready to mentor emerging print talent. At present, Watts believes that the process of emparting this knowledge is often on an informal basis.
"I am sure a lot of mentoring goes on informally in companies, with more experienced staff talking to the less experienced," says Watts. "We have a bit more of a profile now and we aim to make mentoring a formal part of training."
New scheme
In the new year, a formal mentoring service is expected to be launched that will give support to both the mentor and the mentee. It follows on from the mentoring initiative that's already been put in place by PrintIT!.
However, ahead of the launch of the new scheme, some printers have already taken up the challenge of mentoring formally. Oxuniprint, a division of Oxford University Press, has been incorporating mentoring as part of its formal training programme for some time.
"Training is an area I feel very passionately about," says George Thomas, director of printing services at the firm. "We have a very active mentoring programme. It's all driven by the mentee and they identify the personal development that they need. Once that's done, we introduce them to a person that can help with this development. The programme lasts six months, although it can continue for longer."
Essex-based CW Print is another company that has a mentoring programme, although Bruce Carter, director of
continuous improvement, says its structure isn't overly formalised. He says: "We assess someone's skills and if there is an area they are weak on, then they need dedicated training with a mentor."
Print isn't the only sector that Proskills looks after. Watts says that there has been demand for mentors to not simply focus on one industry, but to pass on their experience to others. "You get a better perspective this way," says Watts. "One mentor who has come forward is a chief executive from a furniture company."
But mentoring either from outside or from within will only work for a company if a business case is developed right from the start. "You set objectives at the beginning of the relationship," Thomas says. "You try to put a value on those objectives as the most important thing is return on investment. The issue isn't so much how much it costs or time, but what the business can benefit from. This is very difficult to measure."
Business benefits
Oxuniprint has been able to demonstrate that mentoring does have a benefit for the business, but Thomas warns that if a business doesn't have a well-evolved training and staff development programme, then mentoring is a long way down on the list of priorities.
"It's not the first thing you need to think of," he adds. "Training has to be embedded as part of the culture."
And CW Print's Carter adds that, with the industry going through "extraordinary trading conditions", training as a whole has moved down the order of priorities. "Something like training can be seen as a luxury," he says. "Normally, it is important for firms and you do need good training. But a lot of companies are under a lot of pressure."
Another problem is that people are not exactly rushing forward to ask for help. The initial signs from Proskills show that there are plenty of mentors out there, but it has been hard to find individuals wanting to be mentored.
However, this should not mean that people should give up trying. The work environment has to make people feel comfortable asking for help and the benefits of this help have to be communicated so that it is actively sought by all, especially young newcomers. In an industry where the average age is 48, mentoring could be crucial in the efforts to protect print's future.
TOP TIPS: MENTORING
? It’s vital that both sides know exactly what the aims are. There has to be a solid business case and goals need to be clearly spelt out
? Be willing to candidly share your needs expectations and limits. Also both parties need to gauge interest and compatibility.
? Invest time and effort in setting an environment
for learning. The important thing is that the mentee should feel comfortable in asking the mentor any question
? As a mentee, consider using a journal or log of your experiences – this may add some depth to your learning. As a mentor, set a regular contact schedule but be prepared to be flexible
? Assess your skills and work out the areas where improvement is needed. Mentoring is about learning from each other
? Be open and respect each other’s opinion. It’s important that you communicate regularly
? Consider having an exit strategy so that both parties can see how those goals have been achieved
CASE STUFY: LCC AND DIGITAL AD LAB
Digital Ad Lab and the London College of Communications (LCC) linked up earlier this year to launch a mentoring scheme with the goal of encouraging young and enthusiastic people into the print industry. Called Student Mentor, it’s initially intended to help undergraduates and postgraduates at the LCC, but the wider aim is to extend the scheme to any course, school or university nationwide.
Student Mentor wasn’t just designed with the student in mind – the aim is to provide mentoring for tutors as well. The aim is to help both the mentor and mentee to heighten their listening and communication skills. Broadcaster and business commentator René Carayol is championing the scheme, as is St Ives group technical director John Charnock.
The online element to Student Mentor is a key feature of the scheme and web developer Exact.s8tus is developing a suite of applications that will track communication and organise meetings. It will also allow collaborative discussions using web cams and other tools.
According to the website (www.student-mentor.com), the first courses to benefit will be: foundation degree in digital media design; foundation degree in print media management; BA in digital media design; BA print media management; BA magazine publishing; MA magazine publishing; and MA print media management.
For students, the scheme is designed to build confidence, understand the work environment and provide access to employer networks.
For the mentor, it aims to enhance motivation and job satisfaction, network with other organisations taking part and provide recruitment opportunities.
