How mentoring can give your career a boost

15 August 2016 -

With a membership community of more than 120,000, CMI mentoring provides the opportunity to elevate knowledge sharing

Matt Scott

CMI has launched an online mentoring service aimed at matching mentees to mentors according to the skills, experience or sector they would like to develop.

Mentoring provides an opportunity for learning, for both mentor and mentee, and elevates knowledge sharing to a practical level, helping all parties to put professional management and leadership into action.

CMI mentor Philip Davies said: “The resources provided on the website are really excellent. I have used them extensively with my mentees. They are a great help, especially to get things moving in the first place, and for advising on where to start the process.”

The benefits of mentoring are clear for all to see.

Research from Development Dimensions International found that 60% of UK business leaders have had a mentor and, of these, an overwhelming majority (97%) said they had benefited from the advice given.

And CMI’s own Bouncing Back research has found that mentoring can be a key element in developing resilience.

According to the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative, small businesses that receive mentoring are 20% more likely to experience growth than those that don’t.

With CMI’s Growing Your Small Business research finding that nearly half (44%) of businesses founded in 2011 had failed by 2014, the importance of getting the right advice and support cannot be underestimated.

Mentoring does not just benefit those receiving the advice; mentors can also learn from the experience, as it provides an opportunity to:

• Reflect on your own skills
• Hone your own management and leadership style
• Develop professional relationships
• Enhance peer recognition
• Boost professional development

Visit managers.org.uk/mentoring to register as a mentee or mentor