The onset of covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technology and automation of business processes in every sector across every industry. According to a report from the McKinsey Global Institute on the potential effects of automation1, 50% of all tasks currently performed by humans can be automated with technology available today and another 15% will be automatable soon.
The best way for both individuals and organizations to survive and prosper in the ever-more-automated world is to acquire the required digital skills, human skills and/or meta skills. While there are plenty of courses, certifications, and other learning material, building these skills the right way is often a daunting task. This is why many successful professionals and organizations choose to work with mentors from outside their networks who offer advice and expert guidance to take them to the next level faster.
Some Definitions
The term “mentor” has origins in Greek mythology and means someone who conveys wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less-experienced mate.
A mentee is “a person who is advised and helped by a more experienced person over a period of time.”2
Mentoring is a process that enables an individual to build goals and skills through a sequence of time-limited, confidential, personalized consultations and other learning activities with a more experienced person.
Benefits of a Having a Mentor3
The key benefits of being mentored include:
- getting help identifying career goals and achieving them faster
- developing and maintaining a broader perspective on career options and opportunities
- bridging the experience gap between formal study and/or training and the real world
- getting help identifying and correcting gaps in generic skills and knowledge
- developing networking skills which helps make mentee’s career resilient in turbulent times
- increased productivity and better time management
Benefits of Being a Mentor3
The key benefits of being a mentor include:
- Increased sense of self-worth and sense of fulfillment in contributing to mentee’s growth
- Conduit for giving back to the organization or community
- Enhanced communication, leadership and organizational skills
- Opportunity to reinforce existing knowledge, evolve thinking, learn new things, and self-reflect
- New perspectives and insight into the organization or industry
- Enhanced CV, opening new career opportunities
- Potential for networking
- Additional revenue stream
Benefits of Mentoring to the Organization3
Some of the benefits of mentoring to an organization are:
- increased employee productivity, motivation, loyalty and commitment
- improved talent acquisition and retention efforts as it shows the organization’s willing to invest in employee development
- cost-effective way of achieving organization talent development goals
- creates a breeding ground for fresh ideas and innovations
- enhanced reputation as a learning organization
- reinforces employee commitment to learning and development
- helps organization keep up with today’s constant technology-induced change
On Demand Mentoring
The accelerating rate of change of technology makes it difficult for individuals (and organizations) to keep pace and stay relevant, as well as find an expert to provide the right mentoring in the workplace. Fortunately, a number of online platforms have emerged that enable individuals and teams to access mentors from outside the formal establishment at anytime they want. These platforms open doors to personalized knowledge that might not be accessible otherwise, and provide a smart, efficient way of advancing careers.
SDscope mentoring platform enables individuals and teams in Africa to develop goals and skills for the digital revolution through personalized advice from accomplished experts from around the world by way of series of time-limited, confidential, one-on-one conversations and other learning activities.
Mentors at SDscope work at the most innovative companies in the world in data science, software engineering, human resources, product management, marketing, telecom engineering, finance, and other technical or business areas, building or utilizing advanced digital systems to create business value.
Build Your Digital Skills Now
On demand digital skills mentoring is for you if your answer to each of the three questions below is YES.
1. Do you want to stay relevant in the digital revolution?
2. Are you willing to take charge of your career progression?
3. Do you want personalized guidance to take your career to the next level faster?
YES! I want to get started NOW for FREE.
Reference
1. https://www.mckinsey.com/global-themes/digital-disruption/harnessing-automation-for-a-future-that-works
2. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/mentor
3. https://www.southampton.ac.uk/professional-development/mentoring/benefits-of-a-mentoring-relationship.page