As remote work becomes the new buzz word in the post-pandemic world, losing a sense of company culture is not the only worry for business leaders. The issue of mentorship is also an area of concern. So, with the change in times, ways to prepare budding talent for impending challenges and shape a new crop of leaders have to change.
Proximity is a lens that has to be discarded, instead, the focus has to be on outcomes. As it was before in the pre-remote work era, the key constituents of mentorship remain unchanged. Clear communication, trust, respect, and the ability to share and absorb knowledge will remain paramount.
According to studies, remote work settings can be even better in aspects of negating legacy discriminations. Ready technologies for close captions and translation can help bridge the gap between cultures and geographies too. Interestingly, in the aftermath of #MeToo, the remote environment may be comfortable for both genders who otherwise might have felt otherwise. The remote setting does wonders to reduce anxiety among both parties and gives flexibility like never before.
But for all these benefits to be reaped, there has to be rigorous groundwork by both the mentors and mentees to establish a system of trust and respect. Working together in projects or hand holding while working on any novel project can be good fertile grounds for building the initial relationship framework. Once such a system is in place, remote mentoring can convey strong and beneficial outcomes for not only the young employees but also the organization at large.
Putting resources into virtual mentoring from a top-down management perspective can further develop resolve, execution, and inspiration in the day-to-day functioning of the company. These advantages are significantly noticeable as the world experiences this once-in-a-century transformation.