In 2005, Anil, a successful entrepreneur decided to enter the retail market. He planned a series of stores for children’s clothing. Competition in this segment was insignificant and parental income and spending were on the rise. He picked up his key man, Rakesh who had a proven track record. Anil was confident of Rakesh’s abilities to take independent decisions, perhaps the greatest skill needed to set up the business and grow in future.
Large investments were made in infrastructure and branding but six months later the company was still making losses. Something was not quite right. The management consultancy working with the company suggested coaching and mentoring of the CEO as one of the steps.
Enter Kapil, a well-recognised professional with experience in different capacities and in senior roles. When he was introduced to Rakesh, it was only natural that Rakesh felt both tentative and defensive. Kapil realised that his biggest challenge was to build trust. Somehow Rakesh had to feel that Kapil was not there to fix him but was on his side to enable success.
A mentor’s actions that bring out his intentions to be on the side of the mentee are probably the most critical step to creating trust. Clearly committing time to the process is the starting point. The mentor’s ability to observe behaviours that obstruct per -formance is another critical competency.
Kapil observed some of these behaviours: Rakesh’s low-risk taking, seeking perfection sometimes to avoid decisions, his inability to inspire his team and relatively poor interpersonal skills. Kapil realised that Rakesh’s habit of remaining within closed doors was a major inhibiting factor. He convinced Rakesh to move out, communicate and sell his ideas and include others in his vision. This had a huge bearing on his team’s spirit and Rakesh’s confidence.
This real life case illustrates the importance of mentoring — the right kind of mentoring — in today’s job market. According to a study conducted by management teachers Robert Quinn and John Rohrbaugh in 1983, unlike the past, the role of leaders of today is filled with change, ambiguity and contradictions. The movement from a stable, simple and safe environment to a dynamic, competitive and a volatile one creates new dimensions of success for managers.
Theories talk about the shift from managerial competencies to leadership competencies, development of other intelli -gences besides IQ, and balance between contradictory roles. But underlying the probability of success are two critical factors: ability to adapt and openness to learning and development. “Coaching and mentoring” has become the panacea for managers to work through the complexities of change.
Organisations institute the process of coaching and mentoring in different ways. Usually performance coaching is done by immediate supervisors and career mentoring through more senior resources. Outside experts are involved, training programmes are rolled out, a coaching culture is initiated. Most companies have realised that with rapid growth in business, mentoring and coaching processes can most effectively make individuals at all levels more productive and successful.
Neeta Mohla, Director, Strategic Development, & Head, Leadership Practice, TMI
