Why You Want Your Employees to Mentor

WANT TO IMPROVE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE?
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS CAN HELP!

 When considering the benefits that Big Brothers Big Sisters involvement has to offer, odds are you immediately think of the advantageous effect our organization has on the lives of young people-and for very good reason! In our over 100 years of serving at-risk youth, we have seen time and again how much of a positive impact having a reliable mentor can have on our Littles’ lives, including expanding their communication, decision making, and social skills, giving them a greater sense of well-being, and increasing their confidence.
 But having employees who are engaged in a BBBS match can benefit your business as well. Mentoring is a highly valuable experience to our Bigs, in both their personal and professional lives, and encouraging your employees to volunteer with us can also be of great benefit to your company, as the skills they must utilize to be a successful youth mentor can easily be applied to how they perform in the workplace.

 
FOUR WAYS ENCOURAGING YOUR EMPLOYEES TO MENTOR WILL HELP: 

 1.       Increased Active Listening in Employees. Our Bigs spend a significant amount of their volunteer time simply attentively listening to their Littles. Focusing on what they have to say for the sake of truly hearing them, rather than just listening to respond, helps make the Little feel valued and important. Having employees who can use this same active listening skill with coworkers and clients can increase staff and customer satisfaction, which in turn will help you grow your business.

2.       Strengthened Employee Communication Skills. In addition to actively listening to their Little, our Bigs also learn how to communicate in ways that take the experiences and backgrounds of who they’re speaking to into greater consideration. When communicating with Littles and their families, Bigs must stay committed to inclusivity, cognizant and respectful of differences, and open to hearing the voices of people who may be coming from a very dissimilar background to theirs.  These stronger communication skills will then lead to an increase in the awareness, thoughtfulness, and tact your employees need to interact more constructively with each other and your clients as well.

3.       Employee Leadership Skill Development. While our program is ultimately based in equal partnership between the mentor and mentee, to be successful in their mentoring role our Bigs must also feel comfortable with taking the lead and guiding their Littles as necessary. Our Littles need to feel confident that their Bigs can take the initiative needed to give them clear cut instructions and advice and also to solve any problems that may arise when they are together, which are all skills that are necessary in business as well. A Big who is confident in her or his ability to lead a child is also an employee who feels confident in their ability to lead a team.

4.       Increased Employee Engagement and Improved Customer Relations. By regularly interacting with their Littles, their Littles’ families, and the businesses and organizations they visit on match outings, our Bigs can’t help but become more connected to and engaged with their communities and the people in them. This adds to increased engagement in other areas of their lives as well, including their jobs, and more engaged employees leads to employees who are more capable of meeting their clients’ emotional needs, which then leads to happier customers. According to a 2016 study conducted by Harvard Business Review, engaging and connecting with customers on an emotional level is a far more effective way to maximize customer relations than merely focusing on their satisfaction is.
 
If you are interested in learning more about getting your individual employees or your company as a whole involved in youth mentoring through Big Brothers Big Sisters, please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We will be more than happy to provide you with more in depth information and answer any questions you may have.