b'FEATUREcontinued from page 10often a coach will reach out to an individual exhibiting be successful.Most often these are not things that area specific workplace development need. Maybe the written down, but rather things that people learn frompersons sales or evaluation skills need improvement. observing and working closely with colleagues.Once that skill is improved, the coaching initiative Not knowing the rules of the game can be dangerous.is over.New employees - and even some seasoned ones - mightMentoring,incontrast,isalonger-termeffort notrealizetheyvegoneoutofboundsuntiltheirintended to help individuals engage more successfully careers or reputations have been damaged. with their workplace environment. It often serves to Examples?Weiss offers one: A mentee might ask Ishelp a mentee climb the career ladder. As such, it tends it appropriate for me to bring up a certain topic at thetopromoteaspiritofloyaltyinthebusiness next employee meeting? Getting the right guidance onorganization.such a matter is important, says Weiss. If you fail tospeak up about a critical matter at the meeting youmight be regarded as unobservant. But if you make thewrong statement, or the right statement at the wrongtime, people may feel you lack sensitivity to the workenvironment.Here are some other common mentoring topics:How should a newly promoted individual deal withold friends who have suddenly become subordinates?While new supervisors cannot hang out with theirformerpeers,sometimesitisnotclearwhatinteractions they should have, says Weiss. A mentorcan help the newly promoted individual sidestep theold familiarities without being rude.Who are the influential players in each department?What is the best way to approach each of them, giventheir personal management styles?How are decisions made in the organization? Is thereCoaching and mentoring make different demands on a common process by which new ideas are vetted?the person being trained. A coach will ask questions What is the best way to introduce a new idea withoutsuch as What do you think your next step is? says ruffling feathers?Star. The idea is to empower the coached individuals to How, and with whom, should a mentee network tocome up with their own solutions. A mentor, on the get ahead? What players have the ears of the topother hand, might make a more direct statement, such people?as This is what you need to do. What steps should a person take to improve his or herSelect the right candidates for each initiative. If you professionalstance?Earnahigherdegree?Teachtry to mentor someone who needs coaching, they will workshops?Solveaworkplaceproblem?Maybenot learn, says Star. And the opposite holds true. If mentor others?you try to coach someone who needs mentoring, theirneeds will not be met and they will feel frustrated. Their SHARE EXPERTISEjob satisfaction will deteriorate, and they wont stick So what makes a great mentor? Before anything else,around. the individual must have expertise worth sharing. Greatmentors have something to offer because they haveTEACH SUCCESS achieved success in their careers, says Goruk. They areSowhatspecificskillsshouldyourmentoring willing to share their bad as well as their good work lifeprogram teach? Start with the vagaries of company experiences, pointing out the mistakes that they andculture. others have made.Businessesarelikeplayingfields,saysFrankel. Such openness requires self-confidence. A mentorThere are rules, boundaries, and strategies that have to must be able to trust people, says Star. Not everyonebe employed if players - in this case employees - want to has that capability. Some people feel threatened by the10 FABRICARE'