Any CEO or manager truly interested in change and/or improving workplace performance must also become deeply committed to the Mentoring process. In fact, Mentoring is fast becoming the most efficient and cost-effective way for delivering corporate outcomes and achieving corporate growth. It enables more effective management whist assisting the ease of enacting, and speed of, strategic moves.

Changing the course of the Queen Mary required miles of travel and corporations are sometimes just as sluggish. This is not necessarily due to management inability, it merely reflects the nature of the beast. Human nature, which is (in some ways) essentially habitual and focused on predictability, sees change as a threat which induces a fear response - fight or flight. Both of these are an anathema to improvement.

The smart executive knows this and institutes systems, processes and styles that overcome resistance to change. This is where Mentoring provides the vehicle for the systems and becomes that process.

Organisational culture, and commitment to working towards corporate goals, exists at the behavioural level and often in one-to-one interaction where culture lives through personal expression.

Change, and willingness to move, happens at this personal level also and comes alive through one-to-one interaction. Enacting change is a personal act that embodies and demonstrates both belief and commitment. Such acts require:

• risk taking (in terms of changing personal patterns) to step outside a personal comfort zone;
• a willingness to explore new territory; and
• the capacity to face fear and still act.

A Mentor is an invaluable tool for developing a personal investment in change and a commitment to it whilst supporting the individual through the fear, into the risk taking and then finally on to acting.

Whilst some organisations will tend to focus on the latest leadership trends, outstanding organisations know that:

• leadership models are transient;
• the mechanics of leadership are contextual and well established; and
• that personal leadership and getting on with the job is "mission critical".

It is these organisations that use Mentoring and take it beyond a haphazard occurrence and turn it into a systematic, structured program that works for people at a personal level as well as for the organisation - the best of both worlds.

Mentoring systems need to be well organised and share a common plan, language and themes whilst still nurturing individual expression and style. A successful Mentoring program has the following attributes:

• a systematic approach to Mentoring with times allocated;
• a formula for guiding both the Mentor and protégé for planning action;
• comprehensive training of mentors;
• a Mentor peer support network; and
• a Mentoring Mentors system.

The cost of these processes is relatively low compared with their value and also saves on the time cost associated with unofficial networks. Additionally, the benefits are high at a human level as well as in terms of the "bottom-line".