The State Of Corporate Mentoring: Interview With Dr. Lois Zachary

The State Of Corporate Mentoring: Interview With Dr. Lois Zachary

- Julie Kantor

At Twomentor, we share bi-weekly thought leadership from phenomenal executives and social entrepreneurs focused on: a diverse skilled workforce, social impact entrepreneurship, mentoring cultures, sponsorship and elevating women in STEM careers. This week, I am thrilled to share incredible gems of wisdom from a woman I admire greatly. Dr. Lois Zachary, president of Leadership Development Services LLC is an internationally recognized expert on mentoring and has been cited as “one of the top 100 minds in leadership” today. You’ve likely seen mention of Dr. Zachary’s books, or read her quotes, in The New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Inc. magazine, T&D, Leadership Excellence, The Chronicle of Higher Education, or other business and leadership news outlets. We had dinner recently in Washington DC and enlightening conversations on how the field is evolving:

Julie Kantor (JK): First of all, thank you for being a mentor of mentors and all you have built! I’d like to speak with you about then versus now. What is the current state of corporate mentoring from your perspective?

Dr. Lois Zachary (LZ): I believe that mentoring continues to expand and deepen its reach, especially globally. More and more organizations are adopting a strategic rather than a programmatic approach to mentoring. The payback on an organization’s investment in mentoring is huge. Here are just a few to keep in mind:

1. Mentoring drives recruitment of future talent.

2. Mentoring contributes to increased retention rate of talent.

3. Mentoring breaks down silos and expands knowledge within the organization.

4. Mentoring promotes inclusion and promotes opportunities for everyone to learn and benefit from the diversity within an organization.