Enterprise Mentoring and Enterprise 2.0

Posted on December 21, 2009 // 0 Comments

In this short presentation, I’d like to tell you a little more about Enterprise Mentoring, and specifically show how leveraging  recent developments in Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 can help drive innovation and collaboration in your business, as well as help create more motivated and engaged teams who deliver greater levels of revenue and profit growth for your business.
But first, let’ start by taking a quick look at Web 2.0 and how it fits in with Enterprise Mentoring. From 2004 and the emergence of Web 2.0, individuals and consumers around the world have found their voice as new technologies such as blogs, wikis and podcasts have led to more people publishing content, sharing ideas and being part of a wider conversation.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Linked-in have created communities, connections and relationships where none existed before. Sites such as youtube, flickr and twitter have allowed everybody to quickly and easily publish new content.
Web 2.0 has changed the way businesses interact with customers forever. Companies now stand naked, as at the press of a button, customers can quickly and easily write about your company on a global scale, and either positvely or negatively recommend you.
Through blogs, review sites, and networking forums, were the world was silent before, or commentary and opinion was placed in the hands of a select few journalists and experts, now everybody, from the youngest teenager, to the oldest grandfather has been given a platform to share their thoughts, opinions and ideas. Web 2.0 has introduced a new set of behaviours which make us more collaborative, involved and participatory.
Inside a business the same principles of user generated content, idea sharing and collaboration has yet to really take off, although the framework and tools to achieve this is are in place. The decade starting 2010 will see a dramatic shift in the uptake of social media, idea sharing and collaboration within an organisation.
This subject of collaboration behind a companies firewall is referred to as Enterprise 2.0. One area which lends itself to Enterprise 2.0 and idea sharing is the area of identifying new business growth, cost saving and productivity improvement ideas. It’s also an area that Enterprise Mentoring can help with too.
In years gone by, companies simply had a suggestion box where ideas could be posted either anonymously or named. However new technologies give companies the opportunity to profitably tap into the talent which lies within an organisation. That said, one of the inherent realities of Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 is that users have to be willing to contribute and add their new ideas, thoughts and content.
In web 2.0 this works well as individuals are fuelled by their own passion, for example formula 1. Many Formula 1 enthusiasts are happy to share their opinions in socials networking sites. Through their own volition, they comment on who will be the next driver at Ferrari, who they think will win the drivers championship, and they find themselves immersed in the finer details of F1. This level of passionate commitment is evident throughout the world of Web 2.0 as individuals share their thoughts on subjects as far ranging as abbsailing to zoology. Whatever sparks their passion they comment on and contribute to. Sadly though, this level of passionate contribution is not always present in companies.
However there is a way to tap into the talent of employees in an organisation and ignite their inner passion and imagination. That is through enterprise mentoring. Enterprise Mentoring is an approach which harnesses many Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 technology principles such as online collaboration and idea sharing, together with people development technologies such as mobile learning and e-learning.
Enterprise Mentoring gives employees the opportunity to receive world class personal, professional and business development through mentoring. Firstly employees receive 20 digital mentoring sessions, which can be accessed through employees MP3 players, mobile phones or through the internet. Secondly employees receive face-to-face mentoring sessions which take place in small mentor groups with a designated mentor.
During the course of the mentoring sessions, employees learn some of the best-of-the-best business thinking and also get to share their business growth, cost saving and productivity improvements ideas in a group format with their own mentor.
One of the hidden benefits of Enterprise Mentoring is that it gives employees permission and the opportunity to come forward with their ideas which can then be captured in an online idea management portal, where ideas can be shared and commented on and improved by other employees.
The idea management portal also gives CEOs and other senior executives the opportunity to login and see exactly what new ideas are being put forward by who, they can see who is adding more value to these ideas, and which ideas are being rated as the ones which will work the best.
Let’s look at how this approach works with the example of Sally and George. Sally is a software developer at Amroze technology. Sally has recently started being mentored through an Enterprise Mentoring programme, and has access to 20 digital mentoring sessions through her mobile phone. She studies the mentoring sessions whilst travelling. George works in finance and is in the same mentoring group as sally, along with three other mentees. George receive the digital mentoring sessions through the internet and studies the mentoring sessions on his PC whilst he’s at work.
Once Sally and George have completed two of the digital mentoring sessions, they get together with the other mentees and their line-manager who is acting as mentor. Collectively the group discuss all they have learnt in the mentoring sessions and explore new ways to apply their learning back to Amroze technology.
Early in the mentoring sessions, Sally and George look at how to increase the word of mouth recommendation of a customer, and together with the other mentees in their mentor group, they are able to put forward new ideas for the company to turn more customers into referral customers. As each employee came up with five ideas for that session, the group had over 20 new business growth ideas on how to grow the company through referral customers. By using Web 2.0 type technology, each employee can capture their ideas in a central idea management repository, where their fellow mentees can comment on their ideas and suggest improvements.
In addition to Sally and George’s mentor groups, there are many other mentor groups in the company, who are also sharing their ideas. These ideas are available for Sally and George to comment on and contribute to in the same way George and Sally’s ideas are available for others to comment on and add value to. The senior management team are able to review the new ideas and suggestions put forward by the employees in the company, the very employees who are closest to the customers and closest to the processes of the company.
Without the structure and momentum of the Enterprise Mentoring programme and the accountability the mentors place on mentees, the creativity which is seen in Web 2.0 communities, where individuals are driven by their own inner passion is seldom replicated in companies. But by creating a framework, structure and giving mentees full permission and encouragement to put forward their ideas, companies can quickly and easily tap into the talent and creativity which already exist in their employees. Idea generation is just one of the benefits of implementing an Enterprise Mentoring programme in your organisation.
To learn more about Enterprise Mentoring, and how you can use Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 technology to drive innovation and change in your company, come to one of our Enterprise Mentor workshops or visit us online at www.enterpriseleaders.com.

In this short presentation, I’d like to tell you a little more about Enterprise Mentoring, and specifically show how leveraging  recent developments in Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 can help drive innovation and collaboration in your business, as well as help create more motivated and engaged teams who deliver greater levels of revenue and profit growth for your business.

But first, let’ start by taking a quick look at Web 2.0 and how it fits in with Enterprise Mentoring. From 2004 and the emergence of Web 2.0, individuals and consumers around the world have found their voice as new technologies such as blogs, wikis and podcasts have led to more people publishing content, sharing ideas and being part of a wider conversation.

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Linked-in have created communities, connections and relationships where none existed before. Sites such as youtube, flickr and twitter have allowed everybody to quickly and easily publish new content.

Web 2.0 has changed the way businesses interact with customers forever. Companies now stand naked, as at the press of a button, customers can quickly and easily write about your company on a global scale, and either positvely or negatively recommend you.

Through blogs, review sites, and networking forums, were the world was silent before, or commentary and opinion was placed in the hands of a select few journalists and experts, now everybody, from the youngest teenager, to the oldest grandfather has been given a platform to share their thoughts, opinions and ideas. Web 2.0 has introduced a new set of behaviours which make us more collaborative, involved and participatory.

Inside a business the same principles of user generated content, idea sharing and collaboration has yet to really take off, although the framework and tools to achieve this is are in place. The decade starting 2010 will see a dramatic shift in the uptake of social media, idea sharing and collaboration within an organisation.

This subject of collaboration behind a companies firewall is referred to as Enterprise 2.0. One area which lends itself to Enterprise 2.0 and idea sharing is the area of identifying new business growth, cost saving and productivity improvement ideas. It’s also an area that Enterprise Mentoring can help with too.

In years gone by, companies simply had a suggestion box where ideas could be posted either anonymously or named. However new technologies give companies the opportunity to profitably tap into the talent which lies within an organisation. That said, one of the inherent realities of Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 is that users have to be willing to contribute and add their new ideas, thoughts and content.

In web 2.0 this works well as individuals are fuelled by their own passion, for example formula 1. Many Formula 1 enthusiasts are happy to share their opinions in socials networking sites. Through their own volition, they comment on who will be the next driver at Ferrari, who they think will win the drivers championship, and they find themselves immersed in the finer details of F1. This level of passionate commitment is evident throughout the world of Web 2.0 as individuals share their thoughts on subjects as far ranging as abbsailing to zoology. Whatever sparks their passion they comment on and contribute to. Sadly though, this level of passionate contribution is not always present in companies.

However there is a way to tap into the talent of employees in an organisation and ignite their inner passion and imagination. That is through enterprise mentoring. Enterprise Mentoring is an approach which harnesses many Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 technology principles such as online collaboration and idea sharing, together with people development technologies such as mobile learning and e-learning.

Enterprise Mentoring gives employees the opportunity to receive world class personal, professional and business development through mentoring. Firstly employees receive 20 digital mentoring sessions, which can be accessed through employees MP3 players, mobile phones or through the internet. Secondly employees receive face-to-face mentoring sessions which take place in small mentor groups with a designated mentor.

During the course of the mentoring sessions, employees learn some of the best-of-the-best business thinking and also get to share their business growth, cost saving and productivity improvements ideas in a group format with their own mentor.

One of the hidden benefits of Enterprise Mentoring is that it gives employees permission and the opportunity to come forward with their ideas which can then be captured in an online idea management portal, where ideas can be shared and commented on and improved by other employees.

The idea management portal also gives CEOs and other senior executives the opportunity to login and see exactly what new ideas are being put forward by who, they can see who is adding more value to these ideas, and which ideas are being rated as the ones which will work the best.

Let’s look at how this approach works with the example of Sally and George. Sally is a software developer at Amroze technology. Sally has recently started being mentored through an Enterprise Mentoring programme, and has access to 20 digital mentoring sessions through her mobile phone. She studies the mentoring sessions whilst travelling. George works in finance and is in the same mentoring group as sally, along with three other mentees. George receive the digital mentoring sessions through the internet and studies the mentoring sessions on his PC whilst he’s at work.

Once Sally and George have completed two of the digital mentoring sessions, they get together with the other mentees and their line-manager who is acting as mentor. Collectively the group discuss all they have learnt in the mentoring sessions and explore new ways to apply their learning back to Amroze technology.

Early in the mentoring sessions, Sally and George look at how to increase the word of mouth recommendation of a customer, and together with the other mentees in their mentor group, they are able to put forward new ideas for the company to turn more customers into referral customers. As each employee came up with five ideas for that session, the group had over 20 new business growth ideas on how to grow the company through referral customers. By using Web 2.0 type technology, each employee can capture their ideas in a central idea management repository, where their fellow mentees can comment on their ideas and suggest improvements.

In addition to Sally and George’s mentor groups, there are many other mentor groups in the company, who are also sharing their ideas. These ideas are available for Sally and George to comment on and contribute to in the same way George and Sally’s ideas are available for others to comment on and add value to. The senior management team are able to review the new ideas and suggestions put forward by the employees in the company, the very employees who are closest to the customers and closest to the processes of the company.

Without the structure and momentum of the Enterprise Mentoring programme and the accountability the mentors place on mentees, the creativity which is seen in Web 2.0 communities, where individuals are driven by their own inner passion is seldom replicated in companies. But by creating a framework, structure and giving mentees full permission and encouragement to put forward their ideas, companies can quickly and easily tap into the talent and creativity which already exist in their employees. Idea generation is just one of the benefits of implementing an Enterprise Mentoring programme in your organisation.

To learn more about Enterprise Mentoring, and how you can use Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 technology to drive innovation and change in your company, come to one of our Enterprise Mentor workshops or visit us online at www.enterpriseleaders.com.

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