Mirroring American Idol in the Office

Workplace Buzz on June 1, 2007 6:45 AM

Dawn Anfuso for DailyBreeze.com thinks mentoring shouldn’t just be for American Idol competitors.

Last week, the country (or at least the country's youth) selected the latest American Idol.
It's amazing to watch the transformation of the young men and women in this competition. They enter as regular folks with raw talent, and leave as polished, coiffed stars.
Of course they get a little help with this journey. They've got voice coaches training their technique, professional music industry people selecting their songs and stylists making over their hair, faces and wardrobes.


Wouldn't it be nice if all of us got this kind of help in our jobs? Someone who could provide insight into office protocol, groom us for advancement and teach us how to handle sensitive situations at work?

Unfortunately, a recent Accountemps survey reveals that it's uncommon for new hires to be matched with mentors, either formally or informally, within their organizations.

"Mentoring is a valuable way to transfer wisdom, foster talent and promote best practices within a company," says Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees For Dummies. "The faster a business can help new employees get up to speed, the more quickly these professionals can begin contributing."

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