Lessons That Last: Mentoring Programs Matter

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”* – Winston Churchill

What do singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, writer Henry David Thoreau, philanthropist Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, and former COO of Meta Platforms Sheryl Sandberg have in common? They all had mentors!

A mentoring program is the most direct way for experienced professionals to “give back” their years of wisdom and knowledge to future, upcoming talent.

Mentoring programs can be informal in nature or structured, with the components of both types being the same: to provide the opportunity for beneficial interactions of shared experiences and life’s lessons learned from the mentor to the mentee.

In recent years, I have had the opportunity to serve as a mentor through the Department of Consumer & Design Sciences at Auburn University and The University of Alabama (Birmingham) Collat School of Business. My mentees have mostly been Juniors and Seniors. Most of our meeting conversations centered around resume building, marketing yourself, maximizing your network, interviewing skills, and work life expectations.

Some of the more meaningful conversations, however, were those that centered around time management and building leadership skills during college. During these conversations, I was asked questions like, “What were your plans when you graduated from college?” and “Are you where you thought you would be?” You won’t find the answers to these questions in a textbook, showing again the immense value of a mentoring relationship.

Keep in mind that a mentoring relationship not only benefits the mentee but the mentor as well. Establishing a mentoring program could make employees stay longer with your company, decreasing your turnover rate. _Some _Fortune 500 companies have even cited mentoring programs as a way to engage, develop and retain talent.

My experiences working with mentoring programs have been uplifting and positive. I encourage you to explore and figure out what works best for you, your company, and your employees. It’ll take some work, but it’s well worth the investment.

If you have any questions related to implementing a new or enhancing an existing mentoring program in the workplace, no matter the size or complexity, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us! We are here, and ready to discuss the solutions that may work best for you. This blog was reposted in celebration of National Mentoring Day, October 27, 2025.