Mentoring and Retaining Top Talent

I do a talk based on my third book, Wish It, Dream It, Do It: Turn the Life You're Living into the Life You Want, and at some point I ask everyone if they have a mentor. I also ask if they are mentors for others. Both questions seem to hit them with surprise, but I push nonetheless, because I think the ongoing discussion (though it seems new to them) is really essential for personal growth.
Belle Rose Ragins, professor of organizations and strategic management at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, was recently quoted saying, "Organizations need to be concerned about keeping their top talent, and mentoring relationship are the magnet for keeping their top talent." I completely agree, but I wonder sometimes if one of the reasons mentoring programs don't catch on has to do with uncovering what has quietly been a very successful strategy for moving up in the business world. What do I mean here? Well, think of the lifeline of a fashion trend. Many start out as the eccentric outfit of an eccentric somebody, a rock star, a movie star, an author, the creative director at a boutique advertising agency. And then the style is discovered, becomes a mass-merchandised item and eventually it becomes passé. Or maybe mentoring was viewed with more value when it didn't have such a formal label. Now that people are having it shoved down their throat (I think this is a perception in some circles unfortunately) it's not so popular. After all, shouldn't a mentoring relationship occur more naturally? Why should someone match me up with someone I wouldn't have talked to in the first place?
Luckily, companies are updating the way they structure their mentoring programs. Some have online programs not unlike what's found in the dating world. Triple Creek Associates, Inc., in Greenwood Village, CO, offers newsletters and tips, too, besides helping companies set up online mentoring programs. Check out "Understanding Productive Conversations" on their site and you may get more out of a discussion this afternoon or tomorrow. Remember, too, that a conversation means that someone is always listening. Don't forget to be the listener!
But back to me. When I give those Wish It talks I like to mention different kind of mentors. I've sort of made these up, but they work. One that is particularly popular and seems to resonate with most is the notion of having (or being) a "momentary" mentor, someone who offers some piece of sage advice practically out of the blue. You may not know this person well, you may never see him or her again, but you will never forget what they've said.
Next time: more about mentors.