Quality Progress

Many organizations offer mentorships to new employees to help them learn the ropes and provide career guidance. But mentorships also help the mentors—for example, by helping the mentor identify his or her abilities and limitations, and giving the mentor insight into how younger generations think and operate. What are your experiences with mentoring or having a mentor? What was the experience like and how did it influence your career?

We use a lot of mentoring in my company because it is the best way to pass along that information that is not easily trained. It benefits both parties because the trainee will often question things the more seasoned employee has not thought about ever or in a long time.


One of the risks of mentoring, however, is that bad habits can be passed along if you are not careful in selecting and monitoring mentors.

The colleague, who was my mentor in Risk Management, most likely, did not even realize it to the way that I did (which is, at the other hand, not that uncommon, I would dare say)

However, I was very lucky to work with/learn from the Expert. The knowledge and, more importantly, the habit of approaching the the spirit/intention, rather then solely the letter of the standard/regulation is something that I borrowed and still use on everyday basis.

Now I am approaching the phase where it will be myself mentoring newcomer/-s in a more formal way (i.e. it is kind of recognizable format from the very start), so it makes me feel both thrilled and encouraged ?


Alexander Kholodov, ASQ CQE

We use mentoring primarily as an information transfer tool as people change job responsibilities. We used to have a more formal mentoring program, but it seems to have been lost as we experienced corporate splits and mergers.


Although long steeped in manufacturing systems, process improvement and control, and statistical methods I am new to a Quality role. Does anyone know how to obtain some mentorship in creating quality systems in an environment that already has a "bunch" of good quality tools?


Tim Whetten, Ph.D., CQE

Not sure mentorship is needed to help an organization that is already good.  Review documents such as ISO 9004 and/or the Baldrige Excellence Criteria and I guarantee you'll find lots of potential improvement ideas.