American Express, Enterprise and UCB Pharma help high-potential employees succeed with mentoring and sponsorship programs. Whether in-person or online, formal or more loosely organized, these programs help employees shape their personal brand and develop skills crucial to climbing the corporate ladder.
“In general, we find that organically developed mentoring relationships are more effective than formal mentoring programs,” explains Ellen A. Ensher, Ph.D., professor of management, Loyola Marymount University. However, she adds, organizations can structure a formal mentor program in ways “that make it look and feel like an organic relationship.”
