OCTOBER 2020HR TECH OUTLOOK8In MyOpinionMs Aye Wee Yap, Head of Learning & Development, Group Human Resources, OCBC Bank [SGX: O39]ByHOW OUR MENTORSHIP PROGRAMMES ARE GROOMING FUTURE LEADERSAs the Head of Learning and Development in OCBC Bank, I spend a lot of my time thinking about leadership. Like anyone else in my position, the pertinent questions are: What should leadership look like? How should it be nurtured and ultimately, how can we as an organization engender future leadership?Leadership is particularly important in our time when automation, robotization and digitalization are set to take over large parts of our work and lives. Yet what will remain relatively untouched are the human domains of connection, emotion, and values. Leadership in this new world requires understanding and mastery of these domains. But what is equally important is an openness to teaching these skills. I see this playing out at the bank, where we have various mentoring programmes. And to me, there is no better way to foster future leaders. The Art Of Building A Mentoring Programme One programme at the bank that has a special place in my heart is an eight-month structured mentorship called MentorMe. Originally developed in 2018 for women in their first years in their careers at the bank, it was borne from the idea of "slip-streaming" ­ a physical phenomenon that describes an object travelling relatively easily in the wake of another. There are a few points worth mentioning regarding the programme's structure:1. Being part for MentorMe as a mentor or protégé is voluntary. We believe that mentors and protégés who are intrinsically motivated will generate the most valuable outcomes. Indeed, according to an independent study on our programme, participants reported a strong sense of self-discovery, positive changes in modes of working, and an improved perception of the organization as a result of the programme.2. Strict and comprehensive application criteria.To maintain quality, we ensure that potential mentors have a certain amount of experience and are of a certain seniority in the bank. Both mentors and protégés must fill out rigorous application forms that describe their interest in participating in the programme, and their expectations. Potential mentors are required to outline their areas of experience and expertise which are used in pre-matching them with their protégés.3. Speed Networking and pairing mentors with protégés.We pre-match potential MentorMe pairs based on applications. Then, a `Speed Networking' session is held. Each round lasts 20 minutes. This allows each pair to sense if there is rapport and an alignment in expectations. At the end of each round, both mentor and protégé indicate their preferences, which are used to finalize the pairs. While this process involves intense behind-the-scenes work, we believe that it is a critical success factor as the pairs spend a subsequent eight months together. 4. Learning and `lifeline' support provided throughout the duration of the programme. Workshops on mentoring, self-discovery and even questioning techniques are provided throughout the
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