Teamwork, pair work.

Master Yoda says to Mace Windu, during Qui-Gon Jinn’s funeral in the Phantom Menace: “There must always be two, no more and no less. A teacher and an apprentice”. His reflection opens the door to the importance of working in pairs, the fruitful relationship between experience and the impetus of those who are beginning the journey. Yoda, as an excellent leader that he proved himself, understood the value of mentoring and the benefits in the growth process of any organization.

Work in pairs or business mentoring is a work philosophy aimed at enhancing the professional development of people in the corporate sphere. Teamwork and professional development are part of the values ​​and objectives that Hypernova Labs shares as an organization and has built spaces so that working in pairs is the gateway to all the talents we receive.

What is mentoring or work in pairs

Returning to Star Wars, a subject that is always fascinating and contains great wisdom, the figure of the mentor and the apprentice is always present in the story. The more experienced Jedi or Jedi Knights understand the importance of helping the younger and inexperienced as they begin their path in using the Force. Not only do they know that it is their duty but they take great pleasure in doing it, for the contribution it implies and the mutual learning in the process.

And in our world today, there is not much difference when talking about peer work or mentors and apprentices. Mentoring is a practice aimed at developing their potential and knowledge in people, through the figure of the mentor who advises, teaches, guides and helps the apprentice throughout the entire process.

It is based primarily on the experience of the mentor and his ability to transmit knowledge and guide his apprentice towards the achievement of his objectives. But it is necessary to make an important difference here: it is not coaching or technical training. It focuses on transmitting the vision of the organization, offering tools to overcome initial obstacles and encourage those who start the path to develop their potential and express their ideas.

There is no single type of mentorin

Depending on the conditions in which the work in pairs is established, there are different types of mentoring. In general terms, we can distinguish three basic types:

Mentoring one to one

It takes place between professionals of different generations but with much in common. They are usually agreed upon according to the needs of someone who wishes to learn from someone with more experience in an area.

Mentoring for new members of the organization

It is one of the most successful modalities today among companies that want to strengthen their new talents and make their entry a fascinating experience. It is usually structured around personnel with experience in different areas who guide new employees for several months within the organization.

Mentor-mentee pair work as a modality when hiring new staff has been shown to increase employee satisfaction and the development of human talent.

Two-way mentoring

It takes place between professionals with similar abilities but specialized in different areas. Its objective is the exchange and training of both parties in a complementary way, beyond the formal roles they occupy.

There is a variant that is reverse mentoring in which the apprentice guides and educates his mentor in areas in which he is not proficient. It is a process that breaks down generational barriers and greatly expands the sense of cooperation among the members of the organization.