Make Your Protege an Organizational Disciple

Each year organizations around the world spendrecognize others' behaviors change as they change
billions of Dollars, Euros, and Yen, to train newtheirs. The protégé is not likely to change
employees. Unfortunately, organizations lose billionsthe behavior of the mentor until they change their own
when they lose those people on whom they spent allbehavior. Glenn (2003) quotes Mahatma Gandhi, "Be
that training time and money. There arethe change you wish to see in the world" (pg.
well-documented reasons for this phenomenon and110).Leader Communication/Leadership and
chief among them is lack of loyalty - organization toCommunicationRichmond and McCroskey (2001),
employee and employee to organization. There is noaddress organizational climate as it relates to
longer employment security - employment for life.Aleadership. They state that organizations exist
1997 figure on training costs for U. S. companies wassomewhere, as part of a larger community and
in excess of 58 billion dollars. In September 2004, Chiefleaders cannot ignore external conditions as external
Learning Officer e-zine reported U.S. companies spendconditions do influence events inside the office walls.
an average of $2,000.00 per year per employee forOrganizations assume aspects of local culture and
training. The U. S. Department of Labor putlocal values as most employees come from within that
employment for September 2005 at slightly over 150community. Leadership communication within any
million workers. At $2,000.00 per employee per year,organizational environment must be acceptable to be
training costs U. S. business $300 billion a year, almostaccepted.People in organizations communicate with
a six-fold increase in eight years.Training in mostthe purpose of influencing others. Leadership
organizations is an abstract figure and accounting forcommunication in the mentoring/discipling process is
training expenses usually becomes lumped into othercritical to successful growth of a protégé
expenses. Organizations recognize the need forand the entire workforce. Several myths of
training, allocate training money, and expense it. Trainingcommunication have to be broken for any
is an expense not an investment. However, the cyclementor-protégé relationship success.-
of training for training sake is a trend reversing.Meanings of words are in people not in the words.
Executives want to margin their spending on trainingAdapt words to the experiences of the
with a training strategy to link individual capabilities withprotégé.- Communication is not verbal only.
the organizations business strategy.Most companiesProtégés react to how leaders state
that send employees to training or provide tuitionsomething not necessarily what. Understand non-verbal
assistance for college degrees require some pay backcues.- Telling is not communication. Telling is passive
in time - one month per college credit hour forcommunication and becomes active when the telling
example. This does assure that training dollars spentreceives an acknowledgement.- Communication does
stay in the company for a known period. However,not solve problems. Peter Senge (1990) tells us that
after that period a worker is no longer obliged to thetoday's problems exist resulting from yesterday's
organization and can sell talents to the highestsolutions.- Communication, itself, is neither good nor bad.
bidder.Organizations often label training as training;Communication is a tool.- More communication is not
however, the idea stated above to link individualbetter. Better communication is better - quality not
capabilities into the business strategy suggestsquantity.- Communication does not break down, "One
something more far reaching - mentoring. Spendingcannot not communicate" (Richmond and McCroskey
billions of dollars on training does not necessarily make2001, pg. 19).- People have natural ability; however,
a worker a better employee. Yet, linking mentoring andcommunication ability is learned.From the above points,
training, leaders become acutely aware of worker skillone can begin to observe leader/mentors need to
development.Beyond Training and MentoringThis beginshave a communication style that fits into
the discussion on creating workers who are elevatedprotégés' situation and their experiences.
beyond just an employee. The next level beyondGrowth of a person in an organization to fully buying
training and mentoring, seen by most as a Judeointo a vision and organizational value system comes
Christian concept, is discipling. Most agree that disciplingfrom inclusion with the leader/mentor in decision-making
is a spiritual engagement. However, does disciplingprocesses. Jablin and Putnam (2001), suggest
have a place in secular organizations?Initially, definingparticipative communication. With highly participative
disciple in secular terms is easy. A disciple is someonecommunication between leader and workers
who is a believer of or in organizational vision andprotégés, high levels of problem-solving
values. A disciple helps spread the vision and values ascommunication results.One can argue that Herman
root doctrines of the organization. Webster's dictionaryCane, as former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, was a
(1913) defines disciple as, "One who receives instructionmentor to an entire organization. When he took over
from another; a scholar; a learner; especially, a followerGodfather's Pizza it was in trouble, had lost its focus
who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrinetrying to keep pace with other national and regional
of his teacher; an adherent in doctrine; as, the disciplespizza restaurants. Cane (2005) speaking at Regent
of Plato; the disciples of our Savior."That definitionUniversity Executive Leadership Series spoke of his
suggests more than mentoring. One facet of a discipleexperience as CEO of a comeback company. First, he
is one who, when taught, accepts the teaching andhad to learn why Godfather's Pizza was so
buys into the vision. Upon buy in, the new disciplesuccessful at its opening and how it became
desires to share the learning and supremeunprofitable as it grew. Second, he learned the
commitment to the vision. Charlie Ragus, founder oforganization lost its original vision and values. Third,
AdvoCare International, built a distributorship by havingCane related making an unpopular decision to eliminate
quality products, backed by science and medicine, withmultiple pizzas from its menu returning to Godfather's
a simple approach to teaching duplicated repeatedly,roots.Cane (2005) gave his formula for making an
making AdvoCare disciples.Mentoring and discipling areorganization profitable again; using R.O.I. Cane was
like connecting the dots. A mentor shows thespecific that R.O.I. is not return on Investment. For
protégé a picture; however, the picture isCane, R.O.I. is, "Remove barriers to Success. Obtain
just a bunch of numbered dots. The mentor canthe right results by asking the right questions. Inspire
explain the picture and the protégé my(motivate)." This worked for the entire organization;
sense the completed picture from looking at thehowever, it could not have worked if Cane had not
pattern of dots. A mentor transfers knowledge of amentored senior managers who, as his disciples, took
vision in describing the pattern or dots. Discipling occursCane's message throughout the
when the protégé begins to connect theorganization.DiscussionLeaders in academics, religion,
dots. As the picture becomes clearer, the mentor andand business, offered a consensus that mentoring is
protégé relationship expands to one ofguiding from the side. One discussion with a university
greater understanding. When the dots are allenrollment director resulted with a mentor role of
connected and the protégé sees the"making suggestions, positioning potential outcomes,
complete picture, transformation is underway.Considerencouraging critical thinking, while not disrupting a
another example, Champoux (2006), describes aconstructivist process."Successful mentoring is allowing
process of organizational socialization that fits thislight to reach the ground, allowing growth to a
position well. He begins by stating the new employeegerminating protégé. A business leader
goes through a process of unfreezing, to leave behindsuggested protégés must feel in charge of
parts of an old self-image. After accepting thethe moment. In other words, the employee needs to
unfreezing, the worker goes through change. Thisown their successes and learn from their mistakes
change is mentored episodes of behavioral rolewithout blame. Senge (1990) agrees that learning
development. When this learning process concludes,organizations must mentor from a position that does
the worker refreezes the new image. This new imagenot assign blame.Defining discipleship in business and
includes expected behaviors and norms of theacademics resulted in mixed concepts. It became clear
organization. What the unfreezing, changing, andthat in secular settings, disciple, discipling, and discipleship
refreezing describe is metamorphosis. Metamorphosisfall in a religious realm. One person feared discipling in
may be abrupt or occur over time. Disciplingbusiness thinking it was too much like cultism. Another
metamorphosis is a process taking time.A mentor withcame close to secular discipleship understanding
discipling as a goal, by the above examples hasrelating a close-knit team with shared goals and
personal vision, ability to see potential in another.objectives coming from a greater and wiser source
However, this means a personal commitment of timethan any of the participants. This is a view of synergy,
to intercede in another's professional growth. Boththe whole being greater than the sum of its parts.A
mentor and protégé are encouraged toweb seminar held October 18, 2005 at Bellevue
enter the relationship voluntarily or risk burdening eachUniversity, Bellevue Nebraska helped clarify mentoring
other.It is important for mentors andand discipling. Doctor Ike Shibley of Penn State Berks
protégés to recognize how disciplingCollege presented a seminar on faculty growth and
occurs. O'Hair, et al (1998) offers these stages. Thedevelopment. What he shared because of mentoring
first stage is initiation, the protégéhas application to discipling. He said, "Mentees often
recognizes and appreciates the talents, and expertisereport more career satisfaction, improved professional
the mentor brings to the relationship. Second, theidentity, reduced job stress, and greater acceptance
protégé and mentor begin a process ofwithin the organization. The organization gets more
interpersonal bonding. In this deepening relationship, theyproductive (personnel), decreased turnover, and more
begin sharing vision, values, and connecting personalcommitted (personnel)."Conclusion
goals and organizational goals. At some point the thirdRecommendationExtensive research data exists on
stage occurs, separation. The protégé ormentoring, and extensive research data exists on
the discipling mentor experiences a drifting apart. Onediscipling. However, limited data on organizational
or the other receives a promotion, become physicallydiscipling is inconclusive in non-religious business.
separated, or the protégé is moreMentoring occurs in business and religious organizations
independent. The final, fourth stage is redefinition. Someand there is agreement that mentoring is the same in
event in the organizational life of theboth. However, understanding discipleship in secular
protégé brings her/him back to the formerorganizations is difficult. The conclusion from this
mentor. They re-establish their relationship on differentresearch is secular discipling exists when a mentor and
terms, not as mentor andprotégé enter their relationship voluntarily
protégé.Therefore, leaders who discipleand over time the mentor transfers knowledge then
rather than mentor often behave like a parent. Theyvision and values to the protégé.Herman
correct a discrepancy, offering direction andCane may be an example of an organizational mentor
suggestion, and praising a success - leaders whowho also possesses inspirational charisma needed to
disciple do so with unconditional love.Love is a wordoverhaul a faltering organization. Leaders who want
avoided in most organizational settings. Love takes onsuccess must recognize synergy comes from within
some kind of physical characteristic of sexual love;the organization. Leaders, as mentors, need to inspire
however, unconditional love is not physical, it isthe work force by removing barriers to success and
self-sacrificing. Winston (2002) uses the Greek wordask the right questions (of the organization and
agapao. He makes the distinction by defining agapaoindividuals) to obtain the best
as "... to love in a social or moral sense, embracing theresults.ReferencesAdvoCare International (2005).
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