“Corporate Mentoring Programs” for the transfer of corporate memory and intellectual capital

Corporate mentoring programs are programs in which those equipped with valuable experience, skills or expertise contribute to the personal or professional development of other employees. They do this through the provision of suggestions, information and guidance within the framework of certain objectives and a structured program, also providing support towards individual career development.

THE YOUNG TELEMACHUS WAS HANDED OVER TO MENTOR In Homer’s Odyssey, the king hands his son Telemachus over to his friend Mentor. Mentor’s duty was to act as a guide in the son’s development while the father fought in the war. That Telemachus be trained well was of great importance for the future of the kingdom. At times when knowledge and experience were not conveyed in writing, people benefitted from the knowledge and experience of sage leaders. Over time, knowledge and skills were transferred to the following generations via a master and apprentice system.

Mentoring, carried out by experienced consultants who represent corporate memory, is not limited to developing knowledge and skills, but aims also to provide support towards the professional career development of employees.

The TAV Academy was founded on the principle of creating a corporate education environment where employees can develop themselves, where their professional and leadership development is supported and where they can implement their knowledge. Following the completion of the “Training Program for Future Airport Operations Managers” organized in 2008; TAV Academy initiated a “Corporate Mentoring Program” with the aim of ensuring continuity for the development of program participants. The aim of this program was to provide support for the professional and individual development of future operation managers, providing guidance for their career development, increasing efficiency and productivity, and creating added value for the organization.

The program was designed in order to include one-to-one knowledge and experience sharing meetings once a month among Mentors and mentorees, with work carried out by the mentorees themselves. Although all subjects to be transmitted by each Mentor are related, separate subjects have been established. Mentors have identified nine different headings, under the scope of which they will share their knowledge and experiences every month.

The subjects to be shared by consultants working as Mentors in the program have been identified as: Basic Civil Aviation, Relations with External Organizations in Civil Aviation and Current Subjects in Management.

The program, planned to be completed by the end of December 2009, is observed and assessed via a variety of methods throughout the process. In order to achieve the highest level of productivity, at the end of each meeting future operations managers are assigned a series of duties or homework by Mentors. In the following meeting, candidates are given feedback on the previous meeting or on the duty or homework that they have been assigned. Officers from Human Resources and the TAV Academy observe the development of mentorees through meetings held with Mentors.