Learning is at the heart of any coaching and mentoring relationship. We learn in different ways, through different methods and at different times. Once common factor amongst all individuals is that they all make mistakes and mistakes can be a valuable source of learning. If we accept that mistakes are a valuable source of learning,...
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The authors of the book Difficult Conversations point out that, when we feel constrained from saying exactly what we think, it is the gap between what we are really thinking and what we say that makes a difficult conversation difficult. In essence, we are trying to have two conversations at once. Each difficult conversation is...
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Personal disclosure is an important part of an open, trusting relationship. It allows us to build multiple points of connection, in terms of shared experiences, shared values and shared hopes and fears. Overused, it can have the opposite effect — as anyone will testify, if they find themselves on a train or plane sitting next...
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Even the most experienced coaches and mentors encounter occasional moments of disconnect – points in the learning conversation when they begin to doubt their ability, are unsure how to move the dialogue forward, or feel that they simply aren’t helping the client as well as they might. When you do have such feelings, don’t feel...
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Procrastination is typically a repeating cycle with four stages: Coaches and mentors can help clients break this vicious cycle by firstly helping them to recognise it, then to develop strategies for addressing each stage. When people fail to break the cycle, it is often because they address only part of it – so the process...
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Stress, which affects most people at some point, can be positive or negative. Positive stress makes us alert, focuses our attention, is usually short-lived and can be enjoyable (for example, a fair-ground ride). Negative stress reduces our focus and creates high levels of sustained anxiety. It’s usually easy to recognise the signs of stress. These...
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Strong emotions in a mentee or coachee (for example, anger or grief) can induce panic in the coach or mentor – and the instinct to get back to rational discourse. However, experienced coaches and mentors recognise that their role is to help the learner work through strong emotions. Core guidance in such situations includes: It’s...
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Maternity Coaching Maternity Mentoring Resource Usually paid, external coaches with professionally qualification Internal mentors — working parents within the business, who have been trained but may or may not be professionally qualified or accredited What do they typically offer? One-to-one coaching and group workshops designed to support employees (and in some instances the wider (more…)
One of the reasons people find a mentor so valuable is that we all need from time to time to open our hearts out to someone we trust. However, research at Duke University reports that the average number of people, who an individual might trust with deep confidences has declined rapidly from three in 1985...
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A critical friend is a trusted person, who is able to offer critique through open dialogue. The critical friend may say things that colleagues are reluctant to say, ask questions colleagues are reluctant to ask and view situations from different perspectives. For the process to work effectively, the coachee or mentee needs to view and...
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