You’d expect most companies with established mentoring programmes to give an unequivocal yes, but the reality is that most organizations don’t know. So here are some basic indicators to consider. Highly effective mentoring programmes: The issue becomes more complicated, when there are numerous mentoring programmes across different divisions, regions and cultures. Achieving consistency of mentoring (more…)
Coaching and mentoring provides great opportunities for all parties in the relationship to develop their cultural awareness learning about cross-cultural issues and enhance their understanding and skills. At the same time, cross-cultural developmental relationships pose special problems. One or both parties may feel out of their comfort zone – afraid they will do or say (more…)
It happens to every professional coach or mentor at some time. What seemed like a fairly straightforward, normal assignment turns into a nightmare. Perhaps the client refuses to engage with the coaching process, or terminates early, or their boss decides that change isn’t happening fast enough, or you feel that the client is demanding far...
Membership Required
You must be a member to access this content.
Why not sign up to a month's free trial?
Already a member? Log in here
“Which is more important to you in building and maintaining your reputation – fitting in or standing out from the crowd?” It’s an unusual question for coaches and mentors to ask, but it can be very helpful in understanding what motivates a client towards or away from different choices. Human beings are typically motivated by (more…)
Since I first got ensnared by the world of coaching and mentoring, part of my learning has been to focus less on what is assumed and taken for granted and more on the question “What do we have evidence for and how valid is that evidence?” In the 1990s, I began to explore critically the (more…)
The five P model, created by Patti Stevens, provides a simple but effective framework for contracting between a coach and a supervisor – both at the start of a relationship and as an occasional check-in. The 5 Ps are: Purpose: Agreement on the nature and intent of coaching supervision in general and for this relationship (more…)
Textbooks on developmental coaching or mentoring tend to talk about the need to take a non-directive approach to helping clients. But being non-directive is a very general term for a range of influencing styles, from which the coach or mentor can choose. Recognising which style is most appropriate in different circumstances is an important skill....
Membership Required
You must be a member to access this content.
Why not sign up to a month's free trial?
Already a member? Log in here
The value that coachees and mentees take from coaching and mentoring conversations depends to a significant extent on the quantity and quality of reflection they undertake. Yet many people lack the skills to reflect well. Whether busy executives or young people, who have a limited understanding of themselves and their world, the habit of reflection...
Membership Required
You must be a member to access this content.
Why not sign up to a month's free trial?
Already a member? Log in here
Suggesting to someone else that they need counselling takes courage. As a coach or mentor, you will in most cases not be a qualified therapist – and even if you were, there are potential conflicts of role between mentoring/coaching and therapy. The two key questions here are: What to watch out for Signs that the...
Membership Required
You must be a member to access this content.
Why not sign up to a month's free trial?
Already a member? Log in here
If a coaching or mentoring relationship is going to work well, both parties must trust each other enough to be able to speak openly. The coachee/mentee needs to feel that it is safe for them to share their internal thoughts and feelings, and also that the coach/mentor is there to support and encourage them as (more…)