Techniques, models, exercises, checklists, how-to guides
Using a professional mentor creates a different dynamic to the developmental relationship. A contract is essential for several reasons: What should the contract specify? Essential elements include: 1. Purpose of the assignment 2. Expected outcomes and how these will be measured 3. Frequency, duration and location of meetings 4. Amount of ad hoc (eg telephone...
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This is a practical tool which helps people understand the complexity of their own thinking. It is a creative technique which helps people understand their own motivations and decision processes. It is based on the recognition that we make decisions and view the world through a mixture of often contradictory assumptions and perspectives; and that...
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SWISH is a technique used in NLP to help people replace unwanted or unhelpful thoughts and responses with helpful ones. It is a visualisation and reframing, thought to be particularly useful in dealing with situations where the client experiences stress that prevents them performing at their best. The basic steps are: This is primarily a...
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Visioning is a technique used in many coaching / mentoring situations, it is often used to help the learner clarify goals. The technique if future focused and can be a very powerful tool. Visioning is best used when the learner is relaxed. It requires real focus and engagement in order for someone to place themselves...
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This simple approach brings focus and depth to team or small group discussions. The three questions are: What makes this issue meaningful for me? This is about giving everyone a chance, individually, to reflect upon and share their experiences, hopes and concerns about the issue. What makes this issue meaningful for us? This is about...
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You may never have really thought about the values you hold, but they will exert a strong influence on how you behave, the choices you make, who you feel comfortable being around and many other aspects of your daily life. Some (perhaps most) of these values you will have absorbed from family, friends and work (more…)
Using humour in a coaching or mentoring dialogue can be beneficial in a number of ways. Firstly, it helps to rebuild rapport at the beginning of a session. You might say, for example, “Tell me what has amused you most since we last met”. This helps to the client to relax and to switch on...
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Experienced coaches and mentors learn to use intuition, in parallel with more analytical processes, as a rapid means of sensing what is happening in the learner’s internal world. Intuition is important in situations, where people have to make rapid decisions without time for detailed analysis. Comparison with previous experience, at a generally superficial level, allows...
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NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming stirs very different responses in coaching and mentoring. On the one hand, it is seen as manipulative mumbo-jumbo by many academics and trained psychologists; on the other hand, it has a wide following and literature. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. NLP borrows most of its tools and techniques from...
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Although the experience of both mentor and mentee is an important component of developmental mentoring, in most cases a driver of the relationship will be the mentee’s need to tap into the mentor’s experience. That sounds simple, but how do you know what is there to be mined, when should you seek the benefit of...
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