Reflecting on the coaching or mentoring session A characteristic of effective coaches and mentors is their willingness to take time after a session to reflect on what they can learn from it. The reflective process helps them to: Among the advantages: A useful checklist of what to reflect on includes: © David Clutterbuck. All rights reserved
Positioning difference Many mentoring programmes are designed specifically to support diversity objectives. However, in practice difference – in experience, personality, culture, gender and so on – is a driving force in all successful mentoring relationships. If people are too similar in background and experience, there is much less potential for learning between them. On the...
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Mentoring relationship pitfalls There are a range of issues that can potentially impact on the success of your relationship. The majority of these are avoidable through good relationship set up and by ensuring you have open and honest conversations from the start. It is good to be aware of these so that you are able...
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Most people baulk at the idea of being “political”, yet being politically aware is a critical skill in career management. Coaches and mentors need to be able to use their own political awareness to help the learner make astute decisions and judgements; and to help the learner develop both political awareness and the ability to (more…)
Coaching textbooks are full of advice for coaches to develop their skills of empathy. It might seem to make common sense, but this advice doesn’t seem to based on any credible evidence. In fact, the contrary may be true — empathy may be a dangerous and unhealthy addiction for the coach and an unhelpful distraction...
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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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Stories are a great way of exploring the past, the present and the future. Good stories have a plot, sub-plots, characters, choices, dilemmas and drama. Stories can be factual, fictional or both. Stories, like anecdotes can be used by coaches or mentors to help illuminate situations and experiences. Stories and anecdotes can help strengthen the (more…)
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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