T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH MENTORING Tel Aviv University November 8, 2007

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 2 AGENDA AND GOALS Give general knowledge on mentoring Hear and address specific concerns Practice relevant skills

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 3 WHAT IS MENTORING? Relationship (personal, dynamic) More experience / less experience Guide, role model, teacher, sponsor Knowledge, advice, support Toward full membership in profession

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 4 ORIGIN & BENEFITS Origin: –Mentor and Telemachus (Homer/Odyssey) –Apprenticeships Benefits –Mentee: professional advancement, salary, professional ID, competence, satisfaction; less stress, less conflict –Mentor: satisfaction, enhanced creativity, rejuvenation, generativity

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 5 OUTSTANDING MENTORS Intentional (selection, investment, process) Address career and personal development of mentee Combine their excellent knowledge, experience/skill, and attitude

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 6 SUCCESS Knowledge Attitude Skill / Experience

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 7 ATTITUDE BUILDING SELF-BELIEF Internal obstacles often tougher than external Universal internal block: lack of self-belief. Increase through: successes, ownership, others’ belief, being treated as equal. One of primary attitudes of mentor: focusing on potential more than past performance.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 8 ATTITUDE IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS Current emphasis on identifying and leveraging strengths, rather than fixing weaknesses. Greatest room for growth is in strength: –Something can do repeatedly, happily, and successfully. –Look for tendencies, yearnings, quick learning, and great satisfaction. Excellent performer rarely well-rounded. Manage around weaknesses - anything that inhibits excellent performance: –Get little better, support system, partner, stop.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 9 ATTITUDE STRENGTHS EXAMPLES Achiever Activator Adaptability Analytical Arranger Belief Command Communication Competition Connectedness Context Deliberative Developer Discipline Empathy Fairness Focus Futuristic

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 10 ATTITUDE STRENGTHS EXAMPLES Harmony Ideation Inclusiveness Individualization Input Intellection Learner Maximizer Positivity Relator Responsibility Restorative Self-assurance Significance Strategic Woo

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 11 ATTITUDE AFFIRMATION & ENCOURAGEMENT Blend of personal acceptance and professional endorsement, belief in mentee. Show unconditional positive regard (listen, interested, ok if errs/fails, nonjudgmental). If believe can/can’t – right. Many novices question their competency. Mentees value encouragement & support. (Prefer high EQ over high IQ in mentor.)

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 12 ATTITUDE EXCELLENCE & PERFECTION Expect excellence, not mediocrity. Most people more capable than think, and performance in line w/expectations. Not to expect perfection. Model both striving for excellence, and comfort with own limitations.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 13 KNOWING/MATCHING MENTEE Take time to study mentee as any new topic. Try to determine mentee’s talents and vulnerabilities, dreams and fears. Be accessible, listen, communicate. When possible, good to match traits, talents, interests, career aspirations, “driveness”. When possible, informal interaction before commit to mentorship. Consider own motivation, avoid mentor burnout, should be benefits for both.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 14 PROCESS SETTING THE STAGE Plan beginning, change, and ending. Importance of clarifying expectations (influence, even if not aware of them). Discuss R&R, logistics, goals, communication, overall time frame. Discuss relationship boundaries. Discussion/negotiation can be more important than specific expectations.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 15 PROCESS CHANGE & ENDINGS Schedule reviews/evaluations. Anticipate changes in life of mentorship. Address problems. Healthy ending.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 16 YOUR ROLE AS MENTOR SPONSOR, TEACHER, MODEL, COACH Sponsor: open doors mentee cannot alone. –(Tailored to mentee’s career aspirations.) Teacher: instruction, vicarious, self-disclose. –Four learning levels. –Enemies / friends of learning.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 17 YOUR ROLE AS MENTOR SPONSOR, TEACHER, MODEL, COACH Intentional Modeling –Invite mentees to observe you in action. –Model ethical/moral, excellence without perfection, humility, balance, diversity. Coaching –Unlock potential to maximize performance. –Help to learn, rather than teach. –Take mentee beyond what know. –Increase self-belief, awareness, responsibility.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 18 SKILLS FOR CREATING CONTEXT OF GROWTH Nurturing creativity (protective setting). Thinking environment: –Attention, questions, equality, appreciation, ease, encouragement, emotion, information, place, diversity. –Environment to increase awareness, can only change what aware of, increased awareness empowers.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 19 SKILLS FOR CREATING CONTEXT OF GROWTH Listening: –One way increase awareness, by mentor giving feedback on what perceive, requires keen listening. –Hearing vs. listening. –Concentration, practice, interest. –Listening as active interpretation, generate meaning. –Perceptual filters. –Truth vs. interpretations/beliefs; respecting viewpoints. –Manifests: nonverbal responses, verbal prompts, no interrupting, clarifying, reflecting.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 20 SKILLS FOR CREATING CONTEXT OF GROWTH Questioning: –Powerful questions, discovery vs. interrogation. –Telling saves people from having to think, open questions increases responsibility. –Questions that require different kind of focus. –Good questions: concise, well-timed, transparent, nonjudgmental.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 21 SKILLS FOR CREATING CONTEXT OF GROWTH Positive feedback: –Lets people know what doing right so can do more. –Very motivating. –Must be authentic. Corrective feedback: –Sometimes uncomfortable, but absence a disservice. –Consider timing, balance with positive. –Shows caring and creates trust.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 22 SKILLS FOR CREATING CONTEXT OF GROWTH Narrating growth and development. –Makes implicit explicit. –Mentee’s self-appraisal may be off-track, creates shift. –Gives big picture view. Humor – Laughter wonderfully soothing –Sign mentor is human, approachable. –Reminder not to take self too seriously.

T AL C ONSULTING A CCELERATING G ROWTH 23 TAL CONSULTING