Excellent chance to review existing practice and challenge my own behaviours. Some really useful tools and ways of tackling issues / getting buy-in and improved outcomes for Area team.
Mentoring
Mentoring – the third way
For us mentoring fills a gap between training and coaching.
In training we're introducing people to specific ideas and approaches which they're unfamiliar with, and accordingly, giving them some specific teaching.
In coaching we're helping people to explore their habitual thinking and behavioural habits. Also to notice the specific mindsets which stop them from adopting a different behaviour or approach which may enable them to get what they want. Our assumption in coaching is that once these blocks have been addressed, the individual's natural talents can emerge to get them what they want.
The 'third way' is mentoring. For us this is about those situations in which people need some simple guidance – knowhow and processes which are based on a good understanding of "the way that things work around here" or "the way things are likely to work around here."
As with training and coaching, our approach to mentoring is based on us quickly establishing very strong rapport with the individual client.
Combining all three – training, coaching and mentoring – provides a powerful set of resources to equip people for success.
Each of our coaches and trainers has experience in management, leadership, sales, training and coaching. And this allows them to offer mentoring as one an approach in the development process.
This takes different forms to suit the need:
- Sometimes we need to acknowledge that as part of a coaching approach we are going to 'step across the line' from time to time with a client in making a recommendation based on our experience.
- Often clients will ask us to use a combined approach of 1-to-1 coaching and training, which becomes more like a mentoring relationship.
- Often we are asked to provide teams and individuals with a formal mentoring programme based on our personal experience and expertise in the relevant disciplines involved.