How can you create a flexible learning plan that adapts to your mentee's needs?

While you are mentoring, you need to draw that soft line to stay away from being a "Monitor". As a mentor, your first priority is to know the mentee's area of strength and areas to work on. You also need to ensure that regular discussions are being held to make the mentee aware of the forthcoming challenges and the best ways to deal with them. We also need to set clear expectations right from the beginning in order to ensure that both (mentor and mentee) are working towards the same goal.

In my experience most people will start a new relationship (of any kind, but particularly a professional mentor) by glossing over general comments and responses. I have found that "what does that mean" can come in very handy. To be an impactful mentor you have to dig deep into the emotions behind words and get to the heart of the matter. Otherwise you'll get surface level answers, which can only give you surface level results Candor with kindness. Very specific I have asked the "what does that mean" multiple times with the same person on the same topic quite often "What do you do?" "I'm a developer"..."what does that mean?" I want to know what turns this guy on and off about development and what development actually means to him...

Also assess skills against Future of Jobs reporting and analyses (such as that produced by the World Economic Forum) to align current capacity and gaps against key identified cross-functional skills for now, next and identified targets for reskilling and upskilling over the next 5 years. While these are likely to be general global skills and not specialised ones, they are a valuable and broader addition to the skills and learning agenda for the mentee.

Having “big picture” conversations with students about their overall learning experience is a crucial starting point in developing trusting and productive mentoring relationships. I want to know their “story.” It’s helpful to know about early challenges and successes and sources of support or lack thereof. It’s equally useful to identify gaps in learning that may or may not have lasting consequences. The more I know about how a student learns and what motivates them to learn, the more I am able to tap into my own experiences as both learner and educator. Listening to students’ stories and meeting them where they are on their learning journey develops the compassion required to push students to take necessary risks to reach their goals.

Always identify a goal as a starting point and then meet the mentee where they are - never assume anyone has the relevant training and experience needed to align with their goals. Assess their current skillset, experience, qualifications and other relevant attributes, then establish where the gaps in training are so this can be sought after and obtained. A flexible learning plan includes managing expectations and as a mentor it is important to remember your job is not to "spoonfeed" a mentee, you are a helpful guide, a resource. The mentee at this point must take a level of ownership over their identified goal, after now understanding where their gaps in training and skillset are, and aquire information to meet these training needs.

In mentoring, two interrelated measures emerge: increased competency and increased confidence. As a result of our work together, students should be more capable at performing tasks (whatever they might be), and they should feel more confident in undertaking and completing said tasks. Focusing on process with these two measures in mind will lead to more desirable outcomes. In my experience, focusing on the outcomes themselves can be counter productive.

The learning outcome is the ultimate goal. Achieving the outcome may require setting multiple smaller goals that align with what you are trying to achieve. As one goal is reached, reevaluate your progress towards the outcome, set new goals, and make adjustments to your development plan as needed until the learning outcome has been met.

In designing learning activities, it's crucial to tailor them not only to your mentee's learning style but also to their interests. Incorporating elements from their hobbies or passions, like music or dance, can enhance engagement and make the learning experience more enjoyable. Additionally, creating a balance between challenging tasks and more comfortable exercises fosters a dynamic and effective learning environment. The goal is not just knowledge acquisition but also the application of skills in a way that resonates with your mentee's personal and professional aspirations.

A design thinking approach to mentoring is effective as it emphasizes empathy, creativity, and collaboration. It involves understanding people's needs, generating innovative ideas, and testing and iterating on solutions to create meaningful and user-centered outcomes. Such an approach leaves the mentee with agency and autonomy, both of which are crucial throughout the process.

When designing activities for the mentee, it is important to understand their learning style. How do they learn best? Do they primarily learn through visual, auditory, or tactile methods? Activities that combine multiple different learning styles and require the learner to be actively involved have been shown to be the most impactful. Discuss potential projects or activities that you both feel will have the biggest impact based on the learning style of the mentee. It’s also important to create a development plan that gets mentees out of their comfort zone. What skills are they looking to improve? What is their current proficiency level? And, finally, what activities could they engage in to improve on those skills?

Scheduling is the key, because it is an 'implementation' or 'execution' of the 'plan'. Scheduling / learning sessions should not add an extra pressure on the mentee, thereby making it a mere customary thing. Make sure that scheduling is done in accordance with the work schedule of the mentee. Remember, the intent is to 'learn & grow'.

Scheduling plays a crucial role in mentoring for several reasons: 1. Time management: allocate dedicated time without distraction. 2. Consistency: establish a consistent routine to build trust and develop a strong mentor-mentee relationship 3. Accountability: demand a high standard of mutual engagement and commitment 4. Goal setting: set specific goals with measurable objectives and track progress over time. 5. Flexibility: allow adjustments when needed, ensuring that mentoring sessions can take place at mutually convenient times.

Evaluating the learning and growth of a mentee is dependent on having a solid baseline understanding of where they started. When creating a development plan and determining how success will be measured, make sure to assess and document the proficiency of the mentee before they start. When evaluating success, be sure to compare “apples to apples” and take into consideration any unforeseen challenges or circumstances that may have impacted the result.

Monitoring and evaluating learning progress in a mentoring relationship boils down to creating comprehensive but individualized plans for success and then executing the plans. The most effective learning plans anticipate failure and iterate as such failures arise. In this way, mentees “fail their way to success.”

Establishing SMART short and long term goals is an optimal strategy to keep your mentee challenged, engaged and accountable. Goals should be monitored and revisited and evaluated by both mentor and mentee in a timely manner to maximize growth.