As a mentor, you want to help your mentees grow and achieve their goals. But how do you combine feedback and development activities in a way that is effective, supportive, and motivating? Here are some tips to help you design and deliver a balanced mentoring program that benefits both you and your mentees.
Before you start giving feedback or planning development activities, you need to clarify the purpose of your mentoring relationship. What are the expectations, objectives, and outcomes that you and your mentee have agreed on? How will you measure and monitor progress and performance? How often and how long will you meet and communicate? Having a clear and shared vision of the purpose will help you align your feedback and development activities with the mentee's needs and goals.
A comunica??o é a base de todo processo de mentoring. Tem uma frase que gosto bastante que diz: tudo o que é combinado, n?o sai caro. Se antes de iniciar o processo de mentoring, a comunica??o for assertiva e o propósito deste processo for alinhado de forma detalhada, dificilmente haverá problemas com futuros feedbacks. Cabe ressaltar que, o mentor, por ter maior expertise e por conduzir o pupilo, deve conduzir a conversa e acordos com base na expectativa e objetivos que o pupilo deseja alcan?ar.
Establishing a shared vision of purpose is foundational for effective mentoring. It's not just about imparting knowledge; it's about understanding your mentee's unique goals, challenges, and aspirations. This empathy-driven approach ensures your guidance resonates on a personal level, making the mentoring journey truly impactful.
Feedback is often generalized and covers in totality. IN the current state there is an urgent requirement for teaching our children the art of giving feedback. Feedback needs to be focused and the purpose of giving feedback needs to be made clear. Feedback (or feed forward as is now known) is to be given with specific reference to the purpose with clear intention of specific desired outcomes. This needs to initiate a thought process rather than critique and provide suggestions. Encouraging initiation of a thought process to self examine, makes development becomes self-paced and more valuable. While Giving suggestions is often counter-productive, Critiquing develops a listening but not a call for action. Feedback should be a call for action.
Giving feedback and facilitating development activities can take on different forms, depending on the context, content, and preferences of both you and your mentee. Coaching involves asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and guiding the mentee to discover their own solutions and actions. Advising includes sharing your knowledge, experience, and insights, as well as offering suggestions or resources. Demonstrating is about showing or modeling a skill, behavior, or process, and inviting the mentee to observe, practice, or imitate. Lastly, challenging involves providing constructive criticism or assignments that push the mentee out of their comfort zone and stimulate their learning and growth. You can use a combination of these methods depending on the situation and desired outcome; for instance, you can coach your mentee to identify their strengths and areas for improvement while also advising them on how to access relevant learning opportunities. Additionally, you can demonstrate how to perform a specific task and challenge them to apply their new skills in a real or simulated scenario.
Empathy is your compass in mentorship. Adapting feedback styles based on context and preferences bridges gaps. Coaching fosters self-discovery, advising imparts wisdom, demonstrating offers practicality, and challenging drives growth. Tailoring methods shapes learning. Blend coaching for introspection with advising for access, while demonstrating skills and challenging comfort zones
Feedback and development activities should be a balance of acknowledging and celebrating the achievements and strengths of your mentee, as well as pointing out the flaws or gaps in their performance or potential. To do this, use the sandwich technique; start with a positive feedback such as a compliment or recognition of something your mentee did well, then follow with a negative feedback like a critique or correction, and finally end with another positive feedback like an encouragement or reminder of the benefits of their efforts. This approach helps your mentee learn from their mistakes while also recognizing their successes.
In addition to the sandwich technique, it's important to create a safe and non-judgmental space for your mentee to openly discuss their weaknesses and areas of growth. Encourage them to share their own insights and reflections, and actively listen without immediately jumping into feedback mode. This approach not only fosters trust and psychological safety but also empowers your mentee to take ownership of their development journey and explore their potential in a more meaningful way. Remember, true growth comes from self-awareness and a supportive environment.
While the positives need to be stated, the negatives are often seen out of context by the receivers and it is important that the feedback is never about negatives but helping the receiver to discover for themselves rather than state the obvious and close a chance for development of a long term relationship. The focus should be to help them discover and initiate a thought process for future and develop a mindset rather than limit to the situation.
When it comes to delivering feedback and development activities, you need to customize them to fit your mentee's personality, learning style, and preferences. Timing, mode, and tone are all factors to consider. For example, when is the best time to give feedback or conduct development activities? Is it face-to-face or online? Should the tone be direct or indirect? You can adjust these factors based on your mentee's feedback and reactions. Additionally, seek their input and feedback on how they prefer to receive feedback and participate in development activities. In this way, you can ensure that the feedback and development activities are tailored to their needs.
Recognizing the diverse tapestry of each mentee's needs enriches the mentoring experience. Tailoring our guidance to their unique personalities and preferences isn't just about individual growth; it's a testament to our commitment to nurturing their authenticity and journey. This personalized touch creates a bond that fosters meaningful transformation, revealing their true potential. Your insight captures the heart of effective mentorship.
Feedback and development activities should not be isolated or one-off events; rather, they should be part of an ongoing and iterative process that involves follow-up and evaluation. Thus, you should check in with your mentee regularly to see how they are doing and what support they need from you. Additionally, review the feedback and development activities that you have given or conducted and assess their effectiveness, impact, and relevance. Furthermore, solicit feedback from your mentee on how they perceive and value your feedback and development activities, as well as any suggestions for improvement. Lastly, adjust your feedback and development activities based on the results of your follow-up and evaluation, updating your mentoring plan accordingly. By doing this, you can ensure that they are aligned with your mentee's goals and progress, ultimately adding value to your mentoring relationship.