How do you mentor or coach others in your field?

In my experience I have seen mentoring is more of hand holding and acknowledging the mentees state of mind. It is more about understanding mentee rather coaching is entirely different.

In my view mentoring is for those who follow the same/as similar path as the mentor while Coaching is not necessarily the same path.

To mentor or coach others in your field, we need to follow these steps Establish a Relationship Set Clear Goals Assess Current Skills Create a Development Plan. Provide Guidance and Feedback Encourage Self-Reflection Share Knowledge Support and Encourage Model Behavior Measure Progress Be Patient and Empathetic Offer Opportunities Maintain Confidentiality Stay Updated Encourage Continuous Learning Seek Feedback

Active mentoring is a two-way street. Both parties should be open, communicative, and respectful to make the mentoring relationship successful.

Mentoring and coaching in my field involve a nuanced approach. It begins with active listening, understanding the unique needs and challenges of the individual. Once I've identified areas for improvement, I tailor my coaching to suit their specific learning style and preferences. Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach can sometimes complicate matters, I adapt my coaching methods to make the process as straightforward and effective as possible for each person I work with. The reason I'm sharing this with confidence, as I have experienced some tough times, when the other person wasn't receptive to the guidance. I have learned, active listening is the first step.

Mentoring or coaching individuals who have different backgrounds than you may require extra time to build trust. The intersection of identities coupled with power structures within organizations, along with lived experience, are all factors many mentees are wrestling with as they enter these relationships. Inquiring across differences with open-ended questions, using active listening, and being vulnerable are all ways to work towards trust-based relationships, which make for more fulfilling mentor and coaching experiences.

Because of my background, I get asked by a lot of people to mentor them. I've learned over the years that some will take it seriously, but most will not. This is why I have created a way to discern who is worth investing my time in. I ask the potential of mentee what area they are most interested in learning about. Then I assign them three books to read and tell them that they must make a book report on each. I let them know that if they do the book reports, and they are of high quality, I will be more than happy to mentor them. I have had hundreds of people over the years ask me to mentor them. Only five have met this challenge. If they are willing to do the work, I am eager to work hard to help them.

I've learned that authenticity is the secret ingredient that builds rapport with the mentee. By being open about my own experiences, I create a space where mentees feel comfortable doing the same. For me it's not projecting an idealized version of success, it's about sharing both victories and stumbles. At times, mentors may present an idealized image of themselves, inadvertently creating a sense of distance between them and their mentees. In parallel, I encourage mentees to express themselves without reservation. By creating a safe environment, where questions, concerns, and victories can be shared openly, mentees know they have a supportive ally and they can grow through this process.

The challenging part is establishing the relationship. Trust becomes the corner stone of coaching. Mutual trust determine s the quality of the relationship. Creating rapport, bonding , involvement creates trust and only when the individual believes that coaching will improve his abilities and capabilities he or she will establish that relationship.

I believe one is his or her most authentic self when you learn by doing. That way, you are able to explore, be dynamic, and improve upon the knowledge or skills that have been transferred to you. As a coach or a mentor, while transferring knowledge, skills and sharing insights, it is crucial that this is done alongside advocating for mentees to build, develop, and appreciate their own true self and individuality.

The best guidance comes from assisting others to find their answers. If you provide all the answers and guide too closely, others are lost if left alone or when things go in unexpected directions. Help others find their way, add some insights they can adapt, and make the DO something. That’s how you learn.

I personally believe in learning by doing, being OK knowing there will be mistakes that will need to be solved. Be there to provide guidance and let them be participants in the process of discovering possible solutions when facing challenges. Being open and honest is imperative, some people believe is not “What” you say, but “How” you say it that matters. I say, it’s the intention of both the mentor/coach and the trainee that makes the difference.

In my experience, people want to be coached by someone who really knows what they’re talking about. I mention this because coaching is a complete waste of time unless the recipient actually takes the initiative to alter their existing behaviour as a result of it. They also want to experience some kind of personal benefit from the coaching; for example, they may be interested in learning a new way of doing something that involves less time or effort than their existing method. If you want to be an effective coach: 1) make a best practice of being ‘the best in practice’ 2) share your own little tricks 3) lead by example 4) be humble; be human 5) keep things short and simple 6) let the benefits sell themselves

Mentoring and coaching, irrespective of the field, should prioritize guidance over offering direct answers. Encouraging independent problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making is fundamental. This approach nurtures skill development and self-reliance, enabling mentees to confidently address challenges. It also paves the way for long-term growth and expertise, supporting their career journey in finding solutions autonomously.

In addition to setting SMART goals, I believe that it is important to determine what the person wants and why they want it. I suggest coming up with at least 10 compelling reasons why you want to achieve something. Those reasons will serve as a shield of protection during the tough times.

In addition to SMART goals, determine how you can make the goals sustainable. Meaning, once they reach their time-bound goal(s), how can they continue to create goals that are sustainable (SMARTS). Who will own them and how will those goals tie to their organization.

- While providing a solution, we also got to know that some changes are needed in our training structures . - By insisting them to set up few goals in their career & personal life as well. - Setting up few goals give them ambition in their life. - "Where they want to see themselves within 3 years?" Find the real cause & help them to achieve with plan. - Let them understand, who/what actually has the more influence on their life & what challenges they can take.

STOP using SMART Goals as this mentality focuses on the act of goal setting, not goal achievement. Instead, I invite you to look at REAL Goal Achievement as a performance mindset shift to change your focus to following through on what you have stated you want to accomplish or achieve. SMART Goals miss the accountability, passion and impact through completion of your professional goals, and often are forgotten. Be certain to define up to two professional goals to track progress and hold the mentee or coachee, but never more than two.

Effective coaching requires a personalized approach. Understanding an individual's strengths, weaknesses, and goals (keeping a balance of professional and personal), while acknowledging the flexibility to adapt them as circumstances change. I encourage self reflection that guides behavioral change and resilience-building. Then link all aspects to measurable outcomes, and maintain open communication & feedback. Help them discover their 'Flow' state and to balance the capability and challenge. Encourage long-term vision and check alignment of their values. Allow a safe environment for learning. Constant dialogue ensures goals are relevant even in an ever-changing landscape and there's enough drive to keep the momentum.

-After each assessments, providing a structured survey forms & ask them to provide True-Blue feedback about the coaching been provided. -Bluntly saying to the participants, you can provide negative remarks as well, if required, because it can help me to make more improvement in program.

Once the execution of the actions takes place then we need to assess the improvement, changes in behavior and feedback to be taken from all stakeholders to see if critical behaviors have improved.

Evaluating the outcomes with the Objectives set in the beginning. It helps in building future leaders for the organizations. Remember Employees who feels valued and appreciated will stay productive for the longer terms

In order to achieve an outcome or result, you must first act. Action is at the core of producing results. A Procrastination Mindset slows your progress towards achieving any result. Procrastination is a fear mechanism as it promotes the fear of failure in your mind. If you delay or push things out, you won’t have to move towards any result, therefore, you won’t experience failure… or success. Stop second guessing yourself, your ideas, your abilities and your credibility. Stop focusing on circumstances, and instead, take action. Once you have results to review, look for the successes first, and celebrate them. Then turn your attention towards areas for improvement or refinement, and always be coachable, open-minded and open to change.

As a mentor, it's IMPORTANT to set clear goals and evaluate the outcomes regularly. Work together to identify what success looks like for your mentee. This could be improving a specific skill, achieving a career milestone, or overcoming a particular challenge. Regularly review progress and celebrate achievements, no matter how small. This not only keeps motivation high but also helps them see the tangible impact of your guidance, reinforcing their growth and development.

What has worked for me is to receive feedback openly and listen intentionally. Accept that people are different and for different situations, the coach or mentor also needs to adjust their style.

How has the mentee developed since the last review? Is there a consistent growh, or are there issues to be addressed? The concept of Radical Candor by Kim Scott comes to my mind every time at this stage. The first five steps should have paved the road for an open feedback conversation where we can say, face to face, what needs to be better next time. And once we have this conversation, reflect on our own performance. If an expectation was not met, or an achieavable target was not reached, was our influence high-quality? Did we say everything we needed to say at each step of the process clearly and timely? We are in a learning path as well, and we need to have a self-assessment session every time. We owe it to ourselves and to our mentees.

A good coach or mentor who improves themself over time becomes a greater resource for their mentee. Recognizing areas where mentoring can be done better or differently creates and opportunity to serve each mentee is a way that best supports them and their needs.

Proactive listening must be the foundation of every mentoring or coaching session, where the Mentor or Coach actively engages through listening and capturing notes throughout the session. If you definition of listening is waiting to talk, maybe being a Mentor or Coach is not right for you. Adding to that foundation, you must always insist on standards of excellence towards execution to produce results. Lastly, possessing a continual learning mindset means that you consistently improve and hone your skills, awareness and knowledge, and your best days are ahead of you.

In my experience, I’ve found that showing up as a mentor professionally really requires that you share your network and create an opportunity for others to be seen. So often, mentors love the act of mentoring, yet are reluctant to provide access to the leaders, professionals, or close colleagues that make up that same area. I know that our networks are our trusted partners. However, I believe when mentees are prepared to step into their next level, it may be that one person within our network that holds the key to their success. Sharing mentors with our world connects all of us in a greater way and allows us to also grow and learn through the mentoring partnership.

My entire working experience, as Director and Business Consultant, led me to the conclusion that the only thing in common for Mentorship and Coaching is TRUST. You can not be a Mentor or a Coach if you didn't earn the trust of your follower. Otherwise, Mentor and Coach are 2 different roles, require different approaches and skills. You can be a coach for someone,in a certain field, but that doesn't imply mentorship. Because mentorship is about role model, life values, openness, special relationship and no boundaries. And it's a long term relationship. While coaching can occur without a special relationship, sometimes just as an answer to a specific situation. And, very important, you can not decide to play these roles unless you are chosen.

In my experience it's difficult for an individual to open up during the training program specially when a trainee doesn't belong to the same organization, thus a trainer need to program the training session in a way that it involves maximum participation from trainees. To break the ice it's important to include activities which are fun and related to training program to make them open and feel secure to participate fully in the process.

While formal mentor and coaching opportunities are great, another way to achieve results is through informal mentoring relationships. Informal mentoring relationships have benefited me throughout my career. If I am struggling in some area, or trying to learn a new skill, I often will look within my community or work environment for someone that does it well. True leaders want to help others learn, grow, and win too. Sometimes, all you need to do is ask.

I believe most important part of coaching & feedback is to role model. Everything you say will be meaningless if you do not follow what you say, coach and give others feedback on!