Article by Jennifer Britton, Potentials Realized | Mentor Roadmap

©Jennifer Britton 2014, All Rights Reserved

Mentoring plays a key role in the development of talent within organizations, and is often overlooked or underutilized. Increasingly organizations are viewing it as an important part of their succession and talent management process, in addition to being a useful approach during onboarding. While many mentoring programs focus on growing the next generation of leaders, mentoring programs can also support career transition across industries and diversity initiatives within organization. Mentoring plays an important role in building relationships across and organization and/or industry.

Throughout the mentoring relationship mentors provide opportunities for the protégé to learn based on real life experiences. A powerful tool for understanding organizational culture. Mentors also help protégés understand really how things get done, and the politics in an organization. Mentors can be a powerful, and positive, person in your network.  How might mentoring benefit your organization?

As you start to establish mentoring within your organization and formalize a mentoring process, there are several areas you will want to consider. These include:

Clarify the roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees/protégés - In successful mentoring relationships expectations are clear. The roles and responsibilities of both the mentor and mentee are discussed at the start of the mentoring conversation. Pairings know who will be initiating meetings, and what type of support each party wants and can provide to the other. Mentoring can benefit from a clearly defined start and end to the process. Early on create expectations round how frequently partners should meet for. As part of the process of mentoring it can be useful to hold a short kick-off session, which may also involve some training and expectation setting for the wider group of mentors and protégés.

Have mentees set the goals - Having two or three specific goal areas in focus helps to structure the mentoring conversation. Mentees should spend time at the start of the process to identify and share with the mentor key areas they would like support in. It will also be useful to have the portage set the agenda each conversation. Some mentors may ask protégés to email focus areas few days before the session, whereas others may be more comfortable addressing the mentees needs in the moment.

The life cycle of the mentoring relationship has several distinct phases. In the first meeting, mentors and mentees will want to share more about their background, and their expectations for mentoring process. At this time is also very useful to identify together when, where and how you will meet. Be clear with each other on what’s going to work best for both of you. Some compromise and flexibility may be required on both of your parts. Another alternative may be to schedule some of your meetings by phone or skype, particularly if you are situated in different offices or geographic locations.  Discussion around topics such as confidentiality is also important as the mentor will likely be sharing real examples based on their experience.

As you get to know each other and connections progress, check in around what’s working well with the mentoring relationship and what is not. It is important to be honest and frank with each other, particularly if expectations are not aligned.

As the mentoring relationship comes to a close, build in time to have the mentee identify their learning from the process. We often say that mentoring is a two-way street and hopefully mentors will learn as much from their experience as well. As a mentor, consider what your greatest learning has been throughout your conversations. At the end of a mentoring process in your organization it can be useful to bring mentors and mentees together, even virtually, for the sharing of lessons learned, best practices and other evaluation feedback. This can feed forward into the next cohort of mentoring conversations. Several of the protégés may opt to become a mentor in future program rounds.

Core Skills in the Mentoring Process

There are several skill sets which enhance the mentoring process. As a mentor, lead with core skills such as listening and powerful questions. Mentoring is not just about sharing your experience, it is also about supporting the mentee with new insights and perspectives around their work. Listen closely for what they need. Do not assume you know.

Mentoring is a conversation to support the mentee in also identifying what they know and where they want to go.  In asking questions it is often useful to lead with a WHAT? For example, “What’s another perspective around that ?”OR “What did you learn from that experience?”. WHAT questions invite conversation and dialogue, whereas WHY questions may put people on the defensive, and HOW questions often lead us into process and thinking about how things are done.

Other core skills which mentors may use include sharing observations and providing feedback. Sometimes mentees may also want you to be an accountability partner.  Others may want to be acknowledged. Ask what they would like from the mentoring process and what role they would like you to play. Finally inquire about the approaches they would like you to incorporate - providing stories, leading you to resources, providing links to best practices.

In closing, successful mentoring partnerships benefit both the mentor and mentee. It is an underutilized approach for growth and development. Consider how you can expand mentoring within your organization or industry.

Enjoy your conversations,
Jennifer

About the Author

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT is the founder of Potentials Realized, a performance improvement company focusing on leadership development, teamwork, and coaching skills training. We have designed award winning mentor programs, and provide Mentor Program Support and Training through the Mentor RoadMap ™ . Jennifer  is the author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013). For more information about mentoring skills training and support contact Jennifer Britton at (416)996-8326. You can visit us online at Potentials Realized.com which includes the Teams365 blog for Leaders, and the MentorRoadMap.com.  You can email us at info@potentialsrealized.com.

​I’m reaching back to a blog post from 2014 which dove into how to define coaching. I think it’s as appropriate and important to revisit today as it was years ago. Let’s take a look at what I wrote:
l sorts of behaviors get “labelled” coaching in today’s business environment. I often hear a wide range of descriptors when I deliver coaching skills training with leaders  - new, seasoned, and emerging leaders.

After leading dozens of coaching skills training over the years one of my favorite coaching descriptions comes from a former SME , Doug McLaren, who I co-faciltiated with for years. As he said, Co-Facilitation is a “Conversation with Intent”. You can find more about what I write about coaching for leaders in chapter 10 of in my latest book From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching.

Whether you are a leader coaching their team, and internal coach “professionally coaching “ others, or an external coach working with a team:

What coaching is…..

A conversation with intent

Focused on the present and geared towards the future

Focused on performance and relationships

Grounded in awareness, goals and action

Elicits what the person being coached knows

What coaching is not….

Simply a conversation with no direction

Focused on the past

Navel gazing

Telling others what to do

Mentoring, Advising, Consulting

In fact, the International Coach Federation identifies competencies for coaching, in which all coaching models should be grounded. These range from ethics, to designing the coaching agreement, to listening, goal setting and planning, designing actions, and creating awareness. Personally, I use these in all training of coaches I undertake - leaders, as well as the thousands of coaches I have supported in the last fifteen years as they develop their own group and team coaching work.

How do you define what coaching is? What coaching is not? Why is this important in your work?
Enjoy the conversation,
Jennifer

It’s Friday which means that it’s time for another Flashback Frday. What’s important as you approach conflict – the result/outcome, or the relationship you are in? 

This week we head back to Teams365 #510 and the post from 2015. Here’s what I wrote: 

Our ability to work through differences and conflict is a key skill for leaders and team members. What we know from research is that complimentary skill sets often make a team strong. In saying this, it may mean that we have different styles which exist, which means that what we value and how we interrelate with the world is different.

What is your natural style in navigating conflict? Different conflict models may have different names for these but we may demonstrate one of many styles including:

Accommodate  - often when the relationship is important but the results are not we will accommodate to enable the other party to have their preferred outcome. In accommodation the other party wins, at our loss.

Compromise – compromise may be importnat when the outcome is important for both of us, as is the relationship. In compromise, I win some and you win some, but neither party really win.

Avoid – There are instances where it makes sense to avoid conflict and sweep things under the rug. The challenge and danger with this over time is that the issue can fester, and the small minuscule issue can grow into an elephant. Where is may be appropriate to avoid conflict is when the issue is not important and the relationship is not important. IN avoiding I lose and you lose.

Collaboration - Collaboration takes time and may be the preferred solution when relationships and results are both important. Not every situation warrants collaboration, and as Morten Hanson writes in his books, Don’t collaborate just for collaboration’s sake. While collaboration often takes more time, it can be the best outcome. In collaboration I win and you win.

Compete – We may choose to compete to achieve an important outcome when the results are key and the relationship is not as important. When competing we need to be aware of when it becomes too aggressive. In competition I win and you lose

As you consider these five different styles, what are examples of each one and how you and others would benefit from adopting that approach? When might the approach be beneficial?

 For those interested in learning about their own style or supporting team members in this area, one interesting online resource I found was Conflict 911.com/resources.
​
Enjoy the conversation,
Jennifer

Conflict in teams is an everyday occurrence and it can be like an Achilles heel – the thing that brings a team down.
Conflict in teams can emerge for many reasons including:

      - Competing demands
      - Unclear roles
      - Lack of clarity around where we are going – our vision, our goals

Regardless off the source of conflict, becoming more proficient and confident in navigating conflict is very important.

In navigating conflict, you will want to consider these questions:

What is more important here - the end result or the relationship? This will influence everything from our stance and approach to conflict. For example, if the end result is really , really important in the short term I may adopt a stance of competition where I do everything I can to “win” at the other’s expense. If the relationship is more important because I need to work with this person, or team, on a regular basis, then I may choose to collaborate. In collaborating, I may let the other party win or spend more time.

What do I know about how I approach conflict? We each have our own unique approach to conflict which also shapes how we view conflict. Many team members may have been socialized that conflict is not a bad thing. In fact, part of the team development process is the storming stage where a team needs to figure out who they are, what is important and how they want to operate. That stage is naturally conflict ridden.
It can be important during the storming stage for team members to be aware of their natural approach. Are they more conflict avoidant – i.e. preferring to sweep it under the rug, or are they more head on with conflict – i.e. raising issues and placing them on the table to immediate exploration.

What is the common ground we share? A third essential area to consider when thinking about conflict in teams is What is the common ground we share. Helping people find that expanse where they do align is critical for conflict resolution. It may only be a small sliver, but helping people see the area in which they align is core.

Supporting teams through conflict.
There are some specific things we can do when supporting teams through the choppy waters of conflict. Consider these next time you are working with a team:
Normalize it. A natural part of the formation of groups and teams is conflict, and the recognition of differences. Helping teams understand that they are not alone can be useful in taking off some of the pressure of the thinking that “they are all alone”.

Give time for the team to work through it. It takes time and space to have these conversations. Prioritize this as something which does need time.
Consider the resources which will support you as a team around this. Having a common framework and skills you can all use in navigating conflict supports the process of resolution. If people don’t know how to have the conversation around conflict it can be challenging. Consider investing resources in some skill development for the team, and/or bringing someone in who can help you with this.

Focus on supporting enhanced self-awareness in the team – In today’s teaming environment we all benefit from enhanced self-awareness. Awareness around how we naturally approach work, our styles, as well as our approach to conflict. Many times teams may be experiencing conflict due to differences in work styles. If you have some team members who are driving for results, and working to get things done quickly, whereas others want to make sure things are done correctly, conflict is likely. Helping team members understand their natural style can be of great benefit, and may reframe differences to simply differences, rather than something which is wrong or a problem.

Consider the end result. Sometimes it is very easy to get mired in our own perspectives, and what needs to happen. Helping team members reconnect with the end result is critical for success. Connecting with the bigger picture, also helps team members find those slivers, or 2%’s, where they do align.

What is important for your team to notice about conflict? What's the issue they need to work through?

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

Almost six months ago in October 2020, I published a post entitled, “Four things remote teams need in the last few months of the year” as Team365 #2493.

Given that there is no expiration on any of these, and they are valuable at any time of the year, I thought I would bring them back as this week’s Flashback Friday. AS you go through and read them, what do you notice?

Here’s what I wrote:

TEAMS365 #2493 - Four Things Remote Teams Need In The Last Few Months Of The Year
​
​Enjoy your conversations, 
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time™ in the Remote Space
Contact us to discuss leadership, coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326​

Welcome back to another Friday Flashback. This week I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at what I was writing on January 29th on selected years of the blog. Here are two posts I think you may be interested in.

2014 – Teams365 #29 – How Styles Impact Your Team Read it at: Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

2018 – Teams2365  - Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #29 -  Be Nimble as a Virtual Facilitator – Read it here:  #Teams365 #1490: Effective Virtual Conversations Tip (EVC Tip #29): BE Nimble as a Virtual Facilitator #letstalkvirtual - POTENTIALS REALIZED

A couple of other resources which I think may be of interest to you are also these new podcasts which  have been released:

The Game of Teams podcast hosted by Tara Nolan who I joined pre-pandemic to talk about Virtual Teaming - https://www.thegameofteams.com/ep-51-virtual-teaming-jennifer-britton/

Our most recent episodes at the Remote Pathways podcast:
Episode 28 – Starting the Year with Intention - https://www.remotepathways.com/podcast/ep28-starting-the-year-with-intention-2021-vision

If you haven’t caught up with the other recent episodes be sure to join us for Episode 27 – A year in Review part 2 where we looked at the guests who joined us in 2020 - https://www.remotepathways.com/podcast/ep27-a-year-in-review-part-ii-our-fabulous-podcast-guests-and-more

Enjoy the podcasts!

With best wishes,

​Jennifer

Welcome back to another Sunday Week in Review. As we go to start winding down for the holidays, I’m going to take a look back at the varied posts from across the year and focus more on winding down for 2020. I hope that you will enjoy some time in the coming days with your family, and a bit of time to put a pause on the year that 2020 was.

It’s been a pleasure bringing daily blog posts forward to you since 2014. With this being the 7th of the blog writing has become a natural part of my weekly process. I hope that you will take moment to search out some of the topics which are important for you – whether it’s teamwork, leadership, Standing Out Virtually, plus lots of other posts. Do enjoy!

Here’s where we went this past week:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt 
• Friday’s Flashback to the inaugural blog post this year around Standing Out Virtually. You can read it here.
• Thursday’s Team Building Tip 274 around CALIBRATE
• Wednesday’s focus on Hybrid Work, Making it Work
• Tuesday’s focus on Stand Out Virtually – Power Up Challenge In Review
• Monday’s focus on the Stand Out Virtually Principle of Connection

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
​Jennifer

The Stand Out Virtually micro-brand was birthed this past summer in June. I first started writing it here at the blog on July 21st with the Flashback Friday post I shared. Here it is again in case you missed it:

The digital space can get very crowded, with one Zoom call looking like another.

Today’s post gets you thinking about different ways you can stand out virtually. If you are a leader, coach or business owner, what can do you do make sure that your call stands out virtually?

#1 – Be clear – From the start, let people know what they can expect. How long is the call? What’s being covered? What is the process going to be?

#2 – Create expectations – From the start, let people know what they can expect. What is the process you are going to follow? A lack of clarity creates a lack of certainty.

#3 – Consider the visuals which will create a WOW – Our brains process visuals faster than text. What are the visual elements you want to use to help anchor your work? What is the environment you would like to create?

#4 – Create a pause – One of the common characteristics of a lot of virtual calls these days is that there is no space to breathe. Literally. There’s no pauses or chance to catch your breath. Part of creating memorability is doing something different or novel.

#5 – Create connection – In my remote working whitepaper I shared the 7 Cs – Remote Enablers. Connection (along with clarity) is one of them. We want to make sure that we are creating CONNECTION on multiple levels, in multiple ways. What is the connection to the topic? What is the connection to a person’s world? What is the connection to others on the call? What are you doing to create connection?

#6 - What’s your call to action? What is the call to action you are making? What will people do after the call? Are you building in time for people to note their next steps? Articulate or share their next steps?

As you think about your upcoming conversations in the year ahead, What’s your favorite tip? Share with us in the comments below.

Enjoy the conversation and reflection,
Jennifer

Where did the week go!? This week we covered a wide range of different posts including:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt #133 – “This time, next year, I hope…”
• Friday’s Flashback to Teams365 #1245 – Six Things Virtual Workers Need (be sure to bring this into your conversations!)
• Thursday’s Team Building Question and Habit Check
• Wednesday’s focus on Wednesday Wisdom for Remote Teams
• Tuesday’s focus on 5 Things to Keep in Mind with your Next Virtual Call
• Monday’s focus on the Stand Out Virtually Principle: Strong Hand on Process

​Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Jennifer

I’m reaching back to Teams365 1245 which covered a number of elements all remote workers need. Given that most of us will be working this way for the next while, it’s a good reminder before we step into the holidays to see what is important. Consider reviewing these items within the team – is everyone clear on them?

• Clarity regarding reporting relationships. Who are they to report to on what issues? When is reporting required? If matrix reporting relationships exist, what do they report to whom? What issues need to be co-reported?
• Clarity regarding expectations regarding working – Hours, approaches, breaks, how to log and share work etc.
• The technology and ability to connect with others in the team and across the organization. Working remote can be a lonely endeavor and just as social time is important for face to face teams, so is face to face for virtual team.
• Regular check-ins and feedback. Regular check-ins and feedback may revolve around the questions:
  
  • How’s it going?
    
  • What’s working? What’s not?
    
  • What support do you need?
    
  • What are your current priorities?
    
  • What resources do you need in order to get the results you need?
• Platforms so they can see each other and connect with their team. This could include regular virtual potlucks where the team actually connects for a meal from each of their locations. It could also include face-to-face time – quarterly or on a regular basis.
• Clarity regarding how to flag issues: What issues to raise and when. Who should they be flagging issues to? When is the team leader available and how?

​Enjoy the conversation!
Jennifer