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Be prepared to spread your experience andlet it grow.A Mentor’s Toolbox

Learning & Development GP Southeast Asia

ABOUT THIS TOOLBOX

IN THIS TOOLBOX

FOUNDATIONS FOR YOUR MENTORINGSoil to Grow: Trusting Relationships

are the KeyWhy Mentoring Works

How Mentoring is EmbeddedCharacteristics of your Mentoring

Journey

THE FIRST MEETING (AND THE NEXT)4-Steps Script

Identify the Mentoring Playing FieldsConnecting & Clarifying

How to Prepare (for) the Next Meeting

THE MANY HATS OF A MENTORThe Roles of a Mentor

Career Anchors16 Laws of Mentoring

2 + 7 Easily Applicable Mentoring Tipsfor FLP Mentors

Avoid the Typical Habits of a Toxic Mentor

ESSENTIALS OF A GOODCONVERSATION

Active ListeningAbout Giving and Receiving Feedback

The Art of Asking Good Questions

This toolbox is an aide-mémoire for the issues that have been presented in the e-course “Mentor’s Induction“. And it serves as a practical summary of this course but is not intended to replace it.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that

a section of it, before using these tools. We know that GP people are always short on time and so look for tools to start rightaway, without “losing” time. That’s areality, and since mentoring may not be a

again – and go back to the course.

be fast go slow!

With this toolbox we would like to providea practical set of tools and inspiration tomake your mentoring a successful learning journey.

Learning in a trusting environment means having time for challenges, to listen and to

you to prepare well and to remember thementoring basics, e.g. active listening, good questioning and supportivefeedback and to be clear in your role(s).

with embracing not being perfect – make it transparent where you are, evaluate and

e-course on Greennet to adopt more self-awareness.

We wish you a good mentoring time!

Marina H. Oro, GPSEA Regional L&D ManagerKuno Roth, GPI, Mentoring SystemDeveloper

PS: - this material is copy-left: Take what youwant and use it for free. But: Give feedback that we can improve.

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FOUNDATIONSMentoringfor your

Why Mentoring WorksHow Mentoring is EmbeddedCharacteristics of your Mentoring Journey

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Spread your experience and let it grow – TOOLBOX for Greenpeace mentors

Mentoring unfolds its potential best when a positive relation between mentee and mentor can be established. This allows to address problems, challenges and weaknessesopenly and therefore to grow along learning by feedback and to be (friendly) challengedat the same time.

Checking out the assumptions of bothpartners will help you manage expectations as well as build a foundation for candid communication and trust.

Of course, for a two-weeks-shadowing mentoring this aspect is less critical then for a one year mentoring with F2F meetings, where it is a must.

Don’t become a mentor if you tend to forget to answer mails, to return skype or phone calls, miss or postpone short-timed scheduled meetings – or if you are “never”

to be busy and not to be a mentor.

The quality of the relationship between the mentor and the mentee is what holds the mentoring partnership together. Fromthe beginning, steps need to be taken to foster the understanding of the individual roles and to clarify expectations.

You will need to engage the mentee

positive tone and expectation for activeparticipation for the entire relationship.

Connecting with the mentee and thereby being able to connect future learning tothe mentee and his or her life experiences will foster the sustainability of the learning.

professional and personal development through mentor-mentee relationships, internal networks and transfer of both, formal and informal knowhow.

job and a broadening network, improving competencies (and having somebody thatcares about him or her!).

well – and the more the better you can integrate some basic insights:

Why Mentoring WorksEffective mentoring relationships are

by gaining a fresh perspective or access toother information, and learn new ways of doing things.

This will happen more likely if you take

to develop solutions in a dialogue (asking

See page 23 & 24).

As a mentor you like to share and to accompany others in their development – you will estimate it even more if youconsider mentoring as a kind of time-out in your hectic professional life.

3


How Mentoring is EmbeddedOne of the strengths of mentoring is that it’s a special blend of a training (skill development) and coaching (personality development). For most people it is easier to start to talk about skills; and doing so in a trustful environment personality will growalong the skill development.

For further information please refer to the “mentoring glossary“ on Greennet and the chart below.

A formal mentoring journey may last fromone or two weeks (e.g. shadowing within a “Learning Place”) up to one year with weekly or monthly meetings.

Typically a mentoring journey starts more intensely and this reduces over time; each journey always has a beginning and a

You serve your mentee. So to begin with, it is important to get to know your mentee.As with every new relationship, there is an element of excitement in the beginning

# of Participants

Mentoring otypically 1:1 to 1:4

or 5-6 peersp

Coaching normally 1:1Advisory 1:1

Skills

Training e.g.5-15 people

stages. creatinga space of trust in order to prepare the grounds for a fruitful collaboration. If thisworks out well, conversations that mattercan follow.

Finally, the time will come, when the formal appointment is about to end. A careful

proper closure of the mentoring process.

See more in eCourse Induction for MentorsTOOLBOX PART

Person/Personality

(and the Next)4-Steps ScriptIdentify the Mentoring Playing FieldsConnecting & ClarifyingHow to Prepare (for) the Next Meetings

5


The First MeetingMany mentees and mentors experience

with their mentoring partner/s. Having a plan will help you overcome this anxiety

and productive – to have a good start anda solid basis for relation-building. A very important By sharing your goals, experiences and expectations and by introducing

mentoris” and answering the question “How do we want to work together?”. You may use the “mentoring agreement” template as guideline, e.g. to help to

The way you relate to your partner is as important as the issues you cover. In our experience, real interest in your partner is the critical baseline. You may show this interest by asking thoughtful, mindful, engaging questions. You express this interest as well by listening carefully. Learning about your partner’s interests, work activities, duties and personality nourishes the relationship.

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Framing of the mentoring.

mentee becoming clear about WHY you are engaging one another and if you are ready and able to do so.

Where does your mentee need support? How big is the challenge? What advice and experience is needed? Where can you really make a difference?

A little tool can help to better locate the context of your mentoring and to identify the “ ” on page 7.

See more in eCourse Induction for MentorsPart “Toolbox“

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Get to know each other.

In order to build a trusting atmosphere, where you get to know each other, we consider it important to start slowly e.g. share your backgrounds and aspirations andwhatever else you feel comfortable with, such as your family situation and interests

of rapport is critical for trust to be created. Finding things you have in common and self-disclosure is what helps to create this state of being relaxed and responsive witheach other most quickly.

You may ask the mentee to do this online assessment on “What’s Your Cultural

you may also do it yourself and then compare the results and discuss the following

Agree on the outcome.

We recommend you identify an overall goal and agree on mutual expectations from the outset and have these as a written record of your commitment to the partnership [Note, for this we have developed models and templates for a “Mentoring Agreement” to help clarify expectations etc..]

Therefore the GROW structure might serve as a tool (more about it see e-course

What does the mentee expect from you? What do you expect?What’s needed? How will you both know when the mentoring is successful?

RealityWhat’s happening right now? What keeps the mentee awake at night?What arepresent circumstances?

OptionsWhat are risks and opportunities in the current situation?What else could you do?

Will/CommitmentSo what will you do now and when? (frequency, length, structure, logistics of meetings) What support do you agree to?

G

R

OW

Agree on the outcome.

How do you feel after this meeting? How did it work?

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Identify the Mentoring Playing Fields

Connecting with Mind Maps

Together with your mentee, assess theculture adaptation challenge on a scale of 1 (=no change) to 10 (=complete change) on each of the three dimensions.

On the organisational culture dimension,

centralised, process-focused large organisation to a highly decentralised, relationship-focused small organisation.

On the professional culture dimension,

human resources.

On the geographic from Tokyo to a villagein Senegal.

is 15 or greater, then one is facing a major cultural shift. To avoid missteps,

understanding and adapting to the new culture or cultures.

A mind map is ideal for collecting ideas, possibilities and options.

image of the topic.

ideas and insert them into the map in a circle around the centre node, without

the next meeting, so you can talk about it. It can be found in the Mentors Discovery Booklet eCourse mentoring induction

the prioritization implied by hierarchies or sequential arrangements (grouping and organizing is reserved for later stages).

alone and sitting on its own line.

the central image.



Clarifying with 9 P’s

How to Prepare (for) the Next Meetings

The ‘9 P’s’ tool is useful for understanding a mentee’s problem/issue/process within a project

PotencyWhich resources/

skills are available?

PossibilitiesWhat is possible?

PerformanceWhat shall be

achieved? What is the goal?

PresenceWhat do you need in order to master the challenge/job?

ProtectionWhat kind of

protection can be organised?

PerceptionWhat do you

need to take into consideration on you

way?

Project

Permission andarea of freedom

What is permitted?

Partnership/PersonWith whom and in

what relation to this person can you make

this happen?

is up to the mentee to prepare an agenda for your meetings. The issues the menteewants to explore with you could he or she share in a google doc in advance of the following call or meeting. Therewith thementee is enabling you to prepare as well.

Preparation for you mainly means to

place where you would like to meet/call

it and your mentoring – e.g. with the help of a small log that you amend after each meeting (template available).

You may also think about open questions by which you could either investigate,

discover or empower. Note, that open questions are kind of “what a more experienced person would ask her/himself”, i.e. the mentee will ask those with the time him/herself. And sometimesmentoring is mainly to have a sparring partner before going to real practice.

When you’ve the feeling that your mentee

able to analyse/solve a problem him/herself, then you can ask some of thequestions instead of “you” with “we” and include you (partially) into ownership of the problem to solve. Be careful with that, it isalso a pitfall (as you could start advising or giving directions, what you should avoid).

Explore more about “The art of asking good questions” on p. 23.

The MANY HATSof a

Career Anchors

2 + 7 Easily Applicable FLP Mentoring TipsAvoid the Typical Habits of a Toxic Mentor


SELF-ASSESSMENT

(with authenticity and comfort)

As a mentor you might “wear many different hats” and therewith perform a variety of types of mentoring . You may prefer the roles of a challenger, advisor, supporter or buddy.

One thing to know is which mentoring

more crucial, aspect is to be authentic. Therefore, your personal approach tomentoring might integrate various roles –

process.

Just be aware when you switch roles. You might even refer to your roles as wearing

various “hats” so that your mentee is clear about the source of your thought – question - advice (e.g. as an expert, as amanager, from your experience ..).

role. However, at the same time you may exclude those roles you are really not suited for, whilst, still cultivating a variety.

There are numerous roles (understood as a set of values, attitude and thus behaviour)

the current situation and the need of your mentee. It also is dependent on your portfolio

Which of the roles on the following pageapply to you most, which do not apply? In which do you feel well and are stillauthentic?

you.

important to you.3. Afterwards turn towards the questions

in your personal notes.4. And, be not directive – the mentee

See more in eCourse Induction for MentorsDISCOVERY BOOKLET p. 24-31


SELF-ASSESSMENT

(not directive, supportive)

Ally Expertise/Skill Developer

Personality DeveloperNetwork

Door Opener

Companion - Being available and sincere;Providing the mentee with a caring and unconditional professional friendship

Friend - Developing a trusting environment that allows for exchangesbased on camaraderie and sharing

Tandem Partner – Being a partner for mutual learning

mentee has to give and open to learning

Counsellor - Being a source for information and encouragement

Advisor - Offering advice that helpsmentee develop; Not to make decisions for mentee or micromanage

Historian - Sharing past experiences and offering perspective drawn fromthese experiences - both mistakes andsuccesses

Teacher/Trainer - Focus on wisdom, not on answers; Providing learningopportunities and offering your experience as a guide

his/her development goals (encouragesto optimize potential of mentee him/herself).

Launcher - Encouraging continued growth and development; Supporting to developcreative and independent thinking

Tracker - Helping track progress in goal attainment

Leader - Helping mentee build self-

constructive feedback

Social Supporter - Providingencouragement to the mentee as he or she embarks on new experiences.

Buddy - Helping to identify with thework environment and providing career guidance

and acting on behalf of the mentee andhelping the mentee access communityresources


Career AnchorsA Career Anchor shapes our professional

The purpose of the Career Anchor isto help you manage professional work choices. Your mentee might have to makean essential decision – and for this a self analysis of his/ her career up to this point serves as a good starting point.

You can determine Career Anchors through a self diagnostic exercise (see box).

We consider such an exercise most appropriate under the following

crucial professional choice, such as a transfer or promotion;

2) When your mentee feels the need of a change, such as when he or she is nothappy in the present situation and is seeking something different;

3) In case your mentee has to provide some written future plans, e.g. for a

4) And a Career Anchor can be used to help prepare your mentoring.

If you have the impression your mentee lacks a clear concept about what she is good at, what motivates him, what are her core values etc., the Career Anchor provides a profound frame for a meaningful conversation that helps to get a self-image and concept competences.

In addition to that, a mentee might feel hiscareer is over-managed or not managed at all. And therefore, he/ she needs someguidance.

Less in Greenpeace but often in other organisations, people select a career for

workplace are incompatible with their true values. This situation can result infeelings of unrest and discontent and in lost productivity. To avoid these problems, Career Anchors help people uncover their real values and/or use them to make better career choices.

We invite you to learn more about your Career

before you might use it as a mentor in a later stage.

See e-course, nut namely the Discovery Booklet (workbook for the course)

See more in eCourse Induction for MentorsDISCOVERY BOOKLET p. 12-23


§1 The Law of Positive EnvironmentCreate a positive environment where potential and motivation are released and options discussed.

§2 The Law of Developing CharacterNurture a positive character by helping to develop not just talent, but a wealth of mental and ethical traits.

Promote autonomy; make the protégé independent of you, not dependent on you.

§4 The Law of Limited ResponsibilityBe responsible to them, not for them.

Share your failures as well as your successes.

§6 The Law of Planned Objectives

relationship.

Monitor, review, critique, and discuss potential actions. Do not just expectperformance without inspection.

§8 The Law of Tough LoveThe participants acknowledge the needto encourage independence in theprotégé.

§9 The Law of FunMake mentoring a wonderfulexperience—laugh, smile and enjoy the process.

§10 The Law of Small SuccessesUse a stepping-stone process to build on accomplishments and. achieve great success.

§11 The Law of DirectionIt is important to teach by giving options as well as direction.

§12 The Laws of RiskA mentor should be aware that a

him. A protégé should realize that a mentor’s advice will not always work.

Commit to cover each other’s backs. Maintain privacy. Protect integrity, character, and the pearls of wisdom you have shared with one another.

§14 The Law of CommunicationThe mentor and the protégé must balance listening with delivering information.

§15 The Law of Extended CommitmentThe mentoring relationship extends beyond the typical 9 to 5 business dayand/or traditional workplace role or position.

§16 The Law of Life TransitionAs a mentor, when you help a protégé enter the next stage of his life or career, you will enter the next stage of yours.

Source: Wickman & Sjodin’s Mentoring


2 + 7 Easily Applicable FLP Mentoring Tips (excerpts)

Good mentoring relationships can be richly rewarding, not only for the mentee, but for the mentor as well. There is no blueprint for a successful mentor-mentee relationship, but some things can help you get the best from it (…) – here are some helpful tips:

Start out right, with goal setting.

A lot of pieces need to align as you set out on a new mentoring relationship, right down to the logistical issues of when, where, andhow frequently to meet. The key element is taking time from the outset to listen toeach others’ goals and expectations for the mentoring relationship. Taking time toappreciate and understand your mentee’s

goals will demonstrate your commitment to his professional development and career success. This is also an ideal time to express what you expect from thisrelationship, including your goals for the next steps and a discussion of boundariesas needed, so you and your mentee can start on the same page. (…)

In generalg

Just as a farmer has to fertilize at the right time and dig out the weeds at other

between supporting and challenging your mentee. Supporting your mentee will include providing her or him withinformation, feedback on his progress, emotional support, and advocacy asneeded. Challenging your mentee will encourage her or him to always set and maintain high standards of practice, encourage the risk-taking needed for exploration of innovative and creative ideas, and help him/her develop the

Foster your mentee’s autonomy and independence by encouraging your mentee to “own” the mentoring relationship by coming prepared to your meetings, setting the agenda, doing the follow-up, and so on. Look for times tocelebrate a milestone or accomplishment of your mentee.

Essential to an effective mentoring relationship are the values of trust and respect, the hallmarks of integrity in any professional relationship. It is vital that you serve as a role model for high standards of professionalism. This includes keeping

mentee knows that discussions with you are “safe.”

An effective mentor creates a safe place for the mentee to ask questions and discussuncertainties - without judgment.

Gleaned fromDFLP DEEP DIVE MENTORING

Taking on the role of a mentor also requires

A mentee can learn a lot from their mentor simply by participating how their mentor behaves in their mentoring relationship(e.g. punctuality).


Choose stories and experiences that you feel are appropriate and helpful, but do so in a neutral way. Be open to sharing your mistakes and failures too, as these are often where our biggest lessons are learned. It will also help your mentee be aware that challenges will arise, and the way you dealt with the situation might alsohelp them gain insight about how to buildresilience.

The more you are yourself, the stronger of a relationship you will build with your mentee. Answer any questions as openlyand truthfully as you can.

Having someone at work who cares aboutyou as a person and encourages your development is positively correlated to productivity. You can be the person in Greenpeace who has that positive effect on your mentee.

Therefore, get to know your mentee personally, about interests, dreams, and aspirations, so you can help in a way that meets her or his personal best interest. To care and concern for your mentee can be the key to providing him or her

includes celebrating and acknowledgingachievements.

Developing a professional network takes time and years of practice, but you can accelerate the process for your mentee by making introductions. Introduce your mentee to your network, as it may helpa mentee as it may yield to increased learning opportunities, other professional

contacts, job projects, additional mentors and much more.

As a mentor and a generous and engagedprofessional, you will be eager to jump in and assist your mentee. However, you need to resist the urge to act and make decisions for your mentee and instead do

and listen. Avoid bringing the frenzy of your daily work to time you share with your mentee. Some mentees may need time to

opportunity of having a trusted mentor listen to them. Allow them to explore their thoughts and ideas openly with you. This will often help them unravel their thinking and gain insights about a situation. Ask your mentee questions and empower them to work through their issues so they can learn to trust their own judgement. Do your best to ask probing questions andsit back to listen as? the thoughts of a creative, talented, and highly motivated junior colleague light up the room.

Always ask for permission to give feedback

arts of being a mentor is providing -- and receiving – feedback (e.g. what youmight do to improve communications in your mentoring relationship). An effectivementor will often have the clarity of distance from an issue or problem that’s needed to provide objective feedback totheir mentee.

all feedback is helpful. More see p. 23 ff.


Being a mentor is one of the joys ina leadership role that could bring considerable meaning to all that we do.Mentors often learn a great deal about themselves through the course of a mentorship relationship. In addition, as a mentor you will follow the career progress of your mentees and will likely be amazed at all the things they attempt and achieve. In a few short years, mentees who started their leadership training under your guidance will be leading global projects or

may turn out to be very special, life-long colleagues.

Finally, remember to make the experience a fun and engaging one for the mentee and for yourself!

Avoid the Typical Habits of a Toxic Mentor

Start from the point of view thatyou – from your vast experience andbroaderperspective – know better than the mentee what’s in his or her interest.

Neither show nor admit any personalweaknesses; expect to be their role model in all aspects of career development and personal values.

Be determined to share your wisdom with them – whether they want it or not, remind them frequently how much they still haveto learn.

Never ask them what they should expect of you – how would theyknow anyway?

Decide what you and the menteewill talk about and when; changedates and themes frequently to prevent complacency sneaking in.

Demonstrate how important andwell connected you are by sharing

need (or want) to know.

Do most of the talking; check frequently that they are paying attention.

Discourage any signs of levity or humor – this is a serious business and shouldbe treated as such.

Make sure they understand howtrivial their concerns are comparedto the weighty issues you have todeal with.

Take them to task when they don’t follow your advice.

s/he is to have your undividedattention.

Never, never admit that this could be a learning experience for you, too.

123456

789101112

Hand picked and carefully compiled from different sources such as sciencecareers.sciencemag.org.

Essentials of a

Active Listening

The Art of Asking Good Questions


Active Listener

Constructive Challenger

Find a quiet place where you can talk with a conversation partner without interruptionor distraction. Invite him or her to share what’s on his or her mind.

Paraphrase. Helpful ways to paraphraseinclude “What I hear you saying is…” “It sounds like…” and “If I under-stand youright….”

Ask questions. Ask questions to encourage the other person to elaborateon his or her thoughts and feelingssuch as, “When you say_____, do you mean_____”?

Express empathy.yy If the other person voices negative feelings, strive to validate these feelings rather thanquestioning or defending against them.

Use engaged body language. Show that you are engaged and interested bymaking eye contact, nodding, facing theother person, and maintaining an openand relaxed body posture.

Avoid judgment. Your goal is tounderstand the other person’s perspective and accept it for what it is, even if you disagree with it. Try not to interrupt with counter-arguments or mentally prepare a rebuttal while the other person is speaking.

Avoid giving advice. Problem-solving is likely to be more effective after both conversation partners understand one another’s perspective and feel heard. Moving too quickly into advice-giving can be counterproductive.

Take turns. After the other person has had a chance to speak and you have engaged in the active listening steps above, share your perspective


Source: UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Centre

We all probably agree with “we should step out of our comfort zone, learn more about our blind spots and be challenged with other perspectives“ – in order to learn and grow.

there is a safe space and trust. i.e. it is not something to start with, it is fruitful after a warming-up phase, and should possibly be even agreed, i.e. the mentee wants to be challenged.

The basic method is old – is the so called Socratic method to ask goodquestions to challenge his students (see

the students the correct answer or simplythe solution – mentors or coaches pose questions that help mentees rethink

interpret or deal with a situation. Of course, the tone of your voice is not demanding or angry, it should be calm. And before

Occasions – when you observe in the

in verbal, vocal & body messages, evenself-destructive

or other point of views or stuck in one mode


doesn’t exist

(but instead of reproaches, questions

behaviour may change). “You committedto do [act/belief/commitment] but it

didn’t happen – what stopped you, doyou think?”

“always” to the same issue etc. Self-discovery of a not-so-good patterns through questioning. “This has come

reoccurring issue for you.”

Broaden your scope of action with disclosure and feedbackIt starrts with awarenesss.

The Johari window (see graphh) wass createed by two Americcan pssychollogistss, Josepph (Jo) Luft and Harrinngtonn (Hari))

to hellp people better undersr tandd their relatioonship with themsselvess as wewell as others.. The Johari windoow sooon beccame a wideely used model l for fosterring awareneess of self and othhers in n a grououp situationn, and gaining insigght inttoo grouup pdynamicss.

Luft and Inngham describe fouur areaass of

by the personn about him/herself;f; or justt not known. AAndn what is known bby y the others, or not.

JoJoJ seph Luft descriribes one of the aims ofoff learning in relattioi nship and group dyynaan mics is to enlargege the joint scope of actctc ion. Interpersonal lleae rning means a channggeg taken place so ththat the arena in the ttopopo left corner is largerer and one oor more ofofo the other areas hass ggrown smmala ler.

By seeeking or sosooliliciting feedback from others, yoyou’re able e toto reduce the blind spot and thehereby to inincrcrease the arena,

i. ee. to increassee self-awareness.

ByBy discllososing and exposisingng hhowow we feelel and ttelellil ng other information about t ouo rselves wee rrededucu e the facaadede, ana d therebeby y increase the open area, whhicich enables bebetter understandingg,,cooperratatioi n, trust, tteam-workking effectivenesss anand productivity.

Disclosure

Through self-disclosure we revealthings about ourselves to others in a waway y that allows us to be vulnerable and demonsnstrt ates that we trust the other.

By

B o

ther

s

By self

Unk

Un

now

n

Unknown


DDisclosure by onee person tendss to lead tto disclosuure by tthhe other and thherewith too increasinng groouup sharing and d trust. Shharing leadads to ttrrust. But, one has totruust in orddere to sshhare, thereforee start witth sharing.

It iss important t to reemmember, howevver, that tthe level oof discloolosure has to staartslowlyy. If you geet “tooo ded ep too fast””, , you wwill frightenn otheersrs away from sharing.. Like Spaccee Toleraancn e, different people aare comfortrtable wwitith differentlevels of didisclosure.

Feedback

Giviinng and receie ving feedbbaca k is hhowowo

we ccan unndersttand hhow others ssee us,s and leet peoople kknow hhow we see ttheh m.

When I exxperieencn e oopen feedbacck kon howw I affffect oothers, I can better understandn thee respoonses oof f others and control myy behavaviour mmore coonsnsciously. Thus feedbaack cann lead tto o a surpprirising and clarifying cchangee of my peperspective.e

For feedback to hahave an efeffect, it mmusust iri ritate - particularly because e it is to shhowo or make visible bliindnd spots. IfIf tthehe feeddbab ck addresses merely wewell-known and plpleae sant topics and if the feedbdbacack

misses the effffece t.

Why feedback?

Feedback is always there. Feedback is effective listening. Feedback can motivate

Feedback is key for a culture of learning and development, and an important toolfor mentoring. Being a mentor may involve occasions to give negative feedback on

Detection

nterpretation

really motivated.

Effect

has a negative impact on my motivation.

acTion(what do you want to see differently?) For the next meeting, please be on time.

behaviour or performance, however with the attitude that learning from errors andfailures is only possible if they can beaddressed openly (otherwise one learnsonly how to hide them), i.e. it is a great chance to deveop.

SouS rce: ACG.TheVitalWorks


Giving Feedback – some rules as guidance

(what do you see as strengths and weaknesses of your analysis?)??

the positive part is as important asthe “negative“ one. We suggest the

part between positive aspects at startand end.

give feedback in the “adult position”(complaining and gossiping comes form the “child state”, and this is normally not very constructive). NoteFeedback from the adult state can be effective and sometimes necessary but it can also trigger the child positionwith the other. And in that case the feedback will not be effective.

to negative feedback may bedefensive. Be therefore prepared since such moments are a chance for learning (and without addressing them the feedback is unlikely to havemuch effect).

confusing” rather than “you soundconfused here”.

concrete ways for improvements on

a task (rather then how to feel about his/her work in general). Andthe amount of information to what the receiver can use rather than the one you would like to give.

“I think that the draft concept note needs deeper thinking here and more research here (etc.)“, rather then “Your concept note is quite shoddy.”

now’. Do not wait too long give it as soon you can.

your feedback. Check if the feedback is understood by e.g. asking mentee to paraphrase your feedback.

Sources: GPI Feedback Course (2017) and Feedback Guidelines, Oxford Learning Institute, See subsidiary article ““Seven Keys_effective Feedback“ (all sources on Greennet, mentoring library)

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Be aware of the following distinctions

Feedback vs. Evaluation and Grades

Good work!This is a weak paper.

You got a C on your presentation.I’m so pleased by your poster!

These comments make a value judgment. They rate, evaluate, praise, or criticize what was done. There is little or no feedback here—no actionable information about what occurred. As performers, we onlyknow that someone else placed a high or low value on what we did.

How might we recast these comments to

mental colon after each statement of value.For example,

“Good work: Your use of words was more precise in this paper than in the last one, and I saw the scenes clearly in my mind’s

eye.”

“This is a weak paper: Almost from the

initial thesis and the evidence you providefor it. In the second paragraph you

propose a different thesis, and in the third paragraph you don’t offer evidence, just

beliefs.”

evaluative language; it serves no useful function.

The most ubiquitous form of evaluation,grading, is so much a part of the school landscape that we easily overlook its utter uselessness as actionable feedback.Grades are here to stay, no doubt—butthat doesn’t mean we should rely on them as a major source of feedback.

Feedback vs. Advice

You need more examples in your report.

You might want to use a lighter baseball bat.

You should have included some Essential Questions in your unit plan.

These three statements are not feedback; they’re advice. Such adviceout of the blue seems at best tangentialand at worst unhelpful and annoying. Unless it is preceded by descriptive feedback, the natural response of the performer is to wonder, “Why are you suggesting this?”

As coaches, teachers, and parents, wetoo often jump right to advice without

grasped, and tentatively accepted the feedback on which the advice is based.By doing so, we often unwittingly end up unnerving learners. Students become increasingly insecure about their own judgment and dependent onthe advice of experts—and therefore ina panic about what to do when varied advice comes from different people or no advice is available at all.

If your ratio of advice to feedback is too high, try asking the learner, “Given the feedback, do you have someideas about how to improve?” This approach will build greater autonomy

Once they are no longer rank novices, performers can often self-advise if asked to.

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The Art of Asking Good QuestionsAsking good questions is not simply an effective listening technique; it is also helpful in encouraging problem solving and keeping the mentoring relationship focused.

The linguistic construction of a question can make a difference in either openingour minds or narrowing the possibilities

Depending on your goals, a closedquestion with a yes/no or either/or decision can be extremely important.However when you want to open the mindand space for your mentee, questions beginning with What, How, Where, Which, When and Why are more helpful.

There are different categorisations of questions and even more types of questions. One is to categorise questionsinto the following three (another one,taken from coaching, see p. 2444

are helpful to seek information and objectivefacts that provide enough background to move the mentoring conversationforward.

happened?

and Why?

are used to encourage the mentee to tap into their own knowledge, experience, and insight and lead them into drawing their own conclusions and learning from their insights.

experience? What could you do differently next time?

could happen for you?

alternatives?

call upon thementee to take ownership, get clarity about (possible) options and make plans for the next step. They push for action and ask for commitment.

you have to do to make it happen?

occur that would prevent you from achieving the best result?

not work as well as you expect?

do you need?

Be aware of these pitfalls!!!

Whhy-quessttions cacan easilyly evoke adedefensivive respsponse aass your mmeenteetries toto deffeend a gigiven poposisition or ratiioonalissee someme past dedecisionns,s, ratheher thhan pproroceedd in a spspirit of ininquiry.y. UUsee tthemm careffuully.

An adviccee disgguisedd aas a qqueuestioion is sttiill an aadvicee.

MMakee sure tthat yyou ggivive yoyour mmmentee e enouugh ttimime too resespondnd. ThThhiisis mayay neeed to iincludde e thinnkkinggg tttimime bebefoforere theey ansnswer,r, sso dododdon’n t jujust intteerprpreet apaause ass aa “NoNo commommmommem ntt”” or pprrompttoo connnttitinuun ee askikiinnng.

See more in eCourseInduction for MentorsTOOLBOX PART

24


Amendment to “The Art of Asking Good Questions“

respective

And for the mentoring practice we canlearn from the systemic coaching (and

method in systemic coaching that brings in other perspectives, a typical question in a mentoring situation of a project

think will be the main challenge for your team mate in Indonesia, and for the one in Brazil?“ – imagine other situations.

from linear causal thinking that directed towards cause-effect relationships. Circular questioning means “ask around the corner”. For example, by introducing an outside perspective.

a scale to help reduce complexity and to

project planning process? What are your criterias (or feelings) for that judgement?

“Imagine ...“, “Let‘s assume ...“ or “Put the case ...“.

all problems with X would have been

would be different, and what not?“

you do to make the situation worse or to make sure that the project fails? This can help to make visible the own contribution in a deadlocked situation and stimulate to change own behaviour.

Enjoy your mentoring experience

and let it grow!

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