Tag: GiftofMentoring

INTERNATIONAL MENTORING COMMUNITY: What is it and How Can You Benefit from It?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am asked on numerous occasions to respond to questions regarding mentoring, mentoring process and how mentoring can bring value to individuals and/or organizations. Here are some of those questions and my responses.

Q: After working with a client, as a life coach what is your next step if any, if they seem to be where they need to be after you've helped them change?

A: I can answer this from a mentoring approach.

If they seem to be where they need to be I would want to make sure that it was the client that reached that conclusion. I view the mentoring process as having three phases: 1) Trusting phase, 2) learning and development phase, and 3) maintenance phase. In the example you have given, I would be inclined to place them in the maintenance phase. We would still touch base periodically but it would not be as frequent as what we would be doing in the learning and development phase. We can always move the relationship back into the learning and development phase if the need arises.

Q: When and how did you discover what you wanted to do with your life?

A: I was always a person that wanted to assist others. I think that I finally realized what I wanted to do about 10 years ago. I launched my own company that is focused on mentoring and mentor certification which is something that I am extremely passionate about. I provide a number of mentoring services for people and organizations and that is what makes me want to get out of bed ever morning. To be of service and share the Gift of Mentoring is my calling!

Q: What are some wonderful stories from reverse mentorship -- a younger person mentoring an older person?

A: I do not use the term “reverse mentoring” as the definition of reverse means to go backwards. I do not want any of my mentoring experiences to be viewed as stepping backwards.

I look at the definition of mentoring as a two way trusted relationship where both the mentor and mentee will learn and grow personally and professionally.

There is no mention of age in this definition.

When I go back over the list of people that I am working with age has not been a factor in any of the relationships. We always discuss the outcomes of our discussions and we both come away with something from the time we have spent together.

Reverse mentoring is actually “effective mentoring.”

Q: Are great leaders better at asking questions or giving answers?

A: The ideal great leader is one that is very adept at asking the right questions to stimulate critical thinking in those they work with.

If you continually give the answers then you become a crutch that people will come to as it is easier to ask for the answer than to think your way through the situation.

I worked with a leader in a mentoring relationship who didn’t realize the impact on their productivity by continually providing the answer to the same question repeatedly. When they took the time to sit the employee down and work through possible options to the problem they had more time to work on their tasks and they had a more engaged work force. Engaged and empowered.

Q: What qualities does a good mentor have?

A: There are a number of qualities that a good mentor should have. I usually recommend that you be an effective communicator - listen and hear, knows when to listen and when to guide, creates a safe environment for a mentoring conversation, builds a trusted relationship. They are also caring and understand that each person they spend time with in a mentoring relationship is unique so you need to tailor how you mentor to meet the needs of each person. They would have a supporting network that they can refer you to when it is something out of their comfort zone (professional counseling, etc.). Here are some additional characteristics: Passionate, Genuine, Humble, Caring, Great Communicator, Great Listener, Socratic Method, Competent, Committed and Dedicated.

Q: How much would you pay for a lifetime access to a number of business and personal mentors who can help you overcome your main life’s difficulties and problems?

A: The type of mentor that you are looking at would most definitely be someone that you had a long standing relationship with. I have some of those mentors in my life that work with me on a personal and professional basis.

Setting aside what I just wrote if you were to be looking for a dollar value to attach to lifetime access you would likely be paying for their time on an hourly basis or a block of time. I offer either one.

I would take a step back and clearly define what you are looking for and be open to the idea that lifetime access may not be the best solution for you.

Q: How can you develop leadership skills as a young professional?

A: I would strongly recommend finding a good mentor that can work with you to develop the leadership skills that you desire.

I am working with a number of people at various stages in their career to either enhance the skills they have or to develop and nurture leadership skills as needed. The mentoring approach has been working great for them. We work on their critical thinking skills as well as the basic fundamentals of being a good leader.

I encourage you to think about finding a good mentor to work with you.

Q: Would you ever consider mentoring someone who is older and going through a period of transition?

A: Yes. Effective mentoring is not tied to the question of age. Mentoring is a two way trusted relationship where both the mentor and mentee will learn and grow on a personal and professional basis. It doesn’t matter if one person is older than the other.

The thing to remember in the situation that you have presented is that the mentor doesn’t need to have all the answers. What they do need to have is the ability to ask the right questions to nurture the critical thinking process. The other key thing is that the mentor will likely have a good network that they can access to assist in addressing this situation.

Q: What would personally motivate you to act as a mentor?

A: What continues to motivate me is the opportunity to be of service to others. It is most rewarding to watch someone grow on a personal and professional basis when you are on a mentoring journey with them.

What motivates me to act as a mentor is the opportunity to learn and grow personally and professionally myself. With each mentoring relationship/arrangement I learn so much about others and about myself.

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Doug Lawrence is an extraordinary mentor and mentor certification trainer with TalentC and is the International Mentoring Community Director of Education.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring programs will influence a happy workforce culture (mentors), improve employee productivity (mentees), reducing costly employee high turnover (onboarding), improves the bottom line (organizations), which saves 150% to 200% of the annual salary of each departing employee. He provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals and groups, all backgrounds and industries locally and internationally.

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is recognized as a “Most viewed writer in the Business Mentoring and Mentors and Mentoring categories on the Quora website (www.quora.com).

An international speaker and author of The Gift of Mentoring (2014), Doug’s second book is set to publish in late 2019.

Do you have a workplace crisis or issue to resolve?  Schedule a time to meet with Doug:     https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

 

 

INTERNATIONAL MENTORING COMMUNITY: What is it and How Can You Benefit from It?

 

 

 

 

I am asked on numerous occasions to respond to questions regarding mentoring, mentoring process and how mentoring can bring value to individuals and/or organizations. Here are some of those questions and my responses

Q: How do I find a mentor coach to help with behavioral addictions?

A: From a mentor perspective we look at personal and professional growth. Behavioral addictions would be what I refer to as obstacles or barriers to your professional growth. A trained mentor will only be able to do so much and you would need professional counseling to take you further. Having said that if you engage with an effective mentor they would still own the relationship with you and would have the network of professionals that they can connect you with.

Q: What attributes should a good mentor have?

A: First off I believe we need to understand the true definition of mentoring. Mentoring is a two way trusted relationship where the mentor and mentee will both learn and grow personally and professionally.

There are mentors, great mentors and extraordinary mentors - each with their own skill set and abilities.

You would want a mentor that is great at building trust and in fact trusted relationships, is an effective communicator. By that I mean that they listen and hear, they know when to be quiet and listen versus always wanting to take the floor. They need to have compassion and the ability to build a safe environment for a mentoring conversation to take place. They need to understand the Socratic Method of asking questions and need to know when and how to use that technique. They need to guide versus tell and must never be responsible for the outcomes - if this happens they then take ownership of accountability and will create a dependency relationship.

I hope that this gives you some insight into what you should be looking for.

Q: What does a professional mentor do?

A: Great question!

I would be what you call a professional mentor or the term that I use is extraordinary mentor.

Here is the definition of an extraordinary mentor: “An extraordinary mentor is the one person that we all seek to become “our” mentor. They have embraced effective mentoring and the mentoring concepts as a way of life. They are typically someone that has had formal training and is certified as a competent mentor. Their client base spans the corporate world, private sector and entrepreneurial space. They demonstrate that industry knowledge is a nice to have – not a need to have as they are comfortable working cross industry. They are humble and use story telling/story sharing as a means to share their experiences. They mentor in person and remotely using technology as a communication medium. They are a student of the mentoring process and strive to learn and grow as much as the people they are mentoring. They create that extraordinary mentoring experience.”

I mentor people at all levels of an organization in person and virtually globally. I focus on the personal aspect of my client and then on their professional growth as the two are very much related.

If you wish to learn more please feel free to reach out to me and we can have a conversation.

Q: As a mentor, how do you get through to those facing different challenges than you had?

A: An extraordinary mentor is good at asking questions and knowing the right questions to ask in order to stimulate the critical thinking skills of their mentee. They are also good at story telling or story sharing using relevant experiences that are translated into a story format - guiding not telling.

I have had mentoring sessions that I did not have industry experience in on a professional level or something that the person is dealing with on a personal basis. I have found in each and every one that asking questions and telling stories has helped us navigate through the challenges with positive outcomes.

Proper mentor training will help alleviate questions that you may have on how to pull all of this together.

Q: Which mentors have helped you helped you in your life and which were not worth the time as you look back now?

A: All of my mentors - current and past has brought something to the mentor relationship. I can honestly say that there was never the time that I would say that it had been worth the time. If you are wanting to work with a mentor you need to be open to learning and development and knowing how to identify what those learning opportunities are. Sometimes the messages are there but we just don’t realize it at that specific time. Listen and hear what is being shared with you as it can be transformational.

Q: How do you mentor or help that one person who is always judgemental in pointing out the flaws of their co-workers?

A: My first question would be whether or not this person is open to constructive feedback themselves before they pass judgement on others. A large part of the challenge is the lack of communication skills in situations like this. One of the things that we teach through the mentoring process is the art of effective communication which would work well in this particular case. Using the pause technique and asking yourself how is what I am about to say going to be received is a great place to start. If you have any doubt that it will not be received in the right context then perhaps it is time to reword! This process works really well and enhances people’s communication skills.

Q: As a supervisor or boss, how do you handle a worker who has issues at work?

A: What some organizations have done is to bring in an external mentor to work with the employee to initiate behavioral changes for the positive. In all the situations that I have been involved in we have been successful in each and every one. In some cases the issues were personal which translated into work place behavior challenges. In other situations it was all about providing tools to assist in a positive behavior going forward. One thing to keep in mind is that it is not always the worker who needs guidance but it could also be the supervisor or boss.

Q: What are the benefits to having a business mentor?

A: I started my own business a number of years ago and have had mentors with me for the entire journey. I found mentors that brought certain skills and knowledge to the table to assist me. The important thing was that they all shared their lived experience but did not tell me what to do. They encouraged me by asking me questions to get me to critically think my way through the various challenges and opportunities that I would encounter.

I would not be where I am today if it were not from their guidance.

Q: How can entrepreneurs/founders get more leadership training?

A: Leadership training can come in a number of different manners of which mentoring is one. I am working with organizations to help develop their new managers through the mentoring process. I work with entrepreneurs to provide them with guidance to enhance their leadership capabilities. Formal leadership training if recommended is only part of the journey. You do need to have mentoring built into any leadership development program that you may have. I would recommend reaching out to a trained mentor to see what they can do for you. Make sure that you are going to get value from this and that they are the right fit for your organization.

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Doug Lawrence is an extraordinary mentor and mentor certification trainer with TalentC and is the International Mentoring Community Director of Education.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring programs will influence a happy workforce culture (mentors), improve employee productivity (mentees), reducing costly employee high turnover (onboarding), improves the bottom line (organizations), which saves 150% to 200% of the annual salary of each departing employee. He provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals and groups, all backgrounds and industries locally and internationally.

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is recognized as a “Most viewed writer in the Business Mentoring and Mentors and Mentoring categories on the Quora website (www.quora.com).

An international speaker and author of The Gift of Mentoring (2014), Doug’s second book is set to publish in late 2019.

Do you have a workplace crisis or issue to resolve?  Schedule a time to meet with Doug:     https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you aware of Sir Richard Branson’s Center of Entrepreneurship Caribbean?

The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean is a non-profit accelerator helping entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. They are on a mission to create dynamic Caribbean economies through entrepreneurship.

The “Gift of Mentoring” spans many industries and many continents. Understanding the power of mentoring is crucial to building sustainable organizations that will provide services to a global economy.

We at TalentC are delighted to report that our very own President, Doug Lawrence is one of only three mentors featured in the Branson Center of Entrepreneurship Caribbean’s 2018 Annual Report (page 33).

Doug Lawrence and TalentC are honored to be working with Sir Richard Branson’s team to create a dynamic Caribbean economy. We are collaborating with two phenomenal entrepreneurs, Christopher Boxe and Craig Hammond who are making a difference in the community they live in. Their accomplishments are a testament to the mission of the program that has been created by Sir Richard Branson and his team.  Embracing the value of mentoring has helped them in their success story.

“They [Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship Caribbean] paired us with mentors and have given us an advisory board, which acts as a great resource to share ideas about the business and management.” (Christopher Boxe)

 

TalentC – People Services Inc. is an organization that is focused on providing mentor training, workplace mentoring programs, mentoring at all levels of an organization on an international stage and thought leadership in the mentoring space. Our services help organizations get the best from their employees through the “Gift of Mentoring.”

For further information on the Caribbean Entrepreneurship Program: https://bransoncentre.co/

To view the 2018 Annual Report: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Af21a2f08-fe72-4e55-bbd0-f759d7b7474d

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC®.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring will encourage workforce culture to flow in harmony (mentors), improve productivity from employees (mentees), reducing costly employee onboarding improving the bottom line (organizations).

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is an international speaker and author about all facets of Mentoring. He published “The Gift of Mentoring” in 2014 with his second book set to publish in 2019.

Doug works with organizations to establish mentoring programs, influence mentoring as a culture, and provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals of all backgrounds and levels globally.

To contact Doug: https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL MENTORING COMMUNITY: What is it and How Can You Benefit from It?

 

 

 

 

 

I am asked on numerous occasions to respond to questions regarding mentoring, mentoring process and how mentoring can bring value to individuals and/or organizations. Here are some of those questions and my responses.

Q: Is buying mentorship worth it in 2019?

A: I agree with Wesley in that you need to make the decision whether you want to invest in yourself or not. A mentor can’t answer that for you. You obviously would have some options. A session by session option works for you from not having to commit to the long term but makes it really difficult to develop a trusting relationship which is a foundational element for successful mentoring relationships/arrangements. Purchasing a package of time is another option that would work for both you and the mentor. The mentor can commit to a strategy over a fixed period of time versus a commitment session by session.

You can think about the frequency of the mentor sessions and determine if access to your mentor is available in between the scheduled sessions. As part of my service offering I usually provide access to me in between sessions in case something comes up that is better dealt with immediately. Technology will become your best friend in reaching out to your mentor.

Finally you need to ask yourself one question, “Can you afford not to?”

Q: Have you ever mentored a software engineer intern? If so what was your process?

A: I have mentored people in the IT industry including software engineers. The process that I use varies very little between functions and industries. During the expectation discussion of what the mentor and mentee are each looking for I would determine the intern’s need for mentoring and then go from there. What I have found in the majority of my mentoring practice is that mentoring relationships/arrangements are a blend of personal and professional. If we do not address the personal challenges then we will likely have roadblocks and barriers to contend with.

The mentoring process is all about asking questions and that is what I would be doing in this case. I want to learn about the intern, their job, the organization and from there ask questions that stimulate critical thinking. We would work on creating a safe environment for the relationship/arrangement to grow and the building of a trusted relationship.

If you have more questions please feel free to reach out to me.

Q: Is having a mentor really important in order to advance my career?

A: I agree with what Sarah had said. This is a question that only you can truly answer. Understanding what the mentoring process is all about and what the benefits are will help you answer your question.

Think of mentoring as a two way trusted relationship where both the mentor and mentee will learn and grow on a personal and professional basis. The relationship must be two way, must be based on respect and trust and must be developed and nurtured in a safe environment.

I would recommend that you do some Google searches on the benefits of mentoring on a personal basis and on a professional basis. Inside all of that information lies the answer to your question. For me, the answer is simply, “Can you afford not to?”

Q: Have you considered using an Executive Coach? Why or why not?

A: I would add one more question to the mix and that is, “have you considered using an executive mentor?” Why or why not.

Executive mentoring is a growing practice. I have been interviewed by a proposed client along with some executive coaches and was selected to provide executive mentoring services. It was all about fit for the person and the value that he/she would receive from me. I am working with executives remotely and face to face on a global stage and it all comes back to understanding what your need is and how is that best served - executive coaching or executive mentoring.

Understanding the difference between the two is important and understanding what the outcomes are that you are looking for are key points that you need to address before securing any of these services. You need to make sure that you are going to get the value that you expect.

Q: Can a person be a good leader and a good mentor both at the same time?

A: The short answer is YES you can be a good leader and good mentor at the same time.

Let me qualify that a little bit more for you. When you look at the skill sets required for great leaders and you compare them to the skill sets required to be a great mentor they are very similar if not identical. In one of the leadership and mentoring presentations that I do on transformational leadership and mentoring I compare the two functions. They are for the most part identical. When you look at servant leadership the skill sets are similar as well.

When you look at Jim Collins’s book Good to Great you see the five levels of leadership. Mentoring has three - mentor, great mentor, and extraordinary mentor.

A great leader is a great mentor and a great mentor is a great leader.

 

INTERNATIONAL MENTORING COMMUNITY: What is it and How Can You Benefit from It?

 

 

 

 

 

I am asked on numerous occasions to respond to questions regarding mentoring, mentoring process and how mentoring can bring value to individuals and/or organizations. Here are some of those questions and my responses.

Q: What’s in it for someone who mentors fellow professionals for free?

A: I have a mix of people that I am in a mentoring partnership with - some that pay for the service and some that I provide the service at no cost. I view that as a way that I can give back.

I firmly believe that it is not about me and my focus needs to be on the person I am being of service to.

I don’t want you to be misguided however as I always come away with learning something from the time I spend with someone. It can be about them, the mentoring process or about myself. Seeing someone else grow whether on a personal or professional note is rewarding enough.

One of the things that I always focus on and always ask the question is, “what was the value that we got from our time together today?” The answer to that question is “what’s in it for me.”

Q: How do you mentor junior project managers?

A: This is a question that I get asked a lot and it always focuses on the myth that I need to have experience in a particular field before I can mentor someone from that industry.

I mentor people in all different industries and sectors and I do not have experience in some of those areas. As a result of being open to learning and asking the right questions I am gaining that knowledge through the mentoring partnerships that I have.

Mentoring is a two way trusted relationship where both parties of the mentoring partnership learn and grow on a personal and professional basis. The mentoring of a junior Project Manager would basically require that you follow proper mentoring concepts. You guide through the asking of the right questions to help the person develop or enhance critical thinking skills. Through the asking of those questions you will gain knowledge in the job and the industry that the PM is working in.

What I have found that is the most important task is making sure that you focus on the personal growth at the beginning of the relationship. I have seen far too often that when we don’t address the personal challenges the relationship slowly begins to erode and fall apart.

Q: Do you have a mentor? If you do, how did they become your mentor?

A: I have a number of mentors each who address a specific need or they are capable of addressing more than one specific need.

Some of the mentors that I have had or currently have were as a result of participating in an entrepreneurial start up program where mentoring is a key service that is provided.

Some of the mentors I have today are those that I found through work related relationships and the sense that they could fill a void that I may have. Because of my function as a Certified Competent Mentor and providing of that service to others I have become very particular about who I ask to become one of my mentors.

I am truly blessed to have the mentors that I do as part of my mentoring partnerships.

Q: How would the world be without mentors?

A: I honestly don’t believe that we have tapped into the full potential of mentoring. There is still some confusion as to what mentoring is all about and a lot of people are unsure of how to unlock mentoring in their organization.

I facilitate a mentoring circle every two weeks and we discuss what would life be like without mentoring. We have lots of great examples of where mentoring has been of value but the uncertainty is still there as some struggle understanding the full potential.

My best example of what it would be like is to illustrate what it could be like if we truly embraced the “gift of mentoring”. Imagine a world where mentoring was in place right from the very moment you are brought into the world. Mentoring would begin in the home. As you embarked on your educational journey you got to experience mentoring in the schools. Mentoring that followed you through to your journey to higher education and finally into the corporate world. You would be experiencing a nation, a country, a world that pride’s itself on learning and the sharing of that learning with others through the “gift of mentoring”.

When you picture that and fully embrace the “gift of mentoring” and what it has the potential to do I believe we have painted a picture of what it COULD be like rather than what it is WITHOUT it.  Ask yourself - “can we afford not to?”

Q: What is the best way to find a mentor for my business?

A: There are a number of ways that you can search for and find a mentor. You need to determine first however what it is that you need. You also have to come to terms with the fact that your mentor(s) do not need your industry specific knowledge. It is a nice to have - not a need to have. I am mentoring a number of people in different industries/sectors and we are moving forward with no difficulty.

Check with your local business community to see if there are any mentoring programs where they match mentors and mentees. You can also look on line for various organizations that provide business mentoring.

You may also want to explore a referral. I get a number of people being referred to me so we can begin to discuss whether or not we could work together in a mentoring relationship.

Once you think you have found someone it is really important to explore whether or not there is chemistry between the two of you as without that your relationship will struggle. Make sure you define expectations on both parts. Understand that some mentors charge for their services - if that is the case then you need to do some additional checks to make sure that you will receive value for that service.

Make sure that you are committed to the mentoring relationship and are willing to do the work that is required to be successful on a personal and professional level.

Q: Do you think achieving your goals is the result of mentoring, network connections or luck?

A: When I look back over my career and all of my accomplishments I would have to say that it is a little of all three. My network has provided me with some open doors which has resulted in being able to make a difference. Some of my accomplishments have been luck or more about being in the right place at the right time. Overall though mentoring has been the most consistent process in helping me achieve my goals and continues to do so today. Working with a great mentor is a blessing and is something that we need to commit to the journey. If you don’t commit then you will only see minimal benefits.

Q: What people skills have you learned from a mentor?

A: There are a number of skills that I have learned as a result of mentoring whether it be as a mentor or the recipient of great mentoring. I see everyone as unique and I need to tailor my leadership skills to each person on an individual basis. Mentoring is much the same. Another set of skills that I have learned and how share as part of my mentoring process/technique is “effective communication”. “Effective communication” takes into account active listening - listening and hearing what the other person is saying, listening for trigger words and deflections in the conversation, learning to pause and reflect before speaking - “how is what I am about to say going to be received? “The use of the Socratic Method - asking questions instead of telling someone how to do something.

The list goes on from here. Understanding people and how they communicate is a leadership skill as well as that of an extraordinary mentor.

Q: What is your best advice for someone who is thinking of mentoring others?

A: One of the things that I always recommend to anyone interested in the mentoring process is that if at all possible get some training on mentoring techniques and processes. You will find that by doing so you are able to create a deeper, richer mentoring experience not only for yourself but the person you are going to be mentoring.

Be open to learn as well. With each mentoring session that I do I come away having learned something about the person I am working with or about myself.  I then use that in my reflection that I do before and after each mentoring session.

Be committed to the process and to the person that you are going to be mentoring. Do not impose your expectations on your mentee but seek to understand their expectations and ability to meet those expectations. There are a number of moving parts in the mentoring process.

Most importantly enjoy the journey!

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL MENTORING COMMUNITY: What is it and How Can You Benefit from It?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am asked on numerous occasions to respond to questions regarding mentoring, mentoring process and how mentoring can bring value to individuals and/or organizations. Here are some of those questions and my responses.

 Q: Is a mentor crucial to success?

A: Mentoring focuses on personal and professional growth and we can have success in both of those areas. Anytime that you can have someone walk beside you as you continue your growth personally and professionally it is a good idea - in fact highly recommended.

When I look back over my career and where I am today I would not have achieved the success that I have had without the benefit of numerous mentors. These mentors have helped me grow on a personal and professional basis.

The short answer to your question is, “can you afford not to?”

Q: Who is an unlikely mentor and why?

A: Mentoring is a two way trusted relationship where the mentor and mentee will learn and grow together personally and professionally. It is all about building a trusted relationship and for the mentor to be able to create that safe environment for the relationship to nurture and grow.

To specifically answer your question an unlikely mentor for me would be someone that I could not make a connection with - that there was no chemistry with. I may realize part way into the mentoring relationship that this person cannot provide me with what I am looking for. It would be time to end that relationship and look for someone that can provide me with what I want.

What I am finding with all the mentoring that I am doing - paid and free is that the ability to listen is crucial. Someone that is not a good listener would not be a good mentor for me. Sometimes all we need is to talk our way through the problems that we are dealing with.

Q: If you were to pay someone for business coaching and mentorship, what would you look for?

A: I would be wanting to make sure that there was some form of chemistry between us. I would want them to be comfortable with addressing personal and professional growth. There are some business mentors that are not comfortable with the personal growth challenges. I have good examples of where the relationship went sour because they were not able to build a trusting relationship and unable to connect with the soft skills.

Ideally I would want someone that had some form of training. I recently was certified competent as a mentor and I see the value in that for me and how I mentor and it also has an impact for my mentees.

I would want my mentor to validate regularly that they are bringing value especially when I am paying for the service.

There are lot more variables that can come into play when selecting a mentor based on your criteria. These are some that I get most perspective mentees to consider before entering into an agreement for services.

Q: Can mentoring be a hindrance rather than a help to staff progression?

A: Mentoring if done correctly with a person who is committed to the journey would be more of a help rather than a hindrance.

What gets missed in the professional development via mentoring is the personal aspect. I always focus on the personal growth first in order to remove any obstacles or barriers that may be a hindrance to professional development.

Proper training for mentors in the mentoring process is key to all of this.

Q: What do the best Mentors do?

A: Best Mentors or extraordinary mentors want to be of service. They work with people to guide them on their journey to personal and professional growth. Extraordinary Mentors learn and grow along with the people they serve. There isn’t a time when I haven’t learned something from a mentoring session. Extraordinary Mentors are caring, humble and always put the people they serve first.

A great leader is a great mentor and a great mentor is a great leader.

Q: Do you have any mentors? Who are they?

A: I have a number of mentors. I have a mentor that provides me with business advice and guidance, someone that fulfills my need for relationships, someone who can advise me on technology but is also a good friend, someone that can advise me on marketing. This is just a sample of the marvelous people that I have been able to surround myself with.

In the majority of the relationships it is mutual growth on a personal and professional basis. We set expectations for our mentoring relationship and then begin the journey together. We check in every so often to make sure that each of us is getting value from our time together.

We all need to embrace the “Gift of Mentoring” and experience a deeper, richer mentoring experience that will help us personally and professionally.

Q: How can we ask questions to our mentor?

A: To answer your question you need to think what am I searching an answer for? Is it something to do with your personal growth or something to do with your professional growth? I would be asking you what is it that you wish to accomplish that has now become a question that you do not have the answer for.

When you begin the mentoring relationship you need to outline the expectations of that relationship. One of the topics may be how do we communicate (ask questions) of each other in a respectful manner.

When I work with people there is lots of dialogue back and forth until we reach a point where I need to listen rather than talk. Sometimes that is to allow the person I am in a mentoring relationship with to ask questions and other times it is to just listen.

If you are unsure still please feel free to reach out to me and we can set up a time to discuss.

Q: What does a mentor want from you?

A: What I hope for is a person that is committed to the mentoring process. They are ready to grow personally and professionally and are willing to do the heavy lifting in the mentoring relationship. They will be accountable for the outcomes whatever they may be. They understand and accept that I am there to guide - not tell them what to do.

Q: Can you have a mentor that you have never met?

A: You most definitely can. When I look at the people I am working with in a mentor partnership the majority I had never met before. They were introduced to me through referral or via my website and then the scheduling of a time to chat. I have had some mentors that I had known before and they became my mentor as they were able to provide guidance in an area that I needed guidance.(technology, finance)

It is important to note that if you have not met before then take the time to build a solid mentoring partnership. I break a mentoring partnership down into three (3) categories. They are; trusting phase, learning and development phase and the maintenance phase. In this case I recommend some extra time in the “trusting phase” in order to get to know your mentor.

International Mentoring Community - Talentc - Doug Lawrence

 

 

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC®.

Doug shows organizations how mentoring will encourage workforce culture to flow in harmony (mentors), improve productivity from employees (mentees), reducing costly employee onboarding improving the bottom line (organizations).

Doug is an International Certified Mentor Practitioner (ICMP), an International Certified Mentor Facilitator (ICMF), and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC).

Doug is an international speaker and author about all facets of Mentoring. He published “The Gift of Mentoring” in 2014 with his second book set to publish in 2019.

Doug works with organizations to establish mentoring programs, influence mentoring as a culture, and provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals of all backgrounds and levels globally.

To contact Doug: https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

 

 

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Update - May 2020

So much has happened since I wrote this article in 2015 that I thought it was time to add to it. Globally we are dealing with a Pandemic and our normal life has changed and we have yet to define our new norm. A lot has changed for me as well and I will share that with you now.

In the fall of 2017 I began the journey of moving to a new certification body which would take mentor certification to a whole new level. I was very fortunate to be introduced to Dr. Stephen Hobbs who ironically was exploring mentor competence as was I. The need for a shift to competence had come from mentor practitioners who wanted more. They encouraged me to move ahead in researching and implementing a mentor certification that was focused on competence. Dr. Hobbs brought his wisdom and knowledge of certification and the ISO standards that were part of that process.

In 2018, the International Mentoring Community (IMC) was formed with that organization becoming the certification body for mentors. Three levels of certification have been developed; Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring, Certificate of Competence – Mentor and Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor. The Certification schema ISO 9001 – Quality, ISO 17024 – Assessment, and ISO 21001 – Education Management are the global standards that are key to the IMC Certification process. While the IMC could be the provider of “all things mentoring” it has become the independent body to provide governance, standards, certification and re-certification for mentors. The certification process has moved away from using an examination as a determining factor to one of a portfolio based. Mentors wishing to be certified build a portfolio which contains a number of elements which includes a mentoring log. The portfolio once completed is submitted to an Auditor for the Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and to a Verifier for the Certificate of Competence – Mentor and Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor. The Verifier is verifying that the mentor is competent based on their portfolio and an extensive Verification interview. Each Certification Level is driven by the Profile document that has been completed. The Profile document contains Action_Outcome or competence statements that clearly articulate the behaviors the mentor must possess in order to create that deeper, richer mentoring experience.

IMC is also a source of knowledge in the form of articles, videos, courses and workshops on all things mentoring. Continuous learning and development is important to certified mentors as they continue to grow their mentoring practice.

We have evolved over the past few years and now have an international certification for mentors and have taken mentor certification to a new level – a deeper, richer mentoring experience based on competence.

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Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC® and Co-founder of the International Mentor Community.

Doug leads organizations to experience the benefits how mentoring will encourage workforce culture to flow in harmony (mentors), improve productivity from employees (mentees), reducing costly employee onboarding improving the bottom line (organizations).

Doug is an International Certified Mentor, and has obtained his Certificate of Achievement – Mentoring and his Certificate of Competence – Mentor from the International Mentoring Community (IMC). Doug is currently obtaining his Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor.

Doug’s Practice of Mentoring has resulted in his accumulation of 2,000 hours of mentoring (in person and virtual), 197 hours of speaking opportunities and 672 hours teaching others how to effectively mentor.

Doug is a volunteer mentor with the Sir Richard Branson Entrepreneur Program in the Caribbean and with the American Corporate Partners in the United States working with military personnel in their transition from military life to civilian life. Doug is currently working with researchers to examine the role of mentoring as a support for those struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His experience in law enforcement coupled with working with people suffering from PTSD has afforded him a unique view of mentoring and PTSD.

Doug is an international speaker and author about all facets of Mentoring. He published “The Gift of Mentoring” in 2014 with his second book set to publish in 2020.

Doug works with organizations to establish mentoring programs, influence mentoring as a culture, and provides one-on-one direct mentoring for individuals of all backgrounds and levels globally.

Contact Doug directly to discover how mentoring can improve your organization.

>>  https://calendly.com/doug-lawrence

March 2015

I wrote an article for Certification Subject Matter Experts (CSME – http://csme.us/certification-in-mentoring-why-is-it-important/) on the topic of Certification as it relates to mentoring. CSME offers the International Certification for Mentoring and the professional designation as a International Certified Mentor Practitioner. The designation is based on International Standards Organization (ISO) 17024.
In some of my conversations with clients there is some confusion in the terminology around mentor training and mentor programs/cultures. There are times where the lines become blurred for some reason and I thought we could set the record straight.

The International Certification for Mentoring and the professional designation as a Certified Mentor Practitioner is achieved through a combination of academic and practical experience. CSME is the independent body that oversees the accreditation, certification and examination process as well as ensuring that the standards and Governance processes are maintained with integrity. TalentC®is the Accredited Training Organization that provides the accredited curriculum required in order to gain the knowledge and expertise required for the professional designation. This is sometimes referred to incorrectly as a mentor program.

A mentor program or a mentor culture in the majority of situations does not go through the accreditation, certification, or Governance process that the International Certification for Mentoring has. In the majority of cases programs are implemented with or without the guidance of a consultant and the organization continues its journey with mentoring. These programs are not certified unless they have gone through an independent process. The International Mentoring Association offers that service where they can certified your mentoring program and provide you with the standards required to ensure that your program will sustain its growth in your organization and more importantly it will have the Governance and standards to ensure its success. (http://mentoringassociation.org/recognition/accreditation-2/accreditation-process/)
When I think of a mentor program I think of a number of different things that need to be in place. I will comment on those shortly but want to refresh our memory on the four reasons that mentoring programs fail: 1) lack of corporate support, 2) lack of structure, 3) lack of training and 4) a culture that will not support mentoring. If any of those are not in alignment it can be a recipe for failure. We strongly recommend a culture assessment to determine an organization’s mentor readiness prior to implementing a mentoring program.

When implementing a mentor program or a mentor culture we should always be asking ourselves what is the business problem we are trying to solve with mentoring. If you can answer that question then we can begin to measure the effectiveness of mentoring in your organization. If you cannot answer that question then you need to step back from your implementation plans and determine “why” you are going on this journey. Once you have progressed past this step you can then look at communication strategies, structures, stakeholders, training, etc. which are all key components to the success of your mentor program implementation. One of the things to ask yourself is do I want to have my mentor program “certified” and if so is it important enough to seek that independent 3rd party review such as what is offered by the International Mentoring Association. Self-certification/accreditation detracts from the credibility that your program may have.

I have done a lot of research on the topic of certifications and accreditation over the past few years and having that overseen by an independent body is a best practice and one that adds value to your clients when it relates to professional designations. When it relates to certifying your program and using the terminology that you have a “certified program” having that done through a 3rd party brings additional credibility to your organization, the program that you have implemented and the services that you provide.
Certification and accreditation is an important step and one that should not be taken lightly.

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