1. Growing Coworkers through Relationship and Modeling
Mentoring
Growing Coworkers through Relationship and Modeling

2. Mentoring is a relational teaching method which relies heavily on modeling. It provides a safe and supportive environment for risk taking. It utilizes challenges to provide appropriate risks. The mentor models vision, in terms of patterns of thinking, to guide the mentoree into appropriate problem-solving and relational paradigms. Mentoring is dynamic in that it results in a gradual increase in self-teaching and therefore a changing relationship with the mentor.

3. Leaders as Mentors Be a facilitator and coach, not an order-giver.
Motivate through involvement.
Maintain a sense of partnership.
Look for challenges in work as teaching opportunities.

4. Role of a Mentor
Treating people as partners leads to the development of independent coworkers; treating them as observers leads to the formation of dependent followers who continue asking for guidance.

5. Growth Necessitates Movement
Support provides safety for movement.
Challenge provides motivation for movement.
Vision provides guidance for movement.

6. Supporting Listening Providing structure Safe environment
Providing continuity (through presence and experience)
Encouraging
Advocating
Offering mental maps
Positive expectations

7. Challenging Setting tasks Questioning assumptions or approaches
Setting standards
Encouraging hypothetical thinking
Providing feedback
Constructing hypotheses

8. Purpose of Challenge
When a mentor challenges, it creates cognitive dissonance which the mentoree wants to eliminate. This is intended to lead to growth.

9. Visioning Modeling Providing cognitive maps New language Metaphors
Analyzing one’s own position from different vantage points

10. Centrality of Vision
Vision is the ability to see the world in new ways.
One purpose of mentoring is to unveil new perspectives, new ways of thinking and acting.
Mentoring should assist people in becoming critical thinkers.

11. Mentors’ Comprehensive Approach to Topics
Broad overview
Context
Relationship to other topics
Assumptions and their alternatives
Discussion and debate
Applications, past and possible
History
Experts
Cultural Variances
Other points of view
Controversial positions and perspectives
Analysis
Reflection
Polarities vs. either/or

12. Thesis (Support) + Antithesis (Challenge) => Synthesis (Vision)
The Growth Dialectic
Support confirms, identifies, and establishes the thesis.
Challenge identifies and proposes the antithesis.
Vision enables synthesis.
Thesis (Support) + Antithesis (Challenge) => Synthesis (Vision)

13. Vision as the Basis for Change
“Vision…is the field on which the dialectical game between the old self and the new can be played; it is the context that hosts both support and challenge in the service of transformation.”
Laurent Daloz
Synthesis is not compromise, but a way of thinking in which the only solution is through an understanding of the opposing position.

14. Final Thoughts
We learn as much from how we are taught as from what we are taught.
Spend more time with fewer people to create a lasting impact.