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It is well known that if more experienced employees take patronage over newcomers, the problem of adaptation of the latter does not arise in the team. How to make the process of transferring valuable knowledge and skills more efficient and manageable, what mentoring tools are used today, what mistakes lie in wait for those who began to implement them?

FEATURE OF LEARNING ADULTS

How to teach something to an adult, how to transfer knowledge to him? People learn from their experiences and their own experiences, which is directly related to motivation.

The problem with many new hires is that they want to work but lack the skills. The purpose of mentoring is to help a young specialist “move” to the “I can, I want” box, that is, to allow him, in addition to his desire, to acquire opportunities for productive activity.

Rice. one. Readiness young specialist to work. (Based on the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model)

Let's take a look at Fig. 1 Young professional readiness for work.

1 situation "I can not - I do not want". The person does not have the skills, and what is more, is not motivated. In order to include him in activities, you must first motivate him. Otherwise, you will be faced with an insurmountable barrier of protection.

2 situation "I can not - I want". A person is motivated, therefore, open to gaining new knowledge, he is in a state of learning. It is important here to build a scheme for working with an employee in stages. How are you going to teach him. Also remember that it takes 21 days to develop any skill.

3 situation "I can - I want". A situation in which it is reasonable to develop a horizontal career for an employee. He already possesses the necessary knowledge and skills. He needs to raise the "goal bar" and expand the zones of excellence.

4 situation "I can - I do not want". A person is in a state of protest, a kind of sabotage. It is necessary to find out what is the reason for demotivation. It may be necessary to give the work a new meaning.

The training of a new employee can occur spontaneously (if, for example, he observes the work of his colleague) or deliberately (if he enrolls in courses and gains new knowledge). Gaining experience, the employee consciously or unconsciously reflects, draws conclusions, and when performing a new task plans and performs other actions. This, in turn, leads to new experiences, and the cycle is renewed. Thus, training is a process of acquiring and assimilating new knowledge and skills, passing through four stages, which must be taken into account when training mentors.

This four-step process represents the transition from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence.

1. Unconscious incompetence

With unconscious incompetence, you do not know that you do not know or do not know how to do something (“I don’t know that I don’t know”). In our case the new employee I have not yet realized the lack of my own competence. So, a child, when traveling with his parents in a car, realizes the fact of travel, but does not understand that he does not know how to drive, that is, remains in the dark about his own incompetence.

2.Conscious incompetence

With conscious incompetence, the employee acquires “knowledge of his ignorance”. This usually happens when there is a desire to perform a new action. For example, a teenager who does not know how to drive a car is constantly forced to ask someone to give him a lift, and is acutely worried about his incompetence. In the case of an employee, this may be, for example, his desire to make a cover for a magazine when he realizes that he lacks knowledge of Photoshop.

3. Conscious competence

In order to become consciously competent, an employee needs to undergo training. Often, at this stage, the employee exactly copies the actions of his mentor. For example, a beginner recalls how an experienced designer made a layout for a magazine cover, that is, he realizes that he “knows what he knows”. So, having successfully completed the courses and received a license, the novice driver will still whisper to himself: "Mirror, signal, turn", that is, consciously control the car, controlling every action.

4. Unconscious competence. With unconscious competence, the employee performs certain actions so often that they become habitual, a subconscious algorithm is developed. This is the “I don’t know about what I know” stage. An experienced designer cannot explain to a new employee how to create a "masterpiece", he does it on a whim. With many years of driving experience, you drive the car “on the machine”. Leading it, you do not scrupulously analyze your actions, since they are guided by your subconscious.

When a person learns to drive, these four stages can be clearly traced: with the help of a driving instructor, the person goes through the stages of conscious incompetence and conscious competence. Learning can be accelerated by deliberately repeating the cycle or also with the help of an instructor to arrive at improved driving through the second and third stages, or independently during training.

Error 1. The mentor does not know how to convey experience, cannot explain to the new employee the algorithm of actions, because he himself is in the stage of unconscious competence. He is like brilliant artist, who says to the apprentice "learn", but does not help himself, cannot explain what and how to do.

Rule 1. In order to be a mentor, it is necessary to return from the stage of unconscious competence to the stage of conscious competence.

STYLES OF MENTORING

Depending on the level of training of the new employee and the complexity of the task, the mentor chooses the style of interaction with him.

Briefing - it is a style in which the mentor gives clear step-by-step directions to the trainee or invites him to copy his own actions. At the same time, he does not explain why it is necessary to do this and not otherwise - the mentor has a ready-made correct answer. The disadvantages of this method are obvious: often blindly following the instructions leads to the opposite of the desired result. Let us recall, for example, the film "The Diamond Hand": the instruction "Ice cream for children, flowers for his woman!" without explanation led to a comical situation.
Explanation - a style in which the mentor shows how to correctly perform a particular job, and explains each step in detail, gives a rationale for his actions. He has an explanation of which algorithm is correct and why. If you go back to the example from the movie "The Diamond Arm" and dream up, you could put the following remark into the lips of the hero: “Children - ice cream, because they love sweets. Flowers to his woman: women love signs of attention. " Consciousness and validity of actions guarantee success for the mentor.
Development- this is a style in which the mentor simply poses questions to the trainee and invites him to explain what, how and why he will do. Let's turn to a plot from the same film. You can imagine that if time allowed, the hero would build a special conversation with a partner, using developmental questions:

“What do you think to give children to make a good impression? What do children like to eat? "," What do you think, what gifts do women like? " - and from the error that we see in the film, the characters would be insured. After all, the student himself would find the answers to the questions, and his decision would become conscious.

For clarity, we summarize in Table 1 all the methods of mentoring.

Table 1. Benefits and Limitations of Mentoring Techniques

Method	Advantages	Restrictions
Briefing - clear instructions, provision of an algorithm of actions. Used in standard situations and in case of force majeure, when it is impossible to hesitate	Clarity, clarity of instructions Predictability of the result Speed of information transfer The ability to easily check point by point how the student understood the task	Pressure on the trainee Low motivation of the trainee, because his opinion is not asked The inability for the trainee to act correctly in non-standard situations The need to draw up an algorithm for each situation The likelihood that, in the event of failure, the trainee will shift responsibility to the mentor
Explanation- the rationale for each step of the algorithm	Rationale for each step, raising awareness of the activity Increasing student motivation Sharing responsibility between mentor and trainee	Increasing the time spent by the mentor with the trainee The likelihood that the student can leave the topic, ask unnecessary questions Impatience in learners with high self-esteem The possibility that the trainee will challenge the mentor's opinion
Development- "aerobatics". The mentor does not give ready-made answers, he only encourages the solution of problems, invites the student to think of it himself. The learner must have a high level of development and sufficient motivation	Increased motivation through awareness of equity in communication Understanding of the meaning of the operations performed by the trainees More high quality learning There is a high likelihood of new ways of acting, new solutions Better understanding between the trainee and the mentor in the future	Increasing mentor time The likelihood of stress due to responsibility, fear in the student Possible refusal of the student to solve problems in case of failure, transition to the level of instruction Increased responsibility and risk for the mentor

Mistake 2. It is dangerous to be mistaken in thinking that if one technique was effective with one trainee, then it will be effective with another.

Rule 2. The mentor determines the style of communication with the trainee individually. The professional position of a mentor depends on the level of the trainee and the situation.

PURPOSE FORMULATION

The goal is the image of the result. It depends on the mentor whether he can simply and clearly convey the goal to the student and inspire the ward to achieve it.

There are no unattainable goals, but there are mutually exclusive criteria for achieving them that should be avoided.

Let's take as a basis the production SMART goals... The word smart itself, translated into Russian, means “smart”, and the results of the work should be:

specific
measurable
attainable
relevant
time-bounded.

Thus, setting a goal correctly means that it is also specific, measurable, achievable, meaningful and must be achieved by a specific deadline. Consider each objective criterion.

Specific and positively worded

Incorrect: "Make me a mock cover, just not red on black."

Correct: "Make three versions of the layout according to template A". A negatively stated “don't do” goal indicates what needs to be avoided, not what needs to be achieved. The subconscious mind does not perceive the “not” particle, but hears the command “red on black”, therefore, formulating the goal according to the principle “do not do this”, you, as a mentor, risk getting the exact opposite result.

Measurable

How do you measure a goal? It should be expressed in pieces, sheets, percentages, rubles, etc. For example, "three layouts according to template A" is an example of correctly formulated criteria, an indication of what and how to do.

Incorrect: "Dig from the fence until lunchtime."

Correct: "Every day you have to negotiate with three clients."

Achievable

The manager himself, when setting a goal, must be sure that it is achievable, and this is not about belief in luck or a miracle. The goal should not be too simple, otherwise there will be no motivation to achieve it, at the same time, a goal that is too difficult can scare an insecure learner. It should fall under the description of "difficult but doable", challenge the learner (challenge). That is, it should be set taking into account individual characteristics, slightly below the limit of the trainee's capabilities. The difficulty level will gradually increase.

Wrong: giving an inexperienced worker an overly difficult task.

That's right: it is a little more difficult to give a problem than the student has already had to solve.

Target related to a specific time frame

Wrong: "Make a layout, well, come on by the end of the month."

Significant

The goal should motivate the learner. It is necessary to formulate it so that the goal becomes his own. A mentor, as a rule, cannot directly indicate, command, at his disposal only methods of non-material motivation.

Wrong: "Make this layout, I need it."

That's right: "You will make this layout, and you will have the opportunity to declare yourself in the team of our designers."

Mistake 3. The mentor misrepresents the goal for the learner

Rule 3. Match the goal with SMART criteria

HOW TO DIRECT THE WENT IN THE TRAINING PROCESS

Rules road traffic describe the sign "Main road". Developmental questions are a "sign of the main road" in the transfer of knowledge. The system of developmental questions allows you to determine a real plan of action, helps the student to understand it, which, in turn, contributes to the formation of a responsible attitude to business.

Table 2. Developmental questions

Stage	Example question	Usefulness of the question
1. Awareness of the situation and available resources	From whom and what depends on this moment development of events? What exactly, how and to what extent do you personally influence?	Allows the trainee to become aware of personal responsibility, Designate the areas of your competence.
2. Realizing Opportunities and Barriers	What can you do and what are the possible obstacles? What conditions would be ideal for achieving the goal? How can you influence the emergence of favorable conditions and neutralize unfavorable conditions?	Psychological preparation for obstacles. The trainee prepares in advance how to cope with difficulties, if any.
3. Development of an action plan	What, when, to whom, and in what sequence should be done to achieve what was planned? To achieve the goal: what must be done, what is desirable, and what can you do without? Who will be responsible for each stage? When should the actions be taken at each stage? What additional funds and assistance will be needed at each stage? What will indicate the possibility of advancing to the next stage?	The learner learns to separate significant criteria from insignificant ones Plan work and time, Independently determine the level of his skill (i.e. understand how long it will take him to complete the work) Work in a team
4.Final elaboration	What else requires additional clarification? What are the options? What could be fundamentally different approaches to the problem?	The trainee learns to be creative in solving any problem

Error 4. Having set the problem, the mentor forgets to check how the student understood it and whether he has enough resources to solve it.

Rule 4. Use at least three developmental questions after setting the problem. Find out how the learner is going to solve it.

FEEDBACK AS A DEVELOPMENT TOOL

The ability to provide effective feedback is one of the most important skills of a mentor, it is a complete picture of the student's actions in a particular situation. Analysis of the effectiveness of its actions and discussion are also important components of this process. possible ways its increase in the future. For the mentor, there is a great danger of criticizing the student, which is why there are rules for feedback. “Vasya, you did the wrong thing” - this is not a feedback, because the trainee does not know what exactly he did wrong and what the mentor would like to see.

Feedback - This is a technique of conflict-free criticism aimed at making the interlocutor himself want to change his behavior.

Training exercise

There are three stages of feedback:

1) a description of the situation about which feedback is provided

2) a description of your attitude to this situation and its consequences

3) wishes about the further results of the interlocutor's actions in similar situations, ways to improve work efficiency.

Feedback principles

The following principles of providing feedback can be distinguished.

1. Balance, positive focus

The learner should feel that the feedback is helping him learn. If she is too critical, he can internally reject her, if she is too laudatory, then this can be perceived as custody, which can also cause rejection.

Feedback should combine the description of positive aspects and “growth points” for the learner. Maintaining a balance is to make the feedback acceptable to the learner, to inspire him for professional and personal growth.

2. Concreteness

Feedback is not a discussion about whether the learner said or did not say something, did or did not. The mentor must always refer to a specific fact or action. Avoid generalizing phrases like "you always ...", "you tend to ...", etc.

Feedback is about what was said, done and how, but not why... Guessing someone's motives introduces an atmosphere of mistrust and hostility into the conversation. An example of a specific response: "You did your ABC study yesterday, and I asked for the gradient principle."

3.Behavioral orientation, valuelessness

By providing feedback should focus on behavior rather than personality as such. We should talk about what people do, not what we think of them. Thus, we can tell someone that he "spoke more than anyone else during the meeting" instead of saying "you are too talkative." The first phrase leaves room for change, while the second is just an assessment of a character trait. The presence of an assessment in a statement reduces the volume of information perception and causes resistance to what was said. After the phrase “Masha, you are a bad helper for me in this project,” a person may psychologically “close down” and not perceive what was done wrong. We need to include the learner in the process, not turn him off with criticism.

4.Timeliness

"The Road is a Spoon to Dinner." The principle of positive reinforcement is one of the key in training, and giving feedback on time is the best that a mentor can do: "Today you did all the work perfectly." The worst thing is when the mentor remembers that, for example, the layout made by Vasya made an impression on him, a week later.

5. Activity

A person learns best when he answers the questions himself. Give him a chance to correct mistakes on his own: “How do you think, how much did you do your job, 100%? What could have been done differently here? Are there any options? " Table 3

Table 3. Examples of statements

Feedback (allows you to improve the work, understand what happened, and what you need to work on)	“You have made the layout very conceptually, in accordance with the corporate style, the inscription looks harmonious, next time stick to the same style. Well done!" “The report was written according to plan, as we discussed. All three important criteria have been taken into account, but the fourth criterion needs to be worked on. Agree with me?" “You and I have come to the conclusion that you need to talk politely with the buyer. Tell me, how do you think, how politely you spoke to the man in the hat? "
Praise (the trainee does not understand what exactly was done well, what he is already doing)	"Well done!" "Fine"
Criticism (the student does not know what mistakes he made, what exactly he should work on)	"Nonsense turned out!" "Well, who does that?"
Lack of feedback (the learner remains unaware of how and in what direction, he will develop further)	"Yeah ..." "Fine…" “So, I see ...

Error 5. At best, the mentor does not give feedback to the trainee; at worst, he criticizes him.

Rule 5. Before expressing your attitude to the student's performance, remember the principles of feedback. By criticizing, we force a person to either defend himself, showing aggression, or make excuses, or feel guilty. Criticism does not lead to any constructive actions.

The feedback principle is a universal development tool. The HR manager can also take it on board. Thus, it is possible to give feedback to the mentor. We are all mentors for each other in life, and all of the above techniques work in any learning and development situation.

In preparing the article, training materials were used

N. Bondarenko and A. Tokar "Mentoring", 2007

-> Do you want to get real training tools in 7 days?

By development, we mean all processes that contribute to the full potential of employees. The main elements of the personnel development system are the acquisition of experience, training and mentoring. The institution of mentoring is not new: the idea was widespread in our country back in Soviet time; it is very popular in Western countries as well. For many organizations today, mentoring is becoming an integral part of the corporate culture.

Mentoring is a long-term investment
development of the organization, in its "health".
David Meister

V general view Mentoring can be defined as a way of transferring knowledge and skills from a more experienced person to a less experienced person. More broadly, modern meaning A mentor is a qualified person with sufficient experience in the company who:

helps new employees adapt to the organization;
promotes their professional development, career growth;
participates in the assessment of the results of their activities.

The mentor, on the one hand, represents the interests of the employee in relations with the company, and on the other hand, is its representative for the employee.

The need to implement a mentoring system is especially evident for fast-growing organizations. However, despite the fact that the institute of mentoring is practically a free resource, not all companies use it as actively as trainings, internships, etc. work. In order to further develop employees and unleash their potential, this tool is not used so widely. But for companies specializing in the provision of professional services, this is the key component of mentoring. Professionals are focused on career development and it is mentors who can help them in their continuing professional development.

Who needs it

Who is most interested in the implementation and development of the mentoring system? Experience shows that all participants in this process benefit:

Mentor develops management skills, increases his status in the company, gains a professional reputation and the trust of colleagues, takes part in the formation of a professional team (this is very important, since the effectiveness of the entire team depends on the efficiency of each of its members).
Employee receives timely assistance at the stage of integration into the company, support in professional and career development.
Company stabilizes the number of employees (reduced staff turnover), forms a team of highly qualified loyal employees.
Human Resources Management Service receives a powerful supportive resource: in companies with a developed mentoring system, mentors are involved in almost all major HR processes.

When introducing a mentoring system, questions naturally arise: “Do all categories of employees need a mentor? When is his help especially important? " Practice shows that a mentor is necessary, first of all, in the following cases:

1) newcomers who have come to a well-coordinated team - they need not only access to information and learning new skills, but also just human help and support;
2) employees who have great potential for professional growth - in the future they will be able to lead the team to new achievements;
3) employees with low labor efficiency - the overall performance of the entire team depends on this.

In the same organizations where career orientation is at the core of corporate philosophy, every team member needs a mentor! For example, in our company, every employee has a mentor - from the first day of work, regardless of their job level. This helps us never stop in our professional development.

Who can become a mentor

The mentor must hold a position at least one or two levels higher than his ward: this "gap" ensures effective interaction and effective transfer of knowledge. (It is not always possible to follow this rule - but it is necessary to strive for it.) Starting from a certain job level, mentoring can (and should) be one of the requirements that determine the further career growth of the mentor himself.

It is desirable that the role of the mentor be performed by an "outside" employee: practice shows that direct managers are more interested in current work results subordinate, not his development or career prospects, and there is more subjectivity in the relationship. (However, if the relationship between the manager and the subordinate is based on trust and partnership, then this option is also possible.)

A good mentor must be different in a number of ways. positive qualities, in particular:

have a high level of loyalty to the company, be the bearer of the key values of the corporate culture;
have a systematic understanding of the work of your department and the company as a whole;
have significant experience in the field of their professional activities;
have a desire to be a mentor, otherwise mentoring will be perceived as an additional burden, and this will sooner or later affect the quality; what is important - the mentor is required to have a sincere desire to help the ward, and not just from time to time to evaluate the results of his work;
be ready to invest your time in the development of another person (this is one of the most painful questions: it is impossible to become a good mentor if the desire to help is not an absolute value for a person);
be capable of constructive criticism: the main word here is “constructive”. (When a mentor evaluates the actions of an employee, this should not resemble a critical analysis - the assessment should first of all contain specific proposals for improving the work);
be proactive and provide regular feedback. A good mentor is always aware of the employee's problems. If the ward has problems in work or relationships, he does not wait until the end of the year (when at a meeting to summarize the results, it is possible to fix what has not been done), but takes action immediately in order to timely adjust the employee's actions.

A description of a portrait of an ideal mentor may suggest that not all employees meet such high criteria, even if formally they may qualify for the role of a mentor. Therefore, the questions arise: "Can everyone be a mentor?" and "Where to find worthy candidates?" More precisely: what needs to be done to bring up good mentors from employees? Most likely, there are no universal answers to these questions: the selection criteria for mentors, as well as their development paths, depend on the characteristics of the corporate culture of a particular company, management style, management's understanding of the importance of the mentoring system, and many other factors.

Mentoring system

The most important issues for the company are 1) the quality of mentoring and 2) the conscientious attitude of mentors to their duties. Therefore, we are talking about mentoring system- a set of measures that the company is obliged to take in order to provide quality training for mentors and, to a certain extent, guarantee the effectiveness of their work.

Different companies are developing different approaches to the appointment and training of mentors. In organizations with a long tradition and developed corporate culture All employees can be mentors from a specific job level. There is even a perception in some that the very existence of tradition and culture is a sufficient condition for not providing formal training for mentors. In those companies that are introducing a mentoring system for the first time, mentors may initially be 1) volunteers and / or 2) employees who meet the above criteria as much as possible.

In any case, mentoring is not so much an innate gift as a skill that can be mastered. This means that mentors need to be trained:

on relevant trainings (internal or external);
at seminars for the exchange of experience;
when mentors meet with their own mentors.

Naturally, the mentoring process should be organized in such a way that the employee's activity as a mentor does not affect his main job (otherwise, his work efficiency will decrease). In this regard, an important question is: how many employees assigned to the mentor will be optimal? Practice shows that "ideally" the number of wards should not be more than five or six.

It is equally important to consider the relationship in a pair of "mentor - mentored" in dynamics: to assess their effectiveness in a timely manner, to replace the mentor if necessary. This may be required for various reasons:

the employee "caught up" with the mentor in career growth;
the ward or mentor has moved to another unit (moved to another region);
the mentor quit;
psychological incompatibility was discovered (in this case, the person often asks for a replacement of the mentor himself), etc.

Of course, developing a mentoring culture is a lengthy process; it takes some time for most employees to embrace the new values. At first, negative reactions are possible - misunderstanding, mistrust, irony ...

Processes accompanied by a mentor

In companies specializing in the provision of professional services, a mentor accompanies a number of processes in which an employee participates: adaptation, performance management and training.

Adaptation... Each of us has once found ourselves in the role of a beginner, so we remember how important it is to get up to speed quickly, how great in the first days of work is the need to obtain the necessary information. Of course, the new employee receives the necessary information from many sources - from the recruiter at the interview stage, at the orientation session from the personnel of the personnel department, from the secretary, from the head of the department ... etc. His role in the adaptation process is much more difficult and responsible - he must:

help the employee understand and accept their new status In the organisation;
master new norms of behavior;
familiarize yourself with corporate values;
help establish and maintain relationships with the team;
help the employee develop the professional skills necessary to perform it functional responsibilities etc.

The mentor's responsibilities also include setting goals for the period probationary period, summing up the results upon its completion and making a decision on its passage. To summarize the results of the probationary period, the mentor must meet with his ward and analyze whether the goals have been achieved, and if not, why. In companies where a more formalized approach is adopted, the mentor, following the meeting, fills out a special questionnaire. By signing it, the employee gets acquainted with the results of the assessment of the passage of the probationary period - that is, he receives the first formal feedback.

Performance management... This process includes two components: 1) annual planning and 2) performance assessment ( scheme).

Mentor-Mentor Relationship Diagram

1. Annual planning(setting goals and developing a development plan). In companies that use goal-based management technologies, each employee at the beginning of the year must define individual goals and form a development plan for the coming year. These goals can be refined and adjusted in the middle of the year - during the mid-term performance appraisal procedure. Responsibilities of a mentor at the stage of goal setting:

to ensure that the employee understands the tasks facing the company and its division;
adjust and approve his goals for the year;
assess the competence of the employee;
discuss the employee's career opportunities;
help develop an individual development plan.

The mentor should encourage the student to set ambitious and at the same time real goals, as well as take a proactive stance when planning your development.

2. Performance assessment (intermediate and final). Feedback. Mentoring is an ongoing process, so a good mentor gives the employee feedback as needed (rather than once at the end of the year). Meetings can be initiated both by the employee himself and by his mentor, and as many times as they see fit - there are no restrictions. In addition, the mentor provides informal spontaneous feedback. Regular feedback helps employees more clearly and objectively evaluate the results of their work, and, if necessary, correct mistakes in time.

During the year, the mentor is required to conduct at least two meetings as part of the performance assessment process (intermediate and final). At an interim (usually half-yearly) meeting, the mentor notes progress over the past period and adjusts the action plan by the end of the year. If the company practices brainstorming on an employee's performance assessment, the mentor gathers information by interviewing everyone involved (including those for whom the mentor is the mentor) and prepares comments and arguments to represent and defend the person concerned at such meetings. At the final meeting with the employee, the mentor announces and argues the final assessment, discusses his achievements, failures and areas for development, and also removes possible contradictions.

Clarity of goals and a timely, constructive assessment of the success of their achievement increases people's interest in work, emotionally supports and motivates them.

Education... An employee gains new knowledge and skills not only during formal training, but also directly in the process of work. Tasks of the mentor in this area:

assess the degree of involvement of the ward in the work;
track his involvement in various projects (both client and internal);
apply for recruiting an employee to work in different areas for a variety of experiences.

In the process of work, the mentor transfers his own knowledge and experience to the assigned employee, and also helps him to obtain the necessary knowledge from other colleagues. If we talk about formal training, then the role of the mentor is to determine the training needs of the ward, to facilitate his training at internal and external seminars and trainings, and, if necessary, to petition about this to the heads of the division and the company.

It should be said that in our company, despite such a wide range of activities of a mentor, the employee himself bears responsibility for his own professional and career development. The mentor helps the sponsor to understand the internal processes and fulfill all the requirements for him - but the manifestation of activity is expected from the side of the ward. The employee himself must initiate meetings with the mentor, carefully prepare for them, voice his concerns, actively seek feedback, perceive and take into account constructive criticism. Thus, the employee helps his mentor to help him!

Evaluating the performance of mentors

To determine the effectiveness of the mentoring system as a whole and to evaluate the performance of specific mentors different kinds polls:

1) targeted- to determine the degree of satisfaction with the mentoring system and the work of mentors in the company;
2) more general that incorporate mentoring questions such as:

satisfaction and engagement reviews(to get the big picture);
"360 degree assessment"(To obtain individual information on each mentor).

It is rather difficult to objectively assess the effectiveness of a mentor's work. Formal assessment criteria can be:

the number of meetings between the mentor and his ward;
timeliness of filling out assessment forms, etc.

At the same time, formal indicators say little about the quality of the mentor's work, therefore, to assess the effectiveness, it is justified to use indirect indicators, such as:

successful adaptation of a new employee to the company;
effective performance of the wards' professional duties;
obvious professional growth and development of the employee, etc.

However, the success of the ward cannot be the only criterion for assessing, since a lot depends, first of all, on the employee himself in the work of a mentor. This is exactly the case when you need to value not only the result, but also the efforts to achieve it.

Motivating mentors

It is very important not only to appreciate the work of mentors, but also to recognize its value. This becomes especially significant when we talk about mentoring as a system, about the formation of a “mentoring culture” in a company.

At first glance, the simplest way (it is practiced in some companies) is bonuses: payment of a monetary reward for each sponsored person (for example, at the end of the probationary period). However, with this practice, there is a risk that mentors will increase the number of their charges, reducing the quality of work with each of them. For many companies, due to the prevailing corporate culture, this type of encouragement is unacceptable.

An indirect way of financial incentives for mentors can be the inclusion of relevant measurable indicators in the system of KPIs (key performance indicators), the implementation of which, in turn, affects the size wages and / or bonus. But for companies specializing in the provision of professional services, non-financial motivation is still critical:

attention of the leadership to the problems of mentors;
publicly recognizing the value of mentorship to the company;
the use of a variety of internal corporate distinctions that give mentors a special status in the team (badges, certificates, etc.).

Then there are the good old ways, like identifying the best mentor, giving special mementos at some kind of corporate event, and so on.

The best motivating factor will be to create a corporate culture in which mentoring is perceived by employees as an honorable mission, and not as a burdensome duty. HRs play an important role in this, their creativity, persistence, quality and timeliness of communication.

Staff development

FEATURE OF LEARNING ADULTS

How to teach something to an adult, how to transfer knowledge to him? People learn from their experiences and their own experiences, which is directly related to motivation.

The problem with many new hires is that they want to work but lack the skills. Consider fig. 1: the purpose of mentoring is to help the young specialist “move” to the “I can, I want” box, i.e. allow him, in addition to the desire to acquire and opportunities for productive activity.

Rice. one. Willingness of a young specialist to work

Let's take a look at Fig. 1 Willingness of a young specialist to work.

1 situation "I can not - I do not want". The person does not have the skills, and what is more, is not motivated. In order to include him in activities, you must first motivate him. Otherwise, you will be faced with an insurmountable barrier of protection.
2 situation "I can not - I want". A person is motivated, therefore, open to gaining new knowledge, he is in a state of learning. It is important here to build a scheme for working with an employee in stages. How are you going to teach him. Also remember that it takes 21 days to develop any skill.
3 situation "I can - I want". A situation in which it is reasonable to develop a horizontal career for an employee. He already possesses the necessary knowledge and skills. He needs to raise the "goal bar" and expand the zones of excellence.
4 situation "I can - I do not want". A person is in a state of protest, a kind of sabotage. It is necessary to find out what is the reason for demotivation. It may be necessary to give the work a new meaning.

This four-step process represents the transition from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence.

Unconscious incompetence.
With unconscious incompetence, you do not know that you do not know or do not know how to do something (“I don’t know that I don’t know”). In our case, the new employee has not yet realized the lack of his own competence. So, when driving with parents in a car, a child realizes the fact of travel, but does not understand that he does not know how to drive, i.e. remains in the dark about their own incompetence.
Conscious incompetence.
With conscious incompetence, the employee acquires “knowledge of his ignorance”. This usually happens when there is a desire to perform a new action. For example, a teenager who does not know how to drive a car is constantly forced to ask someone to give him a lift, and is acutely worried about his incompetence. In the case of an employee, this may be, for example, his desire to make a cover for a magazine when he realizes that he lacks knowledge of Photoshop.
Conscious competence.
In order to become consciously competent, an employee needs to undergo training. Often, at this stage, the employee exactly copies the actions of his mentor. For example, a beginner recalls how an experienced designer made a layout for a magazine cover, i.e. realizes that he "knows what he knows." So, having successfully completed the courses and received a license, the novice driver will still whisper to himself: "Mirror, signal, turn", i.e. consciously drive the machine, controlling every action.
Unconscious competence.
With unconscious competence, the employee performs certain actions so often that they become habitual, a subconscious algorithm is developed. This is the “I don’t know about what I know” stage. An experienced designer cannot explain to a new employee how to create a "masterpiece", he does it on a whim. With many years of driving experience, you drive the car “on the machine”. Leading it, you do not scrupulously analyze your actions, because they are directed by your subconscious.

Error 1. The mentor does not know how to convey experience, cannot explain to the new employee the algorithm of actions, because he himself is in the stage of unconscious competence. He is like a brilliant artist who says to the apprentice "learn", but does not help himself, cannot explain what and how to do.

Rule 1. In order to be a mentor, it is necessary to return from the stage of unconscious competence to the stage of conscious competence.

STYLES OF MENTORING

Depending on the level of training of the new employee and the complexity of the task, the mentor chooses the style of interaction with him.

Briefing - it is a style in which the mentor gives clear step-by-step directions to the trainee or invites him to copy his own actions. At the same time, he does not explain why it is necessary to do this and not otherwise - the mentor has a ready-made correct answer. The disadvantages of this method are obvious: often blindly following the instructions leads to the opposite of the desired result. Let us recall, for example, the film "The Diamond Hand": the instruction "Ice cream for children, flowers for his woman!" without explanation led to a comical situation.
Explanation - a style in which the mentor shows how to correctly perform a particular job, and explains each step in detail, gives a rationale for his actions. He has an explanation of which algorithm is correct and why. If you go back to the example from the movie "The Diamond Arm" and dream up, you could put the following remark into the lips of the hero: “Children - ice cream, because they love sweets. Flowers to his woman: women love signs of attention. " Consciousness and validity of actions guarantee success for the mentor.
Development- this is a style in which the mentor simply poses questions to the trainee and invites him to explain what, how and why he will do. Let's turn to a plot from the same film. You can imagine that if time allowed, the hero would build a special conversation with a partner, using developmental questions:

For clarity, we will summarize in table. 1 all methods of mentoring.

Table 1. Benefits and Limitations of Mentoring Techniques

Method	Advantages	Restrictions
Briefing - clear instructions, provision of an algorithm of actions. Used in standard situations and in case of force majeure, when it is impossible to hesitate	Clarity, clarity of instructions Predictability of the result Speed of information transfer The ability to easily check point by point how the student understood the task	Pressure on the trainee Low motivation of the trainee, because his opinion is not asked The inability for the trainee to act correctly in non-standard situations The need to draw up an algorithm for each situation The likelihood that, in the event of failure, the trainee will shift responsibility to the mentor
Explanation- the rationale for each step of the algorithm	Rationale for each step, raising awareness of the activity Increasing student motivation Sharing responsibility between mentor and trainee	Increasing the time spent by the mentor with the trainee The likelihood that the student can leave the topic, ask unnecessary questions Impatience in learners with high self-esteem The possibility that the trainee will challenge the mentor's opinion
Development- "aerobatics". The mentor does not give ready-made answers, he only encourages the solution of problems, invites the student to think of it himself. The learner must have a high level of development and sufficient motivation	Increased motivation through awareness of equity in communication Understanding of the meaning of the operations performed by the trainees Higher quality of teaching There is a high likelihood of new ways of acting, new solutions Better understanding between the trainee and the mentor in the future	Increasing mentor time The likelihood of stress due to responsibility, fear in the student Possible refusal of the student to solve problems in case of failure, transition to the level of instruction Increased responsibility and risk for the mentor

Mistake 2. It is dangerous to be mistaken in thinking that if one technique was effective with one trainee, then it will be effective with another.

Rule 2. The mentor determines the style of communication with the trainee individually. The professional position of a mentor depends on the level of the trainee and the situation.

PURPOSE FORMULATION

The goal is the image of the result. It depends on the mentor whether he can simply and clearly convey the goal to the student and inspire the ward to achieve it.

There are no unattainable goals, but there are mutually exclusive criteria for achieving them that should be avoided.

Let's take SMART goal setting as a basis. The word smart itself, translated into Russian, means “smart”, and the results of the work should be:

specific (specific);
measurable
attainable;
relevant
time-bounded.

Thus, setting a goal correctly means that it is also specific, measurable, achievable, meaningful and must be achieved by a specific deadline.

Consider each objective criterion.

Specific and positively worded.
Incorrect: "Make me a mock cover, just not red on black."
Correct: "Make three versions of the layout according to template A". A negatively stated “don't do” goal indicates what needs to be avoided, not what needs to be achieved. The subconscious mind does not perceive the “not” particle, but hears the command “red on black”, therefore, formulating the goal according to the principle “do not do this”, you, as a mentor, risk getting the exact opposite result.
Measurable.
How do you measure a goal? It should be expressed in pieces, sheets, percentages, rubles, etc. For example, "three layouts according to template A" is an example of correctly formulated criteria, an indication of what and how to do.
Incorrect: "Dig from the fence until lunchtime."
Correct: "Every day you have to negotiate with three clients."
Achievable.
When setting a goal, the manager himself must be sure that it is achievable, and this is not about belief in luck or miracle.
The goal should not be too simple, otherwise there will be no motivation to achieve it, at the same time, a goal that is too difficult can scare an insecure learner. It should fall under the description of "difficult, but doable", challenge the learner (challenge), i.e. it should be set taking into account individual characteristics, just below the limit of the student's capabilities. The difficulty level will gradually increase.
Wrong: giving an inexperienced worker an overly difficult task.
That's right: it is a little more difficult to give a problem than the student has already had to solve.
Target related to a specific timeframe.
Wrong: "Make a layout, well, come on by the end of the month."
Correct: "Make the layout by August 20".
Significant.
The goal should motivate the learner. It is necessary to formulate it so that the goal becomes his own. A mentor, as a rule, cannot directly indicate, command, at his disposal only methods of non-material motivation.
Wrong: "Make this layout, I need it."
That's right: "You will make this layout, and you will have the opportunity to declare yourself in the team of our designers."

Mistake 3. The mentor is incorrectly formulating the goal for the learner.

Rule 3. Match the goal with the SMART criteria.

HOW TO DIRECT THE WENT IN THE TRAINING PROCESS

Traffic regulations describe the "Main road" sign. Developmental questions are a "sign of the main road" in the transfer of knowledge. The system of developmental questions allows you to determine a real plan of action, helps the student to understand it, which, in turn, contributes to the formation of a responsible attitude to business.

Table 2. Developmental questions

Stage	Example question	Usefulness of the question
1. Awareness of the situation and available resources	On whom and what does the development of events depend on at the moment? What exactly, how and to what extent do you personally influence?	Allows the trainee to realize his personal responsibility, to designate the areas of his competence
2. Awareness of opportunities and barriers	What can you do and what are the possible obstacles? What conditions would be ideal for achieving the goal? How can you influence the emergence of favorable conditions and neutralize unfavorable conditions?	Psychological preparation for obstacles. The trainee prepares in advance how to cope with difficulties, if any.
3. Development of an action plan	What, when, to whom, and in what sequence should be done to achieve what was planned? To achieve the goal: what must be done, what is desirable, and what can you do without? Who will be responsible for each stage? When should the actions be taken at each stage? What additional funds and assistance will be needed at each stage? What will indicate the possibility of advancing to the next stage?	The learner learns to separate significant from insignificant criteria, plan work and time, independently determine the level of his skill (i.e. understand how long it will take him to complete the work), work in a team
4. Final study	What else requires additional clarification? What are the options? What could be fundamentally different approaches to the problem?	The trainee learns to be creative in solving any problem

Error 4. Having set the problem, the mentor forgets to check how the student understood it and whether he has enough resources to solve it.

Rule 4. Use at least three developmental questions after setting the problem. Find out how the learner is going to solve it.

FEEDBACK AS A DEVELOPMENT TOOL

The ability to provide effective feedback is one of the most important skills of a mentor, it is a complete picture of the student's actions in a particular situation. An important part of this process is also an analysis of the effectiveness of his actions and a discussion of possible ways to increase it in the future. For the mentor, there is a great danger of criticizing the student, which is why there are rules for feedback. “Vasya, you did the wrong thing” - this is not a feedback, because the trainee does not know what exactly he did wrong and what the mentor would like to see.

Feedback - This is a technique of conflict-free criticism aimed at making the interlocutor himself want to change his behavior.

There are three stages of feedback:

description of the situation about which feedback is provided
a description of your attitude to this situation and its consequences
wishes about the further results of the interlocutor's actions in similar situations, ways to improve work efficiency.

Feedback principles

The following principles of providing feedback can be distinguished.

Balance, positive focus.
The learner should feel that the feedback is helping him learn. If she is too critical, he can internally reject her, if she is too laudatory, then this can be perceived as custody, which can also cause rejection.
Feedback should combine the description of positive aspects and “growth points” for the learner. Maintaining a balance is to make the feedback acceptable to the learner, to inspire him for professional and personal growth.
Concreteness.
Feedback is not a discussion about whether the learner said or did not say something, did or did not. The mentor must always refer to a specific fact or action. Avoid generalizing phrases like "you always ...", "you tend to ...", etc.
Feedback is about what was said, done and how, but not why... Guessing someone's motives introduces an atmosphere of mistrust and hostility into the conversation. An example of a specific response: "You did your ABC study yesterday, and I asked for the gradient principle."
Behavioral orientation, valuelessness.
By providing feedback should focus on behavior rather than personality as such. We should talk about what people do, not what we think of them. Thus, we can tell someone that he "spoke more than anyone else during the meeting" instead of saying "you are too talkative." The first phrase leaves room for change, while the second is just an assessment of a character trait. The presence of an assessment in a statement reduces the volume of information perception and causes resistance to what was said. After the phrase “Masha, you are a bad helper for me in this project,” a person may psychologically “close down” and not perceive what was done wrong. We need to include the learner in the process, not turn him off with criticism.
Timeliness.
"The Road is a Spoon to Dinner." The principle of positive reinforcement is one of the key in training, and giving feedback on time is the best that a mentor can do: "Today you did all the work perfectly." The worst thing is when the mentor remembers that, for example, the layout made by Vasya made an impression on him, a week later.
Activity.

Table 3. Examples of statements

Feedback (allows you to improve the work, understand what happened, and what you need to work on)	“You have made the layout very conceptually, in accordance with the corporate style, the inscription looks harmonious, next time stick to the same style. Well done!" “The report was written according to plan, as we discussed. All three important criteria have been taken into account, but the fourth criterion needs to be worked on. Agree with me?" “You and I have come to the conclusion that you need to talk politely with the buyer. Tell me, how do you think, how politely you spoke to the man in the hat? "
Praise (the trainee does not understand what exactly was done well, what he is already doing)	"Well done!" "Fine"
Criticism (the student does not know what mistakes he made, what exactly he should work on)	"Nonsense turned out!" "Well, who does that?"
Lack of feedback (the learner remains unaware of how and in what direction, he will develop further)	"Yeah ..." "Fine..." "So, I see ..."

Error 5. At best, the mentor does not give feedback to the trainee; at worst, he criticizes him.

In preparing the article, materials from the training by N. Bondarenko and A. Tokar "Mentoring", 2007 were used.

Corporate Culture Management Magazine
"Publishing House Grebennikov
December # 4 (04) 2009

Our entire life as a whole can be imagined as a school where we study from birth to death. And since we are learning something, then at every stage of training we must certainly have a mentor. Why do we need it? What role does a mentor play in our development? When looking for an answer to these questions, you can face many misconceptions. Obviously, the function of a mentor is to mentor and teach us. He gives valuable advice that helps us to become wiser, tests our willingness to move on to the next stage, etc. A lot in this matter depends on what exactly we mean by "advice" and similar "checks", how we relate to these "lessons "And" exams ". Hence the misconceptions about which mentor is best for us.

The wizard mentor.
After reading a certain amount of literature about spiritual development and esotericism, for some people the development process seems to be a kind of romantic adventure, and they dream of meeting an omnipotent mentor who will “reprogram” fate, show magic tricks and eventually make these people the same (or more powerful) “magicians” and “sorcerers”. Such students are looking not so much for a mentor as for something outstanding and unusual, a feeling of strength and contact with certain secrets, with a "higher" caste of people with superpowers. Of course, it is the voice of our egoism that speaks, these are the illusions of the ego. We want to be led by our own sense of self-importance, and this does not correlate with a sincere desire to learn something. Why do we even think that a wise gray-bearded mentor should certainly appear in our life? Is it really for us to decide?

Hence, a natural question arises, what concepts and qualities should our mentor teach us? Perhaps this list contains such concepts as solitude, hopelessness, growing up, shortcomings, uselessness, attachment, states of consciousness, intelligence, mercy, etc. Such a list makes you think. For some reason, we forgot to include fame, luck, well-being and pleasure in it. Who can boast that he has chosen himself, what concepts he would like to study, and which ones he can forget about? And in general, do we ourselves define this set, or is it someone from the outside, or something inside of us? After all, we will not be able to dictate to our mentor what he will teach us. Otherwise, what is the use of teaching him? Our mind, being in changing conditions, constantly changes, fluctuates, doubts. How can we develop benchmarks in the face of such variability? Can you trust instability human mind in solving such issues? Our mind, in fact, has to come to terms with the results of the choice of the subconscious and hope for a mentor who will teach what is needed and help overcome the current actual obstacles. And here we will not even talk about situations where modern mentors simply use their gullible followers in their personal interests. This is a separate issue, and we will talk about it later.

The parent mentor.
What kind of knowledge would we like to receive from a mentor? Better than the life of a teacher, in any case, is not found. However, we need someone of flesh and blood for his lessons to be presented in an accessible, human language. However, life is a much more experienced and skillful mentor than a teacher in human form. Perhaps this is because life itself contains much Furthermore that we are able to comprehend. Its lessons can be difficult to grasp. In this case, life itself is embodied in the person of a person, so that he becomes our mentor and speaks with us in the same language. When is this possible?
They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. It turns out that the mentor himself determines his ward, because he has a lot of experience, or he sees a direct indication of a certain power that this particular person will become his student. Although now the situation with mentors is more like the market. Nowadays there is a huge variety to choose from. different directions and schools, find among them the most suitable spiritual mentor and work with him. Here it depends only on our choice what we will take on faith, what will become unacceptable for us, what we will study, etc. It turns out that we know better than our mentors, in what area do we need instructions? Anyway, is it possible to treat the choice of the Guru as the choice of products on the market? For the most part, a mentor who offers some kind of training to followers of his school is simply offering a product within the framework of market relations. As demand grows, there are many such offers. And, unfortunately, only one in a million is allowed to meet a unique teacher, such as Don Juan, and, apparently, there is no point in deluding ourselves on this score.
What do we expect from a mentor? Often, we just need to make up for our inconsistency, inability to act decisively in a given situation. We are looking for someone who will play the role of a parent with a small child. In this situation, we believe that our mentor should be a wise experience, a competent intercessor, to whom we can shift the responsibility for our lives. When a person is looking for such a teacher, he simply wants to relieve himself of the burden of responsibility, to get rid of the need for choice and reflection, to make life easier at the expense of another person. And in the absence of a mentor, you have to work on your life on your own, go through the inevitable torments of growing up without any support or support. Becoming an adult generally means relying mainly on yourself. And the ability to be independent is perhaps one of the most important in our life, especially on the path of development and personal growth. And sometimes, with a mentor, learning this is more difficult than learning from your own mistakes, on your own.
It turns out that everyone has a mentor in the form of life itself. Life speaks to us through the people we meet, the circumstances we find ourselves in, the events that happen to us and much, much more. At times, her lessons are painful, but they are the most memorable; you will not forget these instructions until the end of your days. We do not always like such a mentor, because life teaches not at all what our ego would like to learn. These are not spectacular magic "tricks" that entertain us, but exactly what we need. These lessons are sometimes boring, lengthy and banal; comprehending life instructions, we do not shine with enthusiastic "stars", but persistently live the gray everyday life, becoming, however, stronger, stronger and more confident in ourselves.

The mentor is the culprit.
This is deplorable, but often our mind looks for ways to satisfy our pride or to amuse our pride, while choosing the easiest path, from which it is not so easy to turn off later. I want to have supernatural powers, to become cleaner, better, kinder, to be closer to God, and in the end - just a series of sad days. And at such moments it is hard to accept the fact that the banality of "gray" everyday life, which we have to experience from time to time, is one of the most important lessons to be learned in life. If a mentor had taught us this lesson, we, from the height of our bewilderment, would immediately accuse him of all mortal sins. “What is the point of your lesson? I want sparkling magic! I want to become a brilliant magician, enlightened and noble, rise above the gray mass of the human crowd! " We are not at all inclined to learn life's lessons from a mentor. The mentor, in the form of life itself, does not have a personality that we can blame for something; you can complain about life, but you have to heed its instructions if we want to develop and move on.
Life as a mentor confronts us with problems and immediately leads us to ways to solve them. The most difficult difficulties stimulate us more than others: "Everything that does not kill us makes us stronger." It is the "impossible" tasks that force us to develop and take ever higher levels, so we discover in ourselves hitherto unknown abilities, through which we achieve ever higher goals. The experience of experiencing a dead-end situation is valuable in itself - thanks to this we become more mature; a similar situation next time will not cause us any difficulties with its solution. This is an elementary rule: we learn and gain experience. The only problem is that sometimes we are not able to see the valuable instructions of life behind obstacles and problems. If this lesson was taught to us by a "living" mentor, then we could blame him for the overwhelming complexity of tasks in our already difficult life. And in this situation, it would be much easier to say goodbye to such a teacher forever and live a carefree life further, not to "bathe" about his boring instructions and difficult tasks. And the disembodied mentor named Life will not go anywhere. Unfortunately, one cannot get rid of this teacher (or fortunately). In life, one of our best mentors is ourselves, our body and intuition. In addition, we are surrounded by a mass of sources of development, each of which is able to teach us a lot of lessons: parents, our homeland, place of work, our relatives and friends, people around and bystanders, all our emotions and feelings, everything that we see and hear.
Our personality is pure perception, a vessel for the existence of life. Life is our natural mentor; it, in fact, teaches a part of itself. Development is only one of the aspects of the existence of our "I". And this aspect does not stand out in a special way from others. Our destiny as humans is to live and learn continuously. And to understand what life is, perhaps, is the most important result that we can achieve in our learning.

Dmitry Smirny.

Who is a mentor

Mentor- this is a person with his life philosophy building happiness. The role of a mentor for students is to help grasp, improve their life, break through the viscosity of everyday life in order to look at the situation from the outside. The moment is festive or solemn, routine or casual, too brief to be neglected.

Missed opportunities or underestimated moments in life are exactly what people regret in adulthood. But there is good news - the ability to feel life here-and-now can be learned. And for this it is not necessary to radically change. Making small changes in your way of thinking can help you gain the ability to live in the present like when everyone was children.

History knows many mentors who can inspire even after hundreds of years. They are like guides - they absorb the experience of teachers, pass it through the prism of their own philosophy, experience, and then - share their conclusions with the world. Omar Khayyam, Anton Makarenko, Dalai Lama XIV and Bill Gates - they were once students before becoming spiritual leaders or mentors.

Teachers were with ordinary masters and emperors, and today, no ceremony is complete without mentioning the names of mentors, whether it be a journalism award or a college graduation diploma. Writer and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic wrote in his autobiography: "Whenever you are thinking about the possibility of realizing your plans, rely on people who are ready to be your mentors."

What mentors do

Mentors are often assessed in terms of how much their views on the path to success coincide with their own ideas about it. Coincide - the right mentor. They do not coincide - you can not listen to his opinion. This is the first mistake. To avoid subsequent ones, you need to draw a clear line between the concepts "I want" and "I choose."

10 steps to success when a mentor helps:

to extract dreams from the air where they soar, and then materialize them into clear crystal clear goals;
create your own scale of priorities for realizing that "I want" and "I do" often do not coincide;
find your own motivation;
to realize to the student what he is capable of, because he believes in the student more than he himself;
deal with old habits, and at the same time acquire new ones;
to take the first step in accordance with the inner choice, because only action raises self-esteem and leads to visible results;
do not give up, do not accept the position of the victim, even in a crisis;
take responsibility for your actions;
get feedback without emotion or subjective judgment;
pause life in order to look at yourself from the outside.

All of the above actions are aimed at helping the student to get out of the notorious comfort zone. To many, it is presented in the form of a soft sofa, lying on which a person receives all conceivable and inconceivable benefits just like that. In fact, a comfort zone is an opportunity for a person to find a thousand excuses for their own doing nothing. The mentor helps to talk honestly with oneself in order to determine the benefits that the student receives in their own situation, even if filled with visible discomfort.

A mentor is not just a fan. This is a person who is ready to listen and support. The methods with which he works may not be fully understood, but they will not allow you to go astray. On the other hand, a person's personal example will help save time and energy in order to go the beaten path and avoid mistakes. Because, in the end, the mentor helps the student to become the best version of himself.

How to find a mentor

The first mentors are the parents. On a conscious or unconscious level, they transmit their life scenario to the child. School, institute - during the period of study, teachers appear, as if by themselves, about their influence on own life people realize much later. But with age, everything is seen differently.

An adult already has personal opinion, and sees life through the prism of past experience. But in order to only indicate your path, you need to learn to imitate your teachers in a cool way. Musicians learn to recreate the melodies of popular bands. Poets imitate the style of famous lyricists. Programmers dream of creating their own GOOGLE. Before you go in search of a mentor, you should ask yourself 3 questions:

In what area of my life do I want to be successful. In the universe, everything is interconnected: personal achievement leads to changes at work and vice versa. But if a person plans to develop as a professional, then he must look for his own mentor (mentor in the business environment). For conscious work on oneself, which is more often called self-development, a Spiritual Teacher is needed.
What stage of development I am at. In order to get into the Olympic team, an aspiring athlete must go through several coaches. The first teaches you how to jog or how to lace up your sneakers. And already another person leads to the heights of the sports Olympus. A different philosophy works at different stages of development. It is difficult for a beginner in any field to comprehend the subtleties of the skill of a person at the top.
What is my personal type of motivation of the two possible options: desire for success or desire to get away from problems. Someone strives for health, and someone tries to get rid of diseases. Someone wants to earn more, and someone runs away from poverty all their lives. The notorious carrot and stick method works according to this principle.

The mentor doesn't have to be alone. Sometimes, in order to start the path of your own changes, you need to completely change the environment. The first thing that a person should do on the way to changing his life is to find “his flock” of like-minded people. When a person finds friends, companions who fully support his aspirations, changes happen by themselves.

What is mentoring

Mentoring Is a form of individual support for transferring knowledge and skills from a mentor to a student. It's a way to "fix" brains with powerful tools. The guarantee of success is probably the most harmful "stop signal" at the start of change. Mentoring does not provide guarantees. It provides opportunities for the implementation of a "jump from a high cliff without a parachute" - essentially a step into the unknown, but with a firm belief in their own success. The purpose of mentoring is to help the student to correctly prioritize, to find the very “own business”, for the implementation of which additional motivation is no longer needed.

Mentoring is more than mentoring, which involves only professional support. This approach is not at all new, because even in the Middle Ages it was believed that future master must be an apprentice. Today, he helps newcomers learn the necessary skills, join the team, and help mentors themselves grow.

What is mentoring for?

Mentoring in the classical sense does not imply strict restrictions or directives. The mentor acts as a personal example. It helps not only to grow from a green newcomer to a specialist, but over time to prepare him for the position of a leader.

Such a program in enterprises is common name"Training of the personnel reserve". During periods of rapid company growth or when changing jobs, it is much easier to find a narrow specialist than an employee who is familiar with all the nuances of the organization’s internal regulations. Prospects are also beneficial for the employee himself, because they serve as motivation for professional growth.

Mentoring can be commercial or formal.

Life is a series of choices. The mentor helps you make conscious and regular choices. Is it correct or not? This is already a personal matter, because each coach has his own technology, his own set of interpretations. Mentoring is not a mythical path to happiness. This is an opportunity to get out of fast river and find your own way to the top. Sometimes the road will lead down. This is fine. After all, moving down is also part of the journey.