ChatGPT – Why should I be a mentor

When I printed the question «Why should I be a mentor»? in a ChatGPT page I got this 5 reasons:

Being a mentor can bring numerous benefits, such as:

  1. Personal and professional growth
  2. Opportunities to share knowledge and experience
  3. Giving back to the community
  4. Improving leadership skills
  5. Building relationships and network.

Quite accurate isnt it?

Reach your goals by coaching yourself


If you don't have a mentor or coach, but you wanted to try to coach yourself. Is it possible? Yes it is, but much harder than if you get a mentor or coach.

It may sound strange to you, but working with obstacles is often where you really get to know yourself. This is also where you find a deeper and more honest path to your goals. You can try the following exercise:

Ask yourself two questions:

1. What is stopping me from reaching my goal?

2. What am I really afraid of in relation to my goal?


Write down your answers and make a list of all your obstacles.

Note to self: 
Avoid superficial explanations such as lack of time, insight and resources.

Instead, examine whether there is anything you fear about the process of achieving the goal.

When you do this work with yourself, the answer will maybe be a form of fear that is not necessarily rooted in reality...

Photo by madison lavern on Unsplash.com

  

Amazon mentoring program

I read that Amazon had a mentoring program for their employee through Mike Kang in Chronus and his newsletter. The Amazon mentoring team and Mike Chan even had a webinar where they talked about why mentoring is a top priority in Amazon, what types of programs they’re currently running (and for what purposes), how they’re measuring impactful mentoring and how Amazon has scaled its programs to more than 179,000 employees. 

I have earlier (November 2019) write about Amazon and their peer-to-peer mentoring at Amazon work

Watch this fireside chat with Amazon’s Melony Menard, Senior Program Manager, Global Learning and Development, and Carla Love, Program Manager, Global Learning and Development to learn more about:

  • Why mentoring is a top priority at Amazon
  • The variety of programs Amazon is currently running
  • How they’re measuring impactful mentoring
  • How Amazon scales its programs

Visit their website her:

Chronus

Listen to the webinar her, its about one hour:

Webinar

The Significance of Ethics in Mentoring and Coaching – Part 3

The Global Code of Ethics

The Global Code of Ethics supports excellence in the development of coaching, mentoring, and supervision and it raises the standards of practice of their members. It was created by two professional associations in February 2016 – Association for Coaching (‘AC’) and EMCC.

Click here to see a full list of the professional bodies who have become signatories

The code has a wider impact by informing the work of people who may not be members of the signatory bodies but who practice coaching, mentoring, supervision, and training related activities or are sponsors, users, beneficiaries and purchasers of such services, anywhere around the world.

The code has recently been updated to the third version (July 2021) and is currently available Chinese (Mandarin), English, Czech, Danish, French, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.  We are working on translating it into other languages (Arabic, Dutch, Greek, Indian (Hindi), Italian, Romanian, and Turkish).  If you would like to see the code in your language, please contact us

You can find out more about the Code here and also download a simple copy of a pdf document of the Global Code of Ethics in your language here

All the text is from EMCC Global

The Significance of Ethics in Mentoring and Coaching – Part 2

  1. Professional Boundaries

Maintaining professional boundaries is another critical aspect of ethical mentoring and coaching. Ethical guidelines provide clear boundaries that mentors and coaches should adhere to in their relationships with mentees or clients. These boundaries help prevent the abuse of power and the crossing of lines that could harm the individuals seeking guidance.

By maintaining appropriate boundaries, mentors and coaches ensure that their interactions remain focused on the mentee’s or client’s development rather than personal or ulterior motives. This professionalism contributes to the overall effectiveness of the mentoring and coaching process.

  1. Accountability and Integrity

Ethical mentors and coaches prioritize accountability and integrity in their interactions. They are committed to providing accurate information and guidance, even when it may not be what the mentee or client wants to hear. This commitment to honesty and transparency is crucial for the mentee’s growth and development.

Furthermore, ethical mentors and coaches hold themselves accountable for their actions and decisions. If they make a mistake or act inappropriately, they are willing to acknowledge it and take steps to rectify the situation. This accountability builds trust and demonstrates the mentor’s or coach’s commitment to the mentee’s success.

  1. Long-Term Benefits

Mentoring and coaching relationships that are grounded in ethics are more likely to yield long-term benefits. When mentors and coaches prioritize the well-being and development of their mentees or clients over personal gain, the mentees are more likely to experience sustained growth and success.

Ethical mentors and coaches are invested in the long-term success of their mentees or clients, which may include helping them navigate challenges, make ethical decisions, and develop the skills necessary for their personal and professional goals. As a result, these relationships often lead to lasting positive outcomes.

Conclusion

Ethics plays a pivotal role in the success of mentoring and coaching relationships. By adhering to ethical principles such as trust, respect, professional boundaries, accountability, and integrity, mentors and coaches create an environment where individuals can thrive and reach their full potential. These ethical foundations not only benefit the mentees or clients but also contribute to the overall growth and development of the mentor or coach, making mentoring and coaching a truly transformative experience for all involved.

Get into the next post to see European Mentoring and CoachingCouncil and their «The Global Code of Ethics», coming very soon

The Significance of Ethics in Mentoring and Coaching – Part 1

Introduction

Mentoring and coaching are powerful tools for personal and professional development. They offer individuals the opportunity to learn from experienced mentors and coaches, helping them grow and achieve their goals. However, the effectiveness of mentoring and coaching is greatly enhanced when they are conducted with a strong ethical foundation. In these two articles, we will explore why ethics is important in mentoring and coaching and how it contributes to the success of these relationships.

  1. Trust and Confidentiality

Ethics plays a fundamental role in establishing and maintaining trust in mentoring and coaching relationships. Trust is the cornerstone of any successful mentoring or coaching partnership. When individuals seek guidance and support from mentors or coaches, they must feel safe and confident that their personal and professional information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Ethical guidelines dictate that mentors and coaches must respect the confidentiality of their mentees or clients. This ensures that mentees can open up about their challenges, fears, and aspirations without fear of judgment or disclosure. Trust forms the foundation of a productive and transformative mentoring or coaching relationship.

  1. Respect and Non-discrimination

Ethics in mentoring and coaching also emphasize the importance of respect and non-discrimination. Every individual is unique, with their own values, beliefs, and experiences. Ethical mentors and coaches recognize and respect these differences, creating a space that is inclusive and non-judgmental.

Respecting the diversity of mentees or clients helps build a supportive and nurturing environment where they feel valued and understood. This, in turn, fosters a more open and constructive exchange of ideas and insights, ultimately leading to greater personal and professional growth.

Remember to read my next post as well to get the rest of why ethics is important.

The talk – a new podcast from MentorGuru

I have launched a new podcast called «The talk» at Spotify, in the beginning it will be in Norwegian, but some episodes will also be in English.

So if you know or wants to hear/learn Norwegian a link to the Spotify and start listening, there is 5 episodes out already…

Using SWOT as an personal tool

Closing dinner for the 11`th mentoring program

In mid may I had closing dinner for the 11`th mentoring program for NHS, and I want to share with you my speech for both the mentee and mentors. In addition all the mentee had a small speech to their mentor, which we filmed because not all could come. The mentee is students within hospitality and hotel management and the mentors is leaders in the same branch, hospitality and hotel management and development.

«A year has gone and I hope you all have excelled because of the program.
To have a mentor is like being in the spotlight and you have a person who follows you. A person who is genuine and sincere.

To be a mentor is rewarding and you also have that spotlight on you. A person is questioning all you do and you get to reflect over your job role.

For the student (mentee) this is a start, you are in the beginning of your career.
Remember this programmed what it did for your development this year. Use mentors next time also AND when time comes BE A MENTOR!

To all the mentors THANK YOU for your dedication and willingness to help a student in the beginning of a career. And helping NHS to make this a special year for the students.

For Å.H and me its fantastic to see the students in the very beginning, in the interview and seeing them now. Its like another person and we know the impact it can have. We thank you all for participated in this 11`th mentoring program for student at NHS».

Thank you!

Design thinking approach in designing your life

Her is the book and its also a workbook you can buy: https://designingyour.life/the-book/#

Many of you felt something was missing when finished education and starting your first job, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans at Stanford University thought the same for their students. And after teaching design in Stanford University for several years, they realized that their students didn’t have much of an idea about how to kick off their new lives after they graduate. They needed help to design their lives.

Therefore, they created the “Designing Your Life” elective course in Stanford to teach their students how to apply design thinking to their lives and build their careers with fulfillment and joy. The course became the most popular elective in Stanford. Shortly after, its fame expanded to the tech companies in Silicon Valley. Google even has an internal group of facilitators to deliver the “Designing Your Life” program to its employees. For the ones who cannot attend live workshops in the US, Burnett and Evans wrote the book, “Designing Your Life” to share what they teach with the rest of the world.

I saw this very interesting article on Kingstown College website.

Read more about Designing you life and Sinem Bahadırlı and here why into the design thinking world.