In formal mentoring programs, training for the participants is critical to the success of the mentoring partnership. Mentoring is an intimate learning relationship that requires intentionality to make it work. Too often I hear about programs that weren’t successful and have resulted in formal mentoring programs getting a bad rap. There are many benefits to formal mentoring programs however achieving the desired objectives of the program doesn’t happen by accident. In addition to a thoughtfully crafted matching process, training for the mentoring partners is critical.

The three primary objectives of mentoring training are setting the framework, establishing a foundation and developing relationship skills.

Varying definitions of mentoring exist as well as differing expectations regarding how to “conduct” mentoring to generate desired outcomes. Establishing a common framework for participants sets the context, parameters and expectations within which the partnerships will take place. The relational mentoring model I use is based on a mutual learning relationship where both mentees and mentors set goals for what they want to explore during the partnership.

The training establishes the foundation for the relationship, serving as a facilitated first meeting between the mentees and mentors. The mentoring pairs complete exercises and engage in dialog to establish points of connection, find alignment and discuss candidly how they want to design their relationship. This intentionality supports the pairs to achieve their desired outcomes.

The training strengthens the relationship from the onset through skills development such as connecting cross culturally, bridging difference, generating trust, effective communication and sharing feedback.

There are no guarantees that a mentoring pair matched through a formal process will find points of connection and take a mutually active interest in the relationship. What I do know is that training matters. It is a fundamental aspect of implementing a formal program that sets up the participants for success, on their terms.

I was delighted to lead a workshop on “Diversity and Inclusion on Teams” for a class of engineering students at the University of Toronto last week. As part of the university’s Leaders of Tomorrow program, students can obtain a certificate in Team Skills.

Engineering. Leadership. Team Skills. Diversity and Inclusion. How remarkable! All these critical competencies offered in one program. More »

An important aspect of career advancement is the establishment of a diverse developmental network which is defined as “a set of relationships an individual has with people who take an active interest in and action to advance the individual’s career by assisting with his or her personal and professional development.” -Higgins & Thomas, Constellations and Careers.

Accordingly, the best developmental networks are diverse across three dimensions: More »

Chaos. Not knowing. Confusion. Uncertainty. These are not words that we typically include in describing the environment we want to create to solve problems. More likely these are often the descriptors we are actively seeking to eliminate. And yet, it’s at the edge of chaos and order that innovation lives. It is also the exact place where the practice of leadership lives. This Chaordic Path between chaos and order is where things are not fixed but rather flexible enough for new connections and solutions to occur. New levels of order become possible out of chaos if we’re able to stay on the path long enough to see what emerges. How do we do this? More »

On Sunday I ran a 10k race in beautiful central Ontario. When I picked up my kit bag, my t-shirt was men’s size small/medium which was the smallest shirt they had. Too big. Again. Not a big deal you say. Not really. Except that I have so many men’s t-shirts from running races that do not fit because they are too big and too baggy. What’s frustrating is that in recent years more women are signing up to run races than men. In this particular race, there have been significantly more women than men participating for the eight years the race has been in existence. Why are only men’s style shirts available?

Now flip to the boardroom. Last week I was reading about the lack of progress women are making in obtaining boardroom seats. More »

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make lasting systemic social change. There are lots of methodologies and best practices and training programs around that serve a good purpose and yet the problems they are intended to resolve are still prevalent, in some cases getting worse.

Last week I attended a Change Lab workshop in Toronto, facilitated by Adam Kahane and Joe McCarron of Reos Partners. The Change Lab is an approach designed for working on complex social problems. Their version of a Change Lab has  “Theory U” at its core.  The process is systemic, participative and creative. Kahane explained that for complex problems where we don’t know how to get from A to B, where the answer is around the corner, More »

What is so fearful about saying “I don’t know”? Who made up the rule that we have to know all the time? That there is something wrong if we don’t know?

No such rule exists. In fact, the more we can slow down and be ok with ‘not knowing’, the better ideas we’ll have and the greater progress we will make more quickly. Consider these three approaches to decision making: More »

Recently I was in a meeting with a few colleagues talking about co-developing a customized leadership program for a client. When it came time to decide how we’d actually create the program, one person said “well we all know the best way to develop a program is to lock yourself in a dark room and write it by yourself.” I was surprised (shocked actually) by this comment because this person is someone who works as a team and leadership coach and “knows” all about generating high-quality team experiences. As coaches and leaders, isn’t it important to practice what we teach?

My colleague is human however and unfortunately her gut level response is indicative of how many people feel when they think about working on teams. “Oh no! Not another team!” We envision complex to do lists, More »

I’m running the Boston Marathon on April 18th for the first time. I’m very excited. It’s been a really big goal for me since my first marathon in 1995. Since then I have run 15 more marathons in my effort to qualify to run Boston. For those of you not in the running community, Boston is the premiere marathon. Every marathoner I know wants to run Boston. To do so you must qualify by running a previous marathon within a certain time depending on your age and gender. The question for most people at the beginning of each marathon is “will I qualify this time?”

So here I am – less than 3 weeks from achieving my really big goal. How did I get here?  More »

There are many different descriptions of coaching – leadership, team, executive, organizational, wellness, sports – to name a few. At the core they are all the same – helping people get clear about what they want and how they want to get there. Underpinning this goal setting and planning is raising awareness of values, beliefs, roles, preferences, stuck places and edges. Coaching is really a mindfulness practice. More »