How often do you find yourself “zoning out” in conversation? Maybe you find yourself waiting to talk next? In a situation where you need to have constant attention on what's being said, such as in a mentoring session, this can be problematic, which is why we recommend using a technique called Active Listening. Active listening involves a structured approach to listening.
If your mentoring partner appears to be uncomfortable with eye contact, this should not be taken as an offence. Rather than trying to seek eye contact from someone who avoids it, looking at their shoulder or another part of their face can help relax communication. AuthorKristine Sihto is Senior Editor and Communications Manager for CCM.
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This week, I am busier than I have been at any other time in my life. Over the next seven weeks, I have three conferences to attend and speak at, all on different subjects - I have completed slide decks for roughly zero of those. My husband and I have just founded a company, so there's paperwork to sort, proposals to write, meetings to attend. I have three smaller networking events this week. I have several art commissions to complete. Have you ever had so many tasks on the go that you find yourself procrastinating? Too many competing priorities can lead to a state where you are unable to see the most effective path to your goals. Create a plan Effective prioritisation begins with a plan. Rather than being overwhelmed, follow these steps:
Making this plan might take time, but once you have it, you won't need to waste time wondering what to do next. Now I'm off to create a plan for my next seven weeks. Wish me luck! AuthorKristine Sihto is Senior Editor and Communications Manager for CCM. This Friday (March 29), she will be presenting at BrisSEC19 in Brisbane. She hopes to see you all there! Mentoring, like every other job, requires tools to be more effective. One of these tools is the GROW model. Created in the 1980s by Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore, the GROW model provides structure around the process for achieving concrete goals.
Mentors can use these touch-points to ask appropriate questions and assist the mentee to reach their expected endpoint. Goal Goal answers the question "What do you want?" This is the endpoint the mentee is trying to achieve. A goal should be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Articulating the goal clearly makes it much easier to identify when it has been reached. Example questions:
Reality Define current reality with the question "Where are you right now?" This gives a basic lay-of-the-land of the mentee's current situation. Example questions:
Options and Obstacles Brainstorm with the mentee about possible methods to reach the goal. This asks "What can you do?" Example questions:
At this stage you may encounter negative responses which limit the mentee's ability to imagine solutions. Using "what if..." questions to imagine paths without specific obstacles can help show alternate routes to the goal. Way Forward Having worked through your options, now is a time to set a concrete path. "What will you do?" Example questions:
AuthorKristine Sihto is Senior Editor and Communications Manager for CCM. In the past, she has written on a broad range of subjects, but she only found her tribe when she moved into Information Security. Kristine feels deep regret at adding yet more acronyms to the beleaguered minds of her InfoSec compatriots. |