When Mentoring Meets Coaching - Part 2

WHEN MENTORING MEETS COACHING
Part Two

by Kate Sharpe & Jeanie Nishimura

In Chapter 5 of When Mentoring Meets Coaching, authors KateSharpe and Jeanie Nishimura discuss the 3 key aspects of being coach-like.  The first aspect is presence,  which they define as "our internal state of readiness as mentor-coaches". (98)  Being fully present as a mentor-coach includes staying in the moment, being fully conscious, actively listening, being open-minded, and "letting go, and not anticipating or predicting". (102)  Part of being fully aware as a mentor-coach is "quieting our internal chatter", which means putting aside one's own to do list, concerns, and priorities.   In order to achieve presence during a mentor-coach/mentee discussion, it is important for the mentor-coach to clear his/her mind and "arrive without preconceived notions". (109)  The authors list a number of practices that help a mentor-coach develop presence, including meditation, improvisation, and movement and stretching.

The second aspect of presence is mindset.  The mindset of a mentor-coach is comprised of components such as

• assuming the mentee is competent;
• being inquiry based, not directive;
• being non-judgemental; and,
• viewing the learning as the mentee's work  

The final aspect is stance, which involves 6 principles:

• Inviting discovery and reflection;
• Fostering awareness;
• Sharing  mentor-coach's experiences (when doing so supports the mentee);
• Holding the mentee resourceful;
• Supporting the mentee's strengths and values; and,
• Collaborating   

Effective listening is the topic of Chapter 6.  The main distinction the authors make is between listening through and listening to.  The former refers to being distracted in one's listening - a listening stance that is ineffectual.  Some external listening distractions that the authors identify are other people, the environment, and various forms of technology.  More subtle internal types of listening distractions include one's internal state (ie. being worried, agitated, or bored), making mental to-do lists, and connecting to one's own experiences or memories rather than those of the mentee.  The strategy the authors recommend for moving out of distracted listening is to name the particular distractor(s).  Once the distraction is identified, one "...can consciously move it out of the way." (124)

In contrast, listening to is deep or focused listening: "We are aware of the speaker's words, energy, tone of voice, body language and gestures, emotional expression, and so on." (127)   Having a listening to stance includes, as Stephen Covey noted, "Listening with the intent to understand rather than the intent to reply." (133)   Also important to effective listening is recognizing the filters and barriers to one's listening.  For instance, recognizing that one's age, gender, culture, and ethnicity influence our listening as do one's past experiences and one's present mental and emotional state.  Listening to the language the mentee uses is also important for a mentor-coach.  He/She should attend to both what the mentee says and doesn't say and attend to language that reveals the mentee's assumptions, values, and growing edges.

Chapter 7 examines the important mentor-coaching skills of asking questions and focusing on the mentee's agenda.  Sharpe and Nishimura emphasize that the mentor-coach should resist the temptation to solve the mentee's problems or supply the "right answer"|; instead, the mentor-coach should adopt an "open stance", serving as a "thinking partner". (144) 

According to the authors, questions should be simple and clear, results-oriented, on target, and challenging.  They also identify different types of questions that the mentor-coach should ask.  There are questions that support the mentee's agenda including What do you want to focus on today? (152) and questions such as What is the result you are wanting? which expand his/her awareness. (153)  Also good are questions that challenge the mentee's beliefs and assumptions such as What assumptions are you holding? (154) and questions that invite reflection; for instance, What feedback would be most valuable for you right now? (155)  Questions that support forward movement and change include What are your first steps? (156) and, equally good, are questions that explore the mentee's learning edges, such as Where is the stretch in this for you? (157)   Questions should be open-ended (Tell me about ...).  Question types to avoid are those that are leading or suggestive and questions intended to advise or fix. (ie. How about getting someone else to lead the meeting?) (161)

An important part of keeping the focus on the mentee's agenda is generating questions from the mentee's own language.  For example, when the mentee says he/she has to do something, a good response is You 'have to'?  What does that mean for you? (162)   In particular, the mentor-coach should learn to "...'listen for' moments when the mentee is, or is not, referring to or accessing particular parts of themselves or their [sic] situation, such as strengths, values, core beliefs, assumptions, their inner critic, and commitment." (163)  A good example of such deep listening is attending to metaphors such as the following that the mentee uses: A mountain of work? Where are you in that? (163)

In Chapter 8, the authors present a model for navigating the mentor-coaching conversation.   This model consists of 6 concentric circles, which represent the layers of the conversation.  It has an arrow running through the circles and pointing outward, which shows the movement in the conversation  from the mentee's agenda to the mentee's growing awareness of the possibilities for bringing about desired changes (learning).    In the Red Zone are, first, the mentee's agenda, and then, in the second circle, his/her deepening awareness, which is prompted by the mentor-coach's questions and feedback The third and fourth circle form the proceed with caution Yellow Zone.  In this zone possibilities for action are generated and explored and then the mentor-coach helps the mentee propel forward by discovering the possibility which most engages him\her and aligns with his/her goals and values.   In the Green Zone, the mentee first steps up into action by "actualizing resources",  "clearing obstacles", and "securing a concrete action plan" (198 & 200)   Lastly, the mentee secures his/her own accountability.

The final chapter deals with feedback.   The authors refer to the work of Hattie and Timperley (2007), which suggests that effective feedback answer 3 important questions:

• Where am I going?
• How am I going?
• Where to next? (226)

 As well, they reference Rock (2016) in maintaining that mentor-coaches should "...move away from ... constructive performance feedback", and instead, "...respectfully ask [mentees] what they learned and how [the mentor-coaches] can best help them to improve even further." (228)   The mentor-coach should offer feedback respectfully, link the feedback to the mentee's intentions and values, and "Offer balanced and concrete observations that are in line with the mentee's desired results." (235)   The mentor-coach must also "...be mindful of how the feedback is 'landing' [being received] for the mentee." (236)   The authors also identify 3 approaches for mentor-coach feedback:

• Acknowledging to inspire: Sharing with the mentee "who they are being in order to do what they are doing." (237)
• Holding Up the Mirror to produce insight: Inviting the mentee to reflect.
• Sharing observations to incite: Sharing evidence-based observations without judgement.

A key point the authors make is that mentor-coaches should also invite feedback from their mentees on their mentoring-coaching.                    

When Mentoring Meets Coaching Part 1

WHEN MENTORING MEETS COACHING
Part One

by Kate Sharpe & Jeanie Nishimura

Co-authors Kate Sharpe and Jeanie Nishimura explicitly state in the Introduction the purpose of their book When Mentoring Meets Coaching: "...to provide all those involved in education ...with the principles, attitudes, behaviours, and skills they need to support capacity building from the inside out." (xvii)  

The inside out approach to mentoring and coaching that the co-authors recommend " ...shifts the traditional focus of the [mentoring-coaching] relationship from one of sharing on the part of the mentor to one of focusing on the wants and needs of the mentee through inquiry, reflection, and accountability." (3)  The mentor, in this approach, moves away from playing the role of expert and advisor, and instead, "...invites the mentee to dig deep and access their [sic] own gifts and wisdom, in the service of building their confidence and competence." (7) 

Sharpe and Nishimura contend that a powerful learning model results when mentoring and coaching are combined.  This model has several key components:

1. A clear set of coaching skills and principles;
2. A capacity-building approach whereby the mentor asks questions rather than gives answers;
3. A "path for structured conversation"; and,
4. The promise of "support over time". (15)  

The 6 guiding principles of mentoring and coaching are summarized at the end of the first chapter:

1. Co-creating the mentor-coaching relationship through building trust and offering support, challenge, and encouragement;
2. Holding the mentee resourceful and creating a space for the mentee "...to dig inside and find the path or solution" for him/herself'. (21);
3. Supporting the mentee's strengths and values;
4. Inviting the mentee's reflection and self-discovery;
5. Fostering awareness, choices, and accountability; and,
6. Sharing mentor-coach experiences and expertise only when doing so is "in service of the mentee". (18)

Co-authors Kate Sharpe & Jeanie Nishimura

In Chapter 2, the co-authors explore how the mentor-coach can help the mentee build his/her capacity.  The key thing for the mentor-coach to do is to help the mentee identify his or her strengths and leverage them during leadership challenges.  The authors suggest that a written list of the mentee's strengths be generated and kept available so that they can be accessed during mentor-coaching conversations and when challenges arise.   This strength-based approach, however, does not imply that a mentee's weaknesses be ignored; rather, the mentee should "manage" his or her weaknesses by adjusting his or her mindset and holding realistic expectations for him/herself . (26)  

In the remainder of Chapter 2, Sharpe and Nishimura demonstrate that current research - including research summarized in the McKinsey Report (2012) - indicates that "...coaching and mentoring are two of the most effective methodologies to support enhanced professional learning and integration." (34)   They also show in this chapter that mentor-coaching from the inside out is an effective approach to adult learning as it places the mentee in charge of his/her own learning, focuses on "real and relevant experiences", and is based on the principle that adults bring a depth of experience and knowledge to the learning process. (40) 

The focus of Chapter 3 is on the mentor-coaching relationship.  The mentor-coaching relationship should be such that, in the language of Edmondson's (2003) concepts, both psychological safety and accountability are high.

Edmondson's Four Zones 

According to the authors, the optimal Learning Zone is achieved when the mentor-coaching relationship is collaborative, open, flexible, interdependent, and focused on learning.   They also maintain that the starting point of the mentor-coach relationship should be a focus on the mentee's "learning wants" and "growing edges". (56)   Important aspects of the mentor-coaching relationship include:

• appreciative or strengths-based mindset  
• reciprocal learning 
• mentor as a thinking partner

Sharpe and Nishimura illustrate the critical characteristics of an effective mentor-coaching relationship via their Mentor-Coaching Relationship Critical Characteristics Wheel:

Meaning Making is achieved through the mentor-coach's sharing of stories , wisdom, and experience that support the mentee's learning.  With respect to Confidence and Assuming Competence, the authors note that "...the guiding mentor-coaching principle [is] holding the mentee resourceful, creative, and expert in [his or her]own life." (69)

The main topic of Chapter 4 is the authors' mentor-coaching model.   This model has three zones - red, yellow, and green.  The task of the mentor-coach is to support the mentee in moving through the red zone first, then the yellow zone, and finally, the green zone.   The red zone focuses on the individual - the mentee's awareness of his/her own strengths, values, and goals.  The yellow zone shifts the focus to the collective - to other stakeholders, including the mentor-coach, and how they can support the mentee in his/her learning and growth.   The green zone is about results - "...specific, desired changes in performance, fulfillment, and growth for the mentee." (89)

Sharpe & Nishimura's Mentor-Coaching Model