Helping others who are seeking personal development can bring you rewards through this challenging endeavor. You might find yourself in a position to assist others, such as family members, friends, or employees, in their attempts to reach a higher level of personal development. This opportunity to help others attain more self knowledge and growth can bring you a sense of satisfaction and also help you grow in your own personal development.
Before you take on the role of coach or mentor, it's important to understand what is involved in that task so you can prepare for the responsibilities that you will face. A mentor is expected to offer guidance based on their acquired wisdom and provide a positive influence for others. Your role is supportive and allows one-on-one evaluation and suggestions for modifying behavior. It is goal-oriented so that both you and the person you're helping can recognize progress and strive for higher accomplishments.
Be prepared to create a comfortable environment and situations for you and the person you are mentoring to meet and discuss particular goals, challenges and successes. Continually hone your techniques for offering guidance, keeping the focus on making improvements towards reaching their goal. You can begin a mentoring session by asking the person how they have applied the suggestions and what results they identified from their new behavior. Offer recognition of their progress and affirm their efforts. In helping the person increase their comfort level in certain scenarios, such as speaking in public, plan activities that help them gradually build confidence. A good starting spot for that incidence is to visit a local kindergarten class and read a book to the kids, then make a second visit to teach the children a song. This can break down any nervousness and elevate the enjoyment of being in front of a group. Customize events to meet the goals and the needs of person you are mentoring.
Once you develop a good rapport with your student, it is crucial that you maintain an impartial, non-judgmental stance in your relationship. The position of mentor or coach requires that you are the model, and a successful effort depends on your neutrality. Focus on the mentor/mentee relationship so there is no confusion from undefined boundaries or lack of structure to your efforts. Keep an attentive, but principled, outlook towards your student.
While your personal efforts are of prime importance to your student's progress, other coaching sources can be beneficial, such as books, dvd's, and pertinent articles. You can refer your mentee to those helpful resources, and along the way you might find information that is helpful to your own personal development and growing in your role as mentor.
If you are requested to act as a coach or mentor to help others in their personal development, whether at work or from a peer, it is acknowledgement of the respect and trust that you hold from others. Give the mentor/mentee association the respect that it is due, and you will find that your own personal development is enhanced in the process.
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