Benefits of Mentoring Master Mind Groups

The Benefits of Participating in The Master Mind Group:

• Increase your confidence in leading the mentoring process or program


• Broaden your knowledge on the impact of mentoring for the individual and the organization


• Sharpen your own mentoring skills


• Learn distinctions in terms that are typically used interchangeably with mentoring


• Borrow on the experience of others; learn from others successes and mistakes


• Get honest feedback, suggestions, and brainstorming


• Gain momentum on your process


• Create a plan to move forward with accountability within the group


• Get immediate support and an instant network for mentoring


• Receive insights on your own development and career as you plan for the development and career of others

We hope you will join us on one of our complimentary Mentoring Master Mind Group Informational Calls coming up Wednesday, February 11th and Wednesday, February 18th at 1:00PM. Register and RSVP here!

Mentoring Master Mind Group Informational Calls This Month!

Master Mind Groups create momentum, enthusiasm and optimism for members who commit to joining together and "mining" the best of their thinking for the benefit of the group.

"No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind." - Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich

The LPSI Mentoring Master Mind Group is for individuals who want to begin, improve or transform their mentoring programs or processes with their organizations or companies.

Corporations and service organizations are quickly seeing that their "do more with less" emphasis has drained managers and employees. Mentoring is a key skill to help "plug the drain" and build energy and hope back in.

Our next complimentary calls will be on Wednesday, February 11th and Wednesday, February 18th - each call is at 1:00PM Eastern. We hope you will join us! Register here...

Resolve to Get Mentoring

Commentary abounds regarding New Years resolutions and the potential folly of them since they are often "made to break". Within weeks, the individual finds themselves back where they started. The best discourse I found on the subject this year identified a New Years resolution as a goal; without a goal, there is diffuse direction, limited focus, and fewer results. How then can New Years resolutions be folly? Few experts dispute the efficacy of written goal setting yet New Years resolutions are often disputed. Reduced to its simplest terms, if one wants results, they must set goals with associated measures of success. If New Years is the "line in the sand" to set those goals, so be it. But instead of opting out 6 weeks later, stay in and commit. To that end, add "getting mentoring" to your goals, and make it a New Years resolution that has exceptional resolve. Your life and career path will illuminate more brightly because of it.

"Accidental" Mentoring Moments With Impact

The movie, Accidental Tourist, stars William Hurt as Macon Leary, who writes travel guides for reluctant business travelers. His tips emphasize how to travel with the minimum of disruption to the business person's life.
By contrast there are "accidental" mentoring moments that for the eager learner can provide tips that impact significantly one's life. Recently I requested to meet with a business owner, turned business consultant and educator. Expecting a brief interchange about how I might more effectively engage business owners in coaching services, this "accidental" mentoring moment lasted two hours and had major impact on how I approach my work. His tips for my business development, generously shared in a uniquely creative and compelling way, resulted in a welcome disruption in how I have to date, approached this topic.
The lesson learned here is that any encounter can become an "accidental" mentoring moment, creating a potential breakthrough that significantly impacts business and/or career success.

Mentoring expectations

For relationships to be strong, individuals need to know what expectations they have of each other. This step is often skipped, leading to disappointment and disengagement when one or both parties inevitably fails to meet the "unstated" expectations. Assuming that we know what the other wants in a relationship is far less reliable than clearly stating expectations. The place to clarify expectations in mentoring pairs is in the orientation phase. While common expectations for proteges may be for the mentor to share any suggestions they have, be a sounding board for proteges ideas, or simply to stay in touch, there may be other more specific requests that the protege or the mentor has. There may be unique ways in which the protege best learns or experiences new things that only an intentional conversation will uncover. There may be talents and skills that the mentor can bring to bear, but isnt sure if sharing these at this time is in best service to the protege. In the fast paced world we live in, and in our desire to be helpful, we may miss this most crucial element to building strong relationships for any purpose; that is to clearly articulate expectations for the mentoring process, from both the proteges and the mentor's perspective. From these expectations then, the quality of the mentoring process can be continually measured by how well mentoring has met the stated expectations. Share your experiences about the impact of clarifying expectations on the quality of the mentoring process.
For more information on mentoring and coaching, visit www.lighthousePSI.com

Mentoring Across Generations

For the most satisfying mentoring relationships, mentor and protege "pairings" may consider many factors beyond elements of work experience or expertise in a field or industry. In fact diversity within mentoring relationships lends itself to richness in the experience that can be shared in the ongoing mentoring process. With regard to age matching in mentoring pairs, it is very likely that an older mentor will be paired with a younger protege, though not required. Mentoring is predicated on the mentor having more experience in an area than the junior colleague; that additional experience does not necessarily predict an older age. In any case, the likelihood is strong that mentoring will occur across generations. As such, mentors and proteges would do well to learn what their own generational cultural influences and core work values tend to be. In so doing, relationships can become strengthened vs. polarized by the distinct difference in perspectives that the generations bring to the table. For example, just on the basis of how different generations prefer to learn, mentoring pairs may be interested to know the following:

Veterans (born 1922-1946) prefer structured learning environments, with content delivered by authoritarian experts. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) also like formal organized education, but unlike younger generations, tend to be highly motivated as lifelong learners just for the sake of learning. In contrast, Generation Xers (born 1964-1980) tend to learn on a "need to know" basis, and learn better by demonstration than by reading. Generation Yers (born 1980-2000) prefer learning through discovery, trial and error, and in highly interactive challenging "point- counter-point" discussions. (1) (NB)

Given these brief descriptions, let me know what you have discovered in mentoring others or being mentored, when generational differences have created great results, or where they differences may have backfired in the mentoring process.



(1) Coates, J. Generational Learning Styles, River Falls, WI LERN Books: 2007

(NB) These are intended to be guides for understanding generational learning preferences, not stereotypes- there are individual variations within generations based on personality and behavioral style.

Master "Minding" as a Mentoring Technique

As I am soon to launch a new Master Mind Group for Mentoring, it is clear that the master mind technique first coined by Napoleon Hill in the book Think and Grow Rich, is in itself, a mentoring technique. Structured as a group of individuals who commit to create a climate of trust and respect, they offer encouragement, support, advice and feedback for each other's endeavors extending typically over six to twelve months. This time frame mirrors formal mentoring programs where mentors and proteges are paired for purposes of career and leadership development. Techniques embodied in master mind groups are often those that are promoted within mentoring/protege pairs. Stay tuned for an upcoming informational session where the new Mentoring Master Mind group will be described for interested applicants. http://www.lighthousepsi.com/