What I Learned From Group Mentoring

I've done all kinds of mentoring over the years both as a mentee and a mentor.

The one type of mentoring I hadn't done until recently was a structured group mentoring program. Would we be able to give everyone the time and create that "safe space" to make an impact?

Group Mentoring Defined

For our team...group mentoring meant taking a series of leadership topics over 6-8 sessions (having a guest speaker to start) and assigning a couple of mentors to lead breakout sessions with a group of 8-10 mentees from all over our organization. Due to time zones...the only commonality was grouping based on geography to ensure no one got up too early or stayed up too late.

As the program evolved... those organizing it (volunteers themselves) did a masterful job of setting the topics... pre-brief material... suggesting the flow & prompts for the breakouts and hosting debrief sessions with the mentors. It was this and a whole lot more that ensured we could get the most out of it for all participants.

What I Learned

Do The Work. Whether you are the mentor or mentee...put aside time to do the reading (or watch the videos)... reflect on the questions... write down your thoughts...be prepared to share. This can be tougher than you think given the schedules we keep. It may also be topics that you have struggled with over the years and it is not easy to solve for or make sense of. For ME...it was like spending time with old friends and trying to look at the topic with fresh eyes.

Prepare & Ask Thoughtful Questions. To ensure we did not monopolize the precious breakout time...we agreed that ONE of us mentors would start with a story related to the topic. The hope was that this would make the group feel comfortable with sharing stories of their own or asking vulnerable questions. The challenge for ME personally was to ask more questions or frame a thought in the form of a question to get the mentees talking more than the mentors. This took preparation to have a list to draw from and was a good reminder in real time to keep asking questions.

Keep it Casual and Real. To a person...as we wrapped up our last session this week... our whole group said the biggest benefit was the free flowing conversation and hearing from each other. As the colleagues asked questions and shared their experiences...heads nodded as everyone provided encouragement and feedback. They created a trusted environment where we could bring our whole selves to the table.

Be Open to Get More Than YOU Give. What I loved about this group mentoring experience is that NO one grandstanded or tried to make it seem as if they had it all figured out. Everyone was open to hearing from each other and learning. I believe this was particularly important for us as mentors. The "aha" moments or stories didn't need to come from us...what mattered most is that we had them! We got more than we gave by being present... and involving as many voices as we could each time.

The World Belongs to Those that Have the Courage to SHOW UP. I have talked about this many times over the years and it was true yet again for this experience. It isn't just physically showing up...although that is a good first start...it means being present in the moment. When YOU show up with your authentic self and YOU fully participate...magic happens.

Capture The Learning. I joke often...there is a blog post for everything. As we went through the group mentoring...I shared a few of them as a leave behind for the participants. In the final session we talked about that as a mechanism to continue the learning and journey. Whether you write a blog...a journal...do a video... a podcast...or however you can capture the story or insight...DO IT. It not only clears the clutter but helps to refine your thoughts or position on who YOU are so YOU can share with others.

In Closing...

To go back to the question..."Would we be able to give everyone the time and create that "safe space" to make an impact?" The answer is surprisingly YES (or at least that is my opinion and I am sticking to it). Having said that... I am not sure if group mentoring is for everyone or that it works every time.

We did offer to do 1:1 sessions and encouraged the mentees to continue the conversation with each other outside the scheduled program. Depending on the topic or questions or individual needs...the best you can do it scratch the surface in the time we were allotted.

While no one took us up on the 1:1s...the key to success is really in the hands of the participants. Like any team sport...if one person gives up or decides it is all about them...the team fails or it is at least a lot harder to prevail. We were lucky enough (luck meaning where preparation meets opportunity) to have a group who maximized the time together and got the most out of it. I am inspired and grateful.

My biggest lesson learned is that no matter the format... making time for professional development...reflection and sharing our journey is time well spent. It's when we feel we don't have the time that we should slow down and make the time. Those couple of hours make a difference!

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• Have YOU been part of a mentoring or coaching program recently? If not...why not?

• What is the best mentoring or coaching experience you have ever had? What are the 3 things that made it so memorable or helpful?

• What do YOU think of the group mentoring concept?

• What do YOU think of the learnings above? Could they apply to all kinds of mentoring situations? What would you add or change?

• Are YOU a mentor or mentee right now? What advice would you give to both roles to maximize the experience?

• How much time are YOU dedicating to mentorship? If YOU haven't done it in a while...what's stopping YOU?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite.