Session 3: Coaching and Mentoring

In this session we will discuss coaching and mentoring. We will explore how we can strengthen our skills to provide quality coaching and mentoring to our teams.

Getting Ready For This Session

• Remember to have your workbook and a pen or pencil handy.
• You will need about 65–70 minutes to complete the session.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Define the terms mentoring and coaching
• Describe mentoring and coaching skills and activities
• Reflect on and set goals for your own coaching and mentoring journey

Learning Activities

• Introduction (1 min)

  This session will help you gain knowledge and understanding about mentoring and coaching. You will also learn about the process of establishing a mentoring relationship. We will review a model that can help guide your mentoring and coaching activities.

  
• Pre-Session Assessment (5 min)

  Let’s start off with a quick check of your knowledge and comfort about mentoring and coaching. Each question will have a score for you to track in your workbook. Please track your scores as you go through this assessment and make note of any content areas that you answered incorrectly. This exercise will help to identify gaps and areas that need more attention as you go through the content in this session.

  1Coaching and mentoring involve which of the following activities? Select all that apply.

  1. Providing inspiration
  2. Providing technical expertise
  3. Listening
  4. Goal setting

  Feedback: All are correct. There are several ways that a mentor or coach can support the growth of their mentees; collaboration is the foundation of mentoring and coaching.

  Scoring: 1 point for each correct answer.

  2Which qualities are important to consider as you set goals? Select all that apply.

  1. Measurable
  2. Realistic
  3. Open-ended
  4. Time-bound

  Feedback: A, B, and D are correct. We try to establish goals that are ‘SMART’: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

  Scoring: 1 point for each correct answer.

  3You should never tell a mentee that you do not know something.

  1. True
  2. False

  Feedback: False. It is okay not to have all the answers. Honesty is essential to the relationship between mentor and mentee, so if you don’t know something, you should admit it and then look for the answer.

  Scoring: 1 point for the correct answer.

  4How can you provide encouragement to someone you are mentoring? Select all that apply.

  1. Give reassurance
  2. Set timelines
  3. Give credit for effort made
  4. Recognise strengths

  Feedback: A, C, and D are correct. Although setting timelines is an important aspect of goal setting, it should not be used as a method of encouragement.

  Scoring: 1 point for each correct answer.

• Mentoring and Coaching (5 min)
  

  Your role as a supportive supervisor includes providing coaching and mentoring to supervisees and facility staff.

  Coaching and mentoring share the basic purpose of supporting the professional development and performance of team members. Typically, coaching targets a particular skill or task to strengthen; mentoring is usually a long-term process and is more relationship-oriented.

  As a coach or mentor, you help to:

  • Clarify roles, tasks, and desired outcomes
  • See a range of possibilities and approaches for addressing problems
  • Establish short-term and longer-range goals for both individuals and teams
  • Build independence, autonomy, and confidence

  The aim of coaching and mentoring is to enable the team or individual(s) to effectively do their work and solve problems independently.

  Although there are some differences between coaching and mentoring, the primary focus of both is to provide support as needed during your contacts.

  In this session, we will be combining coaching and mentoring, and will refer to them together.

• Good Mentors and Coaches (5 min)

  Take some time to think back on the best mentor or coach you have had in your professional life (if you can’t identify a professional mentor, then use a personal mentor). What was it that made them stand out for you?

  List the qualities that made them good mentors and coaches.

  Feedback: Hopefully, you were able to identify some characteristics that stood out as supportive. Good mentors and coaches help us to see our own potential; they believe in us and push us to grow. In the next section we will examine some of the qualities that are considered important in effective coaching/mentoring relationships. First, let’s hear from a couple of seasoned clinical professionals about their experiences with memorable mentors:

  • A Mentor Who Gives and Takes - Grace John-Stewart
    Transcript

    Transcript

    It is really helpful to pick good people to be your mentor, who will challenge you and help you grow. Well, my primary mentor, Joan Krise, really was an amazing mentor for me. A couple of things that really struck me about her—one was, you know all the people that she picked, obviously, had, you know, sort of good credentials and all, but she was really, really careful to help in developing us by very good criticism—you know what I mean by good criticism? So, it wasn’t like, “Oh, that’s fantastic, that’s fantastic.” From her I received criticism that was very valuable, that helped me, I think, grow in a way I wouldn’t have grown without that criticism. But it was balanced by this belief and commitment to me that was really, really—it was amazing.

    So, early in my fellow career I remember I made a mistake in a research project, and it was—it made me feel terrible. I made this mistake and there were consequences to the mistake, but Joan actually took and owned that mistake for the team, and never said, “This person made a mistake on the team.” She took it. She was the lead of the team and she said, “We have made this mistake. I have made this mistake.“ She took it for me.

    And I think that level of trying to get those of us that she mentored up to the standards she wanted, but that if we made a mistake, owning that as her responsibility was really profound for me. Because that responsibility meant that I was—that it was a place I shouldn’t have made the mistake, but still it was something we owned together. And for me, that was very powerful.

    Grace John-Stewart

    ×
  • A Favorite Mentor - Patricia Garcia
    Transcript

    Transcript

    He always remembered the names and the faces of people—and even stories that he relates with people. So, he—when he is with somebody, he can make this person feel, like, really special and part of a goal, you know. And I think that’s something incredibly good because that can make somebody that may not care about anything very motivated. So, that’s one of the things, for example, that I always admired in him.

    The other that I admired is that he’s able to listen and you can make him change his mind. So, he can take ideas and make them an idea for everybody. And even the ideas that may sound sometimes—that have no sense. It’s incredible how he can transform them into something that can be really bright and good for everybody—and everybody will follow and will work together.

    Patricia Garcia

    ×
• Actions of an Effective Coach/Mentor (10 min)

  In previous sessions, we have emphasised the importance of building trust as a part of your supervisor-supervisee relationship. Communicate to your mentees that you want them to succeed, and that you believe in their ability to do so.

  Let’s review some of the key actions of effective coaches/mentors (tap on each bar to expand):

  • Provide Technical Expertise

    Be open and willing to share your knowledge in programmatic focus areas (e.g., clinical topics, data analysis, quality improvement methods) by sharing skills, knowledge, and expertise. If there are areas of your expertise in which you do not feel confident, be sure to access available resources and pass them along them to your mentees. Connect your mentees with learning opportunities, including peer learning and connections with others who can share their expertise.

    It is important to let your mentees know that you may not have all the answers, and that you can also make mistakes. Listen to Victor and Patrick share how they have been humbled and learned to admit that they are still learning:

    • Admitting You Don’t Know it All - Victor Lakay
      Transcript

      Transcript

      I mean, things that bring out the worst in people, in leaders, is when it’s sort of—when leadership becomes self-absorbed, you know? When I think you take yourself way too seriously as a leader and your role as a leader. So for me, again, I constantly put myself in check to know that I’m a leader, but I’m being led at the same time. It’s so important for me. Otherwise, I think I take myself too seriously and think…

      We spoke about it earlier. I said I don’t have all the answers. And very often you find, particularly when you’ve had discussion and now you have Q&A, question and answer sessions. People will ask you questions. And I notice a mistake that some of my mentors made is often that they would try and waffle around a question because they just don’t want to say, You know what? I actually don’t know the answer to that. And something I learned sort of quite early on is to be able to say, Hey, that’s a great question. I don’t know the answer to that. But how can we actually get—find the answer to that? Or, Who’s tasked with finding the answer to that? And that, to me, is coupled with a raw honesty. It’s being able to recognize 1) my limitations—that I don’t know everything—and that while you may say it’s important to me it’s able to laugh at myself. We spoke about mistakes earlier—for others to see that I’m human. I make mistakes. I can laugh at myself. And they should be able to do it, too. And we should be able to do that together. We can be serious together. We can have—we can be focused together. We can laugh together. Yes, I laugh at myself all the time.

      Victor Lakay

      ×
    • Admitting Mistakes - Patrick Odawo
      Transcript

      Transcript

      As a person in a new leadership position, I’ll be thinking of how to, for example, save on resources, how to utilize resources well, how to really just make things, sometimes policies be my way. But I’ve learned to be flexible. I’ve learned that I’ve got to accommodate other people’s views in the policies. I’ve learned that, well, I shouldn’t be so stringent about spending resources and there are times back in country that I said, “You know what? I’m not gonna spend money on this.” But then one month down the line I realize, “Hmm… I shouldn’t have made that decision. I should have actually spent that money.” But again, I said I’m freestyle. I’m liberal. I go back and say, “Well, I made the wrong decisions so let’s change this, and let’s do it this other way now.”

      Patrick Odawo

      ×
  • Inspire and Encourage

    Effective coaches and mentors provide encouragement, which helps to build confidence and enables supervisees to develop their skills. You want to provide a safe relationship where supervisees can ask questions, share ideas, and vent frustrations. Encourage them to work through difficult situations and reassure them as they try new tasks. Ways that you can inspire and encourage them include:

    • Acknowledging recent improvements and accomplishments
    • Recognising strengths
    • Giving credit for effort and hard work
  • Offer Suggestions and Advice

    As a coach or mentor, ask questions—and listen to the responses before you start giving advice. Allow time for your supervisee to talk through their situation and come up with their own ideas for addressing challenges. Discuss options and offer resources to help your supervisee grow. When sharing suggestions or advice, provide clear, constructive feedback, and confirm that the other person has understood you correctly. (Feedback will be covered in more detail in Session 5.)

  • Engage in Collaborative Problem-Solving

    When a supervisee feels frustrated or stuck, you can help them figure out ways to address the issues they are facing. Often it helps to start the problem-solving process by asking questions and seeing what ideas your supervisee may have. When you engage in the process together, it is important to share your thoughts in a way that does not shut the other person down or make them feel uncomfortable. Some commonly used collaborative problem-solving methods are:

    • Brainstorming a list of ideas and possible solutions
    • Acting as a sounding board. Allow your supervisee to vent their frustrations and share their thoughts, and then provide an objective second opinion from your more experienced perspective.
    • Reviewing and assessing risks together
    • Using QI problem analysis tools (e.g., the fishbone diagram, process mapping, the 5 Whys)

    We will cover problem-solving in more detail in Session 6.

  • Goal Setting

    Collaboratively setting goals, both for individuals and the team, helps to define what success looks like. Goal setting helps to manage expectations by establishing metrics for growth. It can also be empowering for supervisees when they reach their goals. Later in this session we will explore the GROWS model and look at how setting goals fits into coaching and mentoring.

  • Active Listening

    You may have noticed that these actions all involve some form of active listening. (Refer back to the Communication session for more about active listening.) During coaching or mentoring, resist the urge to immediately provide solutions to the problems identified. Instead, listen first, then problem-solve together.

• Beginning the Mentor-Mentee Relationship (5 min)

  Let’s take some time to listen to Edias as he explains how he establishes the mentoring relationship:

  Transcript

  Transcript

  

  My name is Edias, I am a public health practitioner, a seasoned mentor, and I would like to share with you my experience in mentorship. Mentoring is a process that begins with establishing trust—you know, everything starts with trust, and by starting off with trust, you are allowing your mentee to feel safe, to be honest, and to make mistakes. And trust goes both ways—you want to trust them and have confidence in them, so it is a mutual feeling. And speaking of mutual, it is so important to have mutual respect. You may be more seasoned in your job and have a great deal to share, but you can always learn from your mentees or supervisees as well. It can take time to build the relationship into one of mutual trust and respect, but it is worth the investment.

  I like to also start the relationship with defining expectations around communication, and then collaboratively setting goals. When we are setting goals, we make sure that we are setting them up for success; we try to have realistic time frames and benchmarks. And we set up a system for checking in on ongoing progress where we can discuss challenges and successes. And I keep an open mind and an open door; anyone who I supervise can reach out to me with questions, and I will not judge them.
  Thank you.

  Edias Mandere

  ×
• GROWS Model (10 min)

  The GROWS model is a framework that you can use to structure your mentoring or coaching. GROWS stands for:

  The GROW coaching model was originally conceived by John Whitmore. See Coaching for Performance, London: Brealey, 2009.
  + The “Support” step was the inspiration of a PATH staff member in India—Kishore Bajaj. He felt Whitmore’s original “GROW” model was incomplete without encouragement. PATH is a global health non-governmental organization based in Seattle, Washington.

  • Goal
  • Reality
  • Options
  • Will
  • Support

  COACHING USING G-R-O-W-S

  Coaching is a supervisor-led dialogue aimed at increasing an employee’s effectiveness. Follow this proven sequence in coaching an employee. This order of discussion also works for many meetings and retreats!

  In the Options step below, you’ll notice that we suggest you come up with seven ideas. Why so many? Because the more creative and unexpected ideas often begin to emerge after the first, obvious solutions are expressed. The initial ideas may be preferred (the Will step), but they are best evaluated in the context of a broad view of what actions could help make meaningful progress towards the goal.

  Goal	What do you want to have happen? What would success look like?
  Reality	What is going on now? What factors favor success? What obstacles might be encountered?
  Options	Given your goal and the current reality, what options could you try? What choices do you have? [Generate at least seven options!]
  Will	Which of the options will you pursue? When?
  Support	What support or reinforcement will help you implement your decision?

  A good way of thinking about the GROWS model is to think about how you'd plan a journey. First, you decide where you are going (the goal) and establish where you currently are (your current reality). You then explore various routes (the options) to your destination. In the final step, establishing the will, you ensure that you're committed to making the journey, and are prepared for the obstacles that you could encounter on the way.

  Let’s take a closer look at each category:

  • Goal
  • Reality
  • Options
  • Will
  • Support

  Goal

  Together with your team member, look at what behaviour or process needs to change, and write up a goal that you want to achieve. Make sure the goal is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

  • What do you want to have happen?
  • What would success look like?

  Reality

  Take time to discuss the team member’s current reality (situation). Consider their starting point, their schedule and commitments, things they have already tried, and things that have already failed. In the course of the discussion, you may come up with (more) possible solutions to try out.

  Options

  Now that you have a grasp of the current reality, it is time to discuss what is possible—meaning what all of the available options for attaining the goal are. Make sure the team member is the one brainstorming these options; then you can provide feedback. They will be the one doing these things, so they should suggest what they think will work for them.

  Will

  Simply suggesting options isn’t enough; you must take the further step of having the team member commit to the specific actions they will take to attain their goals. This will establish their will and boost their motivation to perform those actions.

  Support

  You will need to keep your team member motivated and on track, so make sure that you also come up with ways in which you can provide support and check in on them. This way you too can easily see the changes happening.

• Mentoring a Mentor (10 min)

  In the first two sessions we were introduced to Takudzwa, a new district mentor, and the settings he works in.

  

  Takudzwa has begun working with the facilities in his district and establishing relationships with the teams. Takudzwa gets a call from his supervisor, Kuda, who tells him that he wants to arrange a meeting for them to set some goals.

  Kuda visits the district office where Takudzwa works. Kuda explains that he would like to collaboratively create a plan to help Takudzwa grow professionally. He starts off by asking Takudzwa how he feels he is doing at his job so far. Takudzwa mentions that the job is harder than he expected, and that he is struggling to keep up with his tasks.

  1If you were Kuda, how would you respond? Write your response in your workbook.

  Feedback: This is a good time to provide inspiration and encouragement. It would be helpful to validate his feelings, and to share that what he is experiencing is normal. You can say something like:

  It is a difficult job, and it is normal to feel challenged in the beginning. I appreciate that you are able to talk about it with me. Let’s see how we can use our time together to explore ways for you to feel more confident in your position.

  Takudzwa agrees that it would be helpful to discuss how to improve in his job. Following the GROWS model, Kuda starts the process by asking what Takudzwa would like to see happen—what is his goal? He asks: ‘What specifically would you like to get better at?’ Takudzwa responds, ‘I would like to get better at completing multiple tasks.’

  2Following the GROWS model, what should Kuda ask next?

  1. How can you achieve that?
  2. What else do you want to improve on?
  3. What’s going on now for you related to your goal?
  4. How can I help you?

  Feedback: C is correct. The next stage in the GROWS model is to consider reality—what is going on now?

  Takudzwa responds by explaining that he feels inefficient in how he approaches his tasks; he tries to do several things at the same time, which then leads to various distractions, and he ends up having a hard time staying focused. This leads to the next stage of the discussion, coming up with at least seven options that could be tried. Takudzwa begins listing a few options:

  • I could take an online course to learn more about project management.
  • I could read about project management.
  • I could work extra hours.

  3What are some additional options that you might suggest to Takudzwa to help him think through how he could become more efficient? Write your responses in your workbook.

  Feedback: There are a number of options that you can suggest, such as:

  • Make a list of all the tasks that need to be completed, and then break them down into smaller pieces.
  • Prioritise tasks that need to be accomplished first.
  • Determine what is urgent versus what is important.
  • Focus on one thing at a time before moving on to the next.
  • See if there are any items that you can delegate to someone else.
  • Set daily expectations for yourself.

  You may have listed some of these options or come up with others. The important thing is that you are offering suggestions and engaging in collaborative problem-solving.

  Takudzwa determines that he will try to learn more about project management on his own time, but for now he will begin to prioritise his daily tasks with a list. In following the GROWS model, what should Kuda say next?

  4In your workbook, write what you would say if you were Kuda providing support to Takudzwa using the GROWS model.

  Feedback: The last step in the GROWS model is to find out what support is needed. You can ask, How can I support you in pursuing these ideas?

• Your Mentorship Journey (5 min)

  Now that we have listened to others, and have more formally considered the elements of good coaching and mentoring, what thoughts do you have about your own mentorship journey?

  Take a few minutes to write your thoughts in your workbook. Consider what success looks like, how you define positive moments, and what you look forward to implementing.

  Feedback: Mentoring and coaching can be a lifelong learning process, full of challenges and opportunities. Many people who provide mentorship or coaching find it to be a rewarding experience, where you can take pride in helping others achieve success while finding more ways to reflect on and achieve your own career goals.

• Action Plan (5 min)

  After writing your thoughts on your own journey, use the Action Plan form in your workbook to list two or three skills that you would like to improve as a mentor. Write a few sentences about how you are currently practicing those skills, and how you would like to develop them further.

• Post-Session Assessment (5 min)

  Now that you have completed this session, let’s take time to check your knowledge and comfort about coaching and mentoring. Please track your scores as you go through this assessment, compare them with your pre-test scores, and make note of any content areas where you answered incorrectly.

  1Coaching and mentoring involve which of the following activities? Select all that apply.

  1. Providing inspiration
  2. Providing technical expertise
  3. Listening
  4. Goal setting

  Feedback: All are correct. There are several ways that a mentor or coach can support the growth of their mentees; collaboration is the foundation of mentoring and coaching.

  Scoring: 1 point for each correct answer.

  2Which qualities are important to consider as you set goals? Select all that apply.

  1. Measurable
  2. Realistic
  3. Open-ended
  4. Time-bound

  Feedback: A, B, and D are correct. We try to establish goals that are ‘SMART’: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

  Scoring: 1 point for each correct answer.

  3You should never tell a mentee that you do not know something.

  1. True
  2. False

  Feedback: False. It is okay not to have all the answers. Honesty is essential to the relationship between mentor and mentee, so if you don’t know something, you should admit it and then look for the answer.

  Scoring: 1 point for the correct answer.

  4How can you provide encouragement to someone you are mentoring? Select all that apply.

  1. Give reassurance
  2. Set timelines
  3. Give credit for effort made
  4. Recognise strengths

  Feedback: A, C, and D are correct. Although setting timelines is an important aspect of goal setting, it should not be used as a method of encouragement.

  Scoring: 1 point for each correct answer.

• Summary (1 min)

  Good job! You have completed this session. We have covered some of the skills and activities that are needed to be an effective mentor or coach. We also learned to use the GROWS model for setting attainable goals.

• Resources

  Below are links to resources relevant to this session.

  Title/Source	File
  The GROWS Model	Click to open file.