Coleen Starwalt, Linguistics Consultant, SIL Nigeria
SIL Nigeria is a growing entity. Alongside new expatriate colleagues, we are successfully recruiting many Nigerians to work in all of our domains, including linguistics. As work expands, consultants like myself, are strongly encouraged (if not expected) to mentor others. This is especially true in the case of newer personnel, in order to increase their capacity for doing their jobs well, and to equip them into becoming mentors themselves. In order to better respond to this challenge within the linguistics domain, I have taken the Introduction to Mentoring course and am in the process of finishing the Practical Mentoring course.
My Whole-Person Mentoring Approach Attracts Leaders
About the time I started the Practical Mentoring course, I began mentoring one of our newer and gifted linguists. Up until this point I had been mentoring cross-domain, focusing on issues of personal and spiritual growth. The Lord brought me several leaders and experts, two of whom are Nigerians, who see their need to grow personally and spiritually. They desire to become more effective mentors, using a whole-person approach. I didn’t set out to mentor leaders, but those are the people the Lord has sent to me. Perhaps our greatest personnel assets are spiritually whole and personally whole leaders, irrespective of their domain responsibilities.
The Dynamic of our Mentoring Relationship Provided Direction as I’ve Worked through the Course
In addition to working together on whatever issue my mentee comes with, we frequently take a step back and discuss the mentoring relationship, what we are doing, and how to contextualize what they are learning in their mentoring of fellow Nigerians. My approach to practical mentoring has been to ask how I can better help my mentees become the kind of mentors they desire to be.
Mentee Input into Module Choices
In the Practical Mentoring course, the participant is required to choose five of the twelve modules offered. Instead of just choosing the modules myself, I sent the summaries to my mentees and asked them which ones they were interested in. They evaluated the modules both in terms of where they thought I needed to grow, as well as what topics would be helpful for them. They chose the following modules: ‘Setting clear goals’, ‘Helping the mentee apply new knowledge’, ‘Skills and attitudes’, ‘Advocating and building confidence’, and ‘Providing encouragement and vision’.
An Example of the Effectiveness of this Approach
Involving my mentees’ input into my module choices has proven helpful for my own growth, and especially for the growth of my primary mentee for this course. For example, the goal setting module proved timely as one mentee had many goals to prioritize. His goals covered practical, time-limited goals, as well as ‘soft’ long-term personal/character growth goals. In going through this process, I learned how to better coach someone in identifying and prioritizing his goals and my mentee learned a method that was transferable to those he had begun mentoring. As God gave greater clarity concerning my mentee’s current job assignment, he was able to re-prioritize his goals. It was extremely encouraging when he began reporting how God intervened in some of the seemingly impossible goals and how he had accomplished them much sooner than expected!
Reflection Questions
How have you included or how might you include your mentees in actively participating in your own growth as a mentor?
My holistic approach to mentoring also attracts those in my domain who perceive their need to grow personally, and not just technically. What is your approach when your mentee is hindered professionally because he or she is stuck somewhere personally or spiritually?
Share your ideas and insights below by clicking on “Leave a reply”.
Image by Miroslav Gecovic from Pixabay
Thanks a lot for this wonderful example giving mentees the opportunity to speak into a mentors own development. This is truly an excellent example of reciprocal mentoring!