In this podcast, Art of Mentoring’s Melissa Richardson talks about Adaptation, Mentoring and Wellbeing with workplace wellbeing advisor, Thea O’Connor.
Mentoring is a well-documented practice for supporting people through a transition, typically from study to work or from one career to another.
The unfolding COVID-19 crisis of 2020 requires more than just a transition response. The pandemic has thrown the world’s population into a sudden change on many levels – job loss, social distancing, working from home, forced isolation indoors, with overwhelming media coming at us. We are having to ADAPT, very quickly, to a very different reality. Can others help us adapt more quickly and effectively?
We know that mentoring has positive impacts for both mentors and mentees on affective wellbeing. Having a safe place in which to reflect and untangle thoughts and feelings, as well as plan for the adaptation, could be critical to how well societies adapt. Mentors will supplement, not replace, mental health experts whose services may be overwhelmed.
How can mentors help and what can we all be doing to adapt quickly and well?
Our “Coaching and Mentoring Through Change” training course uses the Bridges Transition Model1 to provide a framework for the phases people experience in a change:
There are three phases. The first job of mentors is to identify which phase they are in themselves. In an ideal world, mentors would have moved to the last phase so they can focus on the needs of mentees. In reality, they may be moving through the phases together with their mentee. Having a conversation about where each party sits is a good start and will build trust.
Reference
- Bridges, William (2003) Managing Transitions (2nd) Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA.
© Melissa Richardson 2020
