We recommend that you participate in out ‘Chef Buddies’ development sessions which are free as part of your Chef Partnership membership.
The course comprises two three-hour sessions with practical hints and tips delivered by mentoring experts through workshops. These are offered ‘online’ but can also be delivered in person if required.
The following are designed as ‘Hints and tips’ to help you develop a mentoring culture at work. However, we would recommend that this a process where you will discover what works for both parties, mentor and mentee and that you will establish a way of working together which suits you both.
How often should we meet?
There is no maximum. It is dependent on need. Probably once a quarter is a minimum in order to know what is going on with the person that you are mentoring. Once the relationship is well established, it is easier to have telephone calls to check how things are going. Interim telephone calls should be used in any case from the start onwards. It is simply that as time goes on, the telephone calls tend to be more and more productive.
What do we discuss?
Whatever is relevant for the person concerned. There are no precise requirements from the company’s side. Probably a conversation would proceed as follows:
What are you personal development goals? (This is in the first conversation. For subsequent conversations it is a matter of giving a brief reminder of the development goals)
How do you intend to reach these goals? (first conversation)
What have you done so far to achieve these goals? (subsequent conversations)
What are you pleased with? What has worked well?
What has been difficult in achieving these goals?
(or alternatively, in the first conversation: what do you imagine will be difficult..?)
How have you tried to overcome difficulties? What do you think you could do to overcome the difficulties?
Who else do you need to involve in this process? What is the impact of your actions on other people around you (what do you anticipate, or what have you noticed?) Is this good, or is there something that you need to change in this respect?
Would you like a suggestion from my side?
How does all this fit with your long-term career ambitions?
Are there other aspects that you need to work on in order to achieve the career ambitions you have set for yourself?
What are you planning to do before we meet next time? (How? Within what time frame?)
Do you need any help before we meet next?
When shall we meet and what will be the focus on our next discussion?
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