The Three Key Phases of Successful Mentoring ...............................................
Do you remember classes in school where you sat for what
seemed like hours and repeated facts over and over? How many of
those facts do you remember today? For that matter, how many of
those facts did you remember two weeks after you were tested on
them? Not many? Join the crowd!
You don’t remember them because you were told only facts.
You weren’t shown how those truths could be applied in your
daily life. And you weren’t asked to apply that information
yourself. An example of the best kind of learning we experienced
as children is the art of tying a shoelace. We were first told that
tied shoes made our feet feel better and lessened the chance of
tripping over loose laces ... then we were carefully shown how to
tie those laces ... and finally we were supervised as we tied our
own shoelaces. Result? Information we have “owned” since
preschool — and will always own.
True learning works the same way with adults. When you tell
an adult how to do something, she will remember 10 percent of
what you say. If you show an adult how to do something, she will
remember 60 percent. But if you do something with that same
adult, she will remember 90 percent or more. Mentoring is about
doing and about understanding. It doesn’t matter how much you
can do something. Nor is it important that you demonstrate
perfectly. You help the associate understand the why so that she
can do it and repeat it at will — her will.
Based on those facts, the best way to teach adults is by
discussing, explaining and involving. Certainly, have them do
tasks. Make sure, though, through storying, that they see, feel and
hear the big picture. An example is how math is often taught.
People pass tests, get 100 percent and A’s by multiplying,
dividing, adding and subtracting. Teachers do great jobs teaching
the processes of math. But the students who excel, who can
transfer knowledge into real-life situations, are the ones who
learned the philosophy of math, who had teachers who explained
to them the fundamental principles. As a mentor, you aren’t as
concerned with the doing today as you are with building the
foundation of their future.Coaching, Mentoring and Managing4
The “10-60-90”
Principle