Speed Mentoring Tool Copy

Time estimate: 13 Minutes

Excellent Change Leaders think like coaches or mentors. They believe that intelligence and talent can be grown like a muscle and as such, encourage themselves and others to try new things even if there is a risk of failure.

It’s time to introduce our Speed Mentoring Tool. The tool was inspired by the book Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferris and its goal is for you to build an advisory board that helps you grow.

Speed mentoring is most powerful when both parties apply the principles for an ideal apprenticeship and the qualities of an ideal change leader.

Mastering Change Leadership means embracing the idea that one can learn through other’s experiences. Because not all advice needs to be taken on board, it is beneficial to create a board of advisors with a diverse range of thoughts and backgrounds.

The motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that you are the average of the 5 people you associate most with. Studies show that we are influenced by people around us, although the network reaches much further than 5. During the Agile Change Leader course, you build your professional network with purpose. If you have completed the course previously, re-use the Conexus map in order to identify speed mentors.

If you aren’t familiar with Conexus follow the below steps on page 9 of your workbook in order to identify your speed mentors:

1. Identify an area for improvement. Ideally, choose a previously failed attempt relating to your change that you would like to learn from and try again. 
2. Identify which skills you need to improve on to succeed. Now identify someone who has these skills or someone you believe to be close to your ideal change leader blueprint.
3. Make a hit list of who could be your mentor or someone who could make a warm introduction. This is a vital step, otherwise, you cannot proceed to ask. This should remind you of your agility toolkit and the network activity.   
4. Ask them! Connect with courage through your courage ritual: view your vision board, use the visualisation walk, use a power pose, and sing your song… whatever motivates you.
5. Then make the call, text or email!

The call

1. Connect with your potential speed mentor
2. Make an upfront contact introducing your time requirements and clear agenda
3. Set up a 10-minute speed mentoring session

The session

• Pick a question by clicking the question button below to ask your mentor during the session
• Apply the principles of an ideal apprenticeship
• Actively listen and then reflect on how you can use the shared experience in your own change circumstances

Use page 8 in your workbook to write down the your takeaway from the conversation and your reflection.

Practice mode

Building new skills take time and lots of practice. As the catchphrases say Practice makes perfect or it takes 10000 hours to become a master, we want to emphasise the importance of repeatedly applying your leanings,

So after your reflection, it’s your turn to role model the quality that you have learned.

Here are a few tips to help you:

• Do not over-commit to too many improvements at once.
• Allow time before you move onto the next quality.
• Involve your peer(s) early in the process to collect feedback on your progress.

Utilise page 8 of your workbook on a weekly basis or set up a progress statement to reflect on your progress.

Assignment

Upload the workbook below once you have completed a speed mentoring session in order to proceed with your course.