The word inspire comes from the Latin meaning “to inflame”. In mentoring context, it means to excite, to encourage or to "breathe life into".
This last point paints a vivid picture of how our mentoring relationships provide the perfect opportunity for our mentee to transform. Inspiration is the spark that fuels growth. A strong mentoring relationship will build confidence and sets your mentee on the road to inspiring others.
How can I inspire?
Set High Expectations. Using the Pygmalion Effect, sometimes known as the Expectancy Effect, shows you believe in your mentee’s capability. Encouraging them to take on challenges they may have backed away from, can give them the confidence to have a go. Let them see you trust in their knowledge, their skills, and that you have every confidence it’s within them to succeed.
“one’s expectations about a person can eventually lead that person to behave and achieve in ways that confirm those expectations” (Tauber, 1998).
For example: “You are great at analysing data. This presentation is the perfect opportunity for you to show that”
Assigning progressively challenging tasks, while giving support and guidance along the way, will see your mentee grow in knowledge, skill and confidence. Your words, your tone and your body language is key to reinforcing your enthusiasm for them to take up the challenge.
Create Psychological Safety. A supportive environment where your mentor feels safe to try new things is imperative.
For example: “This is a new challenge for you, so it’s okay if it’s not perfect straight away. What matters is what you learn from this, not just the outcome.”
Have a safe space for honest talking. Encourage resilience by normalising failures, things happen and show the importance of bouncing back.
The Power of Visualisation. A simple visualisation technique is for the mentee to create a mental picture of what they want to achieve. What do they see, how does it feel? Imagination is a fascinating tool. Seeing success, feeling the accomplishment, makes it appear real and helps to map out the steps to get there.
For example: “Picture yourself confidently leading the presentation. What do you see? What do you feel? What are you doing that means you’re confident? What can we do today to start preparing?”
Mental rehearsals can help individuals to increase their confidence, concentration, and overall performance.
Celebrate Progress. Regularly acknowledge how far they’ve come, no matter how small the achievement.
For example: “That presentation was a huge step forward! Ok, where do we go now?”
By showing you believe in your mentee’s potential, creating a safe space for growth, and encouraging them to visualise their success, you can inspire them to embrace the challenges and move forward with confidence.
Can you identify one strength your mentee may not fully recognise in themselves and create a plan to help them use that strength to tackle a meaningful challenge?