MBA Introduction to Leadership

Steps to Success
Consider how this framework will impact on the process you use for mentoring:
STEP 1 - SITUATION: Discounting at this level means that a person is unaware there is a
situation that could be a problem. For example your team member could be pre-occupied
and miss the signs that there is tension and/or conflict with a colleague.
MP: This is the assessment stage. It involves making sure that the mentee has correct and
complete information about the situation. What is actually going on, what data do they
have access to, what has happened in the past that now affects the present?
Understand and reflect back what the person is saying
Watch out for ignoring the situation yourself
State the impact on you of what the person is doing
Challenge them if they make excuses
State your observation on the facts and the effects of what the person is doing

STEP 2 - SIGNIFICANCE: At this level the person is aware that there is some sort of
situation but doesnt believe that this is very important. For example, a person may know
there is some tension, but they minimise the importance of this by believing that it is simply
because there is a stressful time and this particular colleague is always stroppy.
MP: This is the analysis stage. What is the significance of the information they have about
their situation? What are the trends, what should they be preparing for, what are the
problems or potential problems? How important are various aspects of the situation, what
priorities are there?
Give them feedback about the impact they are having
Let them know that it is important for something to change
State what you observe is the impact on them
Invite green behaviours
Ask how important the change is to them?
Ask what difference it would make to them & how bad it would have to get before
they do something about it?

STEP 3 - SOLUTIONS: Now the person is aware that there is a problem and knows that the
conflict is an important issue. However they do not believe there is any possibility of
sorting out the problem. For example, they know that their colleague seems impatient and
has been un-corporative, but the manager thinks this is just the way it is now.
MP: This and the next step relate to the alternative stage of mentoring. What options are
available? How can we generate more brainstorming, spot mentoring, visits to other
organisations, reading? We need to continue generating options until we are sure that we
can identify no more. No solution should be rejected until we have measured it against the
following steps.
Invite them to think of the different options
Brainstorm give examples but be careful not to give them the answers, they need
to come with them themselves
Invite them to be creative
Work with an analogy provided by the person and what that needs for resolution.

STEP 4 - SKILLS: Discounting ones skills means that whilst a person is aware that the
problem can be resolved via a number of options, they feel unable to resolve it themselves.
For example, this manager may know that one option would be to sit down and talk with
their colleague, but they dont believe they have the skills to do this effectively.
Having identified a range of options, we need to consider how skilfully the mentee might
implement them. Many people drop good ideas at this point because of an incorrect belief
that they lack the necessary ability. A SWOT analysis should have generated a longer list
than normal of the mentees skills. Even a lack of a skill should not automatically eliminate
an idea from the list of options. Acquiring new skills may become part of the subsequent
action plan. Mentees may need to be reminded that they probably have additional skills
which they use outside work at present. Many people in fairly mundane jobs turn out to
have an amazing skills base; they may have excellent interpersonal skills which they use to
coax volunteers to clean out canals, or be extremely good at chairing difficult meetings of
the tenants association, or use project planning techniques unknowingly to plan complex
holiday itineraries.
Use previous knowledge of the person to confront consider what they have
achieved in the past?
Invite adult green thinking
What have they done in the past that is like this?
Where could they get information to help?
Where could they acquire the skills they need?

STEP 5 - STRATEGIES: Once the person is aware they have the skills to deal with a problem,
they may still do nothing about it until they have developed a strategy. In other words, the
manager needs to put together a plan in order to have this conversation.
MP: We are now into the Action Plan stage of mentoring. How will the new ideas be
implemented? What needs to be done, what steps are needed, how will progress be
monitored? What help will the mentee need and where will such help be obtained? How
will they avoid the traps that arise from our working styles? If we recognise any of these
stress-related patterns we need to check that the strategies are not influenced by the
unhelpful aspects of their working styles (nor limited by personal or psychological styles).
Reach agreements around how and when they will deal with the problem
Check viability, achievability, how specific, measurability and when
Check how they may stop themselves achieving this and what they need to
overcome this

STEP 6 - SUCCESS: The manager may have a strategy and not put it into action or they may
carry out their plan and fail to recognise what has been achieved.
MP: Finally, what are the factors associated with success? Often we plan changes but fail
to consider the impact on others and they unwittingly (or deliberately) sabotage us
because the changes are resented. How will the mentee change recognition patterns to be
sure of support from colleagues, friends and managers? How will they maintain motivation
if others try to talk them out of the changes?


Sources:
Hay, J 1995, Transformational Mentoring: Creating developmental alliances for changing organisational cultures,
McGraw-Hill, Maidenhead, p. 91.
ILM Leadership Programme (2011)