results for anger.

An often overlooked task in the mentor role is ensuring safety; safety for the mentor, for the mentee and for the larger community around both. In fact, safety is an important component in Verve Lead’s front page statement; “Lift buoyancy and resilience of Christian leaders, to enhance the well-being, sustainability and safety of our communities.”  The effect of a Christian

A New Cohort is Opening! If you are a professional mentor/supervisor (or are considering the path to becoming one) do you ever wonder if you have the proper foundation for the work ahead? Do you want to ensure you have the essential competencies needed for this job? Well, there is good news… Verve Lead is excited to offer a new opportunity. We are opening a new cohort meant for you…

At Verve Lead, we are big believers in the concept that what we do outside of work is as essential to our work as what takes place within our office walls and our work hours. The way we treat ourselves in our personal life will impact our work life…

The Christmas season is meant to be one of peace and hope, but that can be difficult for mentors or professional supervisors to find in the midst of our work. So much of what we do revolves around the intense emotions of others, and engaging with our client’s anxiety, anger or depression can be draining. We are constantly reminded of how difficult life can be, and just because it is the season of Jesus’s arrival, life doesn’t stop throwing new challenges at us. In fact, the societal pressures that come with the Christmas season can even add more stress. So, how can we make the holidays peaceful for ourselves and the people around us…

Why is it so essential to get a signature on our contracts? It may seem like once all the information has been communicated, and all questions have been asked and answered, the important steps have already been completed. A signature could seem like an unnecessary formality between adults. I have had a few clients hesitate to sign our contracts…

Once again, I want to stress the importance of confidentiality with clients and its limits. Knowing that what is said during sessions will remain between just the two of you will create a sense of safety, allowing the client to be more honest and vulnerable. This will strengthen your relational bond and make the work much more effective…

What is a conflict of interest?This arises when the mentor/supervisor has multiple interests in a client when they are providing a role that should only focus on the professional interest as a mentor/supervisor. Examples are working with a person you are too close to; a friend, family member, or a person you have a romantic interest in. It can also occur in business relationships; mentoring your direct superior or subordinate could easily result in biased advice to promote your own interest…

If you have been following Verve Lead’s posts, you will have heard many times about the importance of mandatory reporting. You know the complications that can arise ethically and personally when reporting is handled incorrectly or poorly. This topic arises often because, more than any other competency required in mentors and supervisors, the failure to report has serious legal ramifications and can lead to even more devastating consequences. It can result in serious bodily, psychological or emotional harm or even death…

We begin our new series on mentoring excellence with risk management. Managing the risks that come with both a person’s work and personal life is one of the most common reasons we are sought out for advice, or brought in to help an organisation with their employees. It is our job to aid awareness of risks in our mentee/supervisee’s life and also to manage risks in the professional relationship with our clients. Often the importance of risk management is underestimated. Still, the high stresses that come with facing workplace dangers and discomforts can impact us severely over time and get in the way of doing what God wants us to do. By handling these dangers, ideally before they become dangerous, it allows us all to focus on doing what is truly important…

In this series, we have considered the importance of evaluation and feedback for mentors and supervisors. Recently, we looked at what sort of feedback we can gather from our clients and how valuable their opinions are. Today, we explore the importance of feedback from our own mentors or supervisors. We all need someone to help us see what we don’t see about ourselves and our practice. We have blindspots, and blindspots can be dangerous. Well-placed feedback and guidelines from those wiser than us can provide a safety net for ourselves and our clients…