What are the most essential qualities of a mentor? There are, of course, an abundance of skills and competencies that are required to work in the field of professional mentoring or supervising, but there are a few that stand out as foundational…

Improving the Lives of ClergyA team of researchers from Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University invites you to participate in their research to improve the lives of clergy. Their study is testing a new measure of health for Christian leaders, and they hope that this tool will become a faster and more effective way of identifying warning signs of poor health to empower clergy to intervene before disaster strikes…

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…

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…

Anyone who watches sports knows that it is not one player that wins the game, it is the team. Yes, there are MVPs (Most Valuable Players) but the game wouldn’t be the same without a goalie… without defense… without a coach. This is a good principle to bring into mentoring and professional supervision. We are not competent in every area. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses, our own set of skills and our own experiences to draw from. Even the best mentor or supervisor has limitations…

The focus of many of these blogs has been to explore the essential competencies of mentoring and supervision. However, it’s also important to understand where we are not competent…

Any seasoned Christian leader knows that ending professional relationships are a part of life, but that doesn’t make it an any task. There are often feelings or grief, regret, uncertainty or anxiety as one chapter comes to an end and another begins…

It’s a sad truth that mentoring/supervising relationships come to an end.Whatever the reason, closing that time with your mentee/supervisee in a meaningful and ethical way is always important; for the client and for yourself. With some reflection and some intention, it  can be a significant time full of gratitude and new insights…

When a mentor or professional supervisor is assessing their own work, one aspect that must be addressed is the relationship with their clients. While the technical elements of mentoring/supervising are crucial, without a strong and healthy relationship between mentor/supervisor and client, it is almost impossible to facilitate effective transformations…