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…

The Church Mental Health Summit is just a few weeks away on October 10 and this is a reminder to register. I believe this event is a much-needed resource for churches, and I don’t want you to miss it…

As mentors or supervisors, we each have our own methodologies and techniques that we like to use when working with our clients. These may differ by mentor’s/supervisor’s skillset and preference, or they may change based on the client’s needs. However, one thing that is always true is that no method is perfect. Any approach we take should be carefully reflected on and altered if need be.  Even the most seasoned and wise mentors/supervisors need to revise their methods depending on the situation: revising is part of the process to see the best outcomes…

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…

In the last few weeks, we have explored the value of client feedback and feedback from our own mentors and supervisors. Today, we look at the importance of peer feedback to complete the evaluation trifecta…

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…

The old adage, “Things are not always as they seem,” is one that, despite its simplicity, holds a profound truth, especially for mentors and supervisors. Our clients are complicated humans, full of contradictions, blind spots and self-deceit. When they come to us with a problem, there is almost always more to the issue than meets the eye…