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BruceHolland

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MENTORING

Today even the best managers need a coach. Business is like playing golf - you can't see yourself doing it. Tiger Woods has a coach. So should you!

Bruce Holland’s approach to mentoring

1. As an adult learner, you are capable of self-direction; therefore, I work like a facilitator, questioning and challenging but never imposing ideas.
2. You have a lifetime of wisdom and relevant life experiences, my role is to draw these out.
3. Adults only learn that which they see as helpful in real life; therefore, I work hard to structure a realistic program with clear linkages to the work place.
4. Sometimes we can be too close to ourselves to see the situation clearly, my role is to provide space and perspective, forcing you to stand back and look forward.
5. Often we know what we need to do, we just don’t do it. Other urgent but less important things take priority. My role is to keep you focused and help you find ways over barriers to your new ways which may not be as easy as you expected.
6. Like anyone who wants to influence people, I know the importance of keeping my thoughts about you positive and to have high expectations. These thoughts include: acceptance, growth, ‘you can do it,' ‘you are special,' ‘together we can do anything.'
7. My approach will be to build you, focusing on what's working, helping you identify your inner greatness and understand your strengths, dreams and goals (the technical name is Appreciative Inquiry). This takes us to a totally different (and better) space than starting with your issues.

My aim

My aim will be to design a personalised program that will make you feel stronger about yourself and more confident. Sometimes, but not always, this includes helping you:

• Understand your objectives, what you want to achieve, where you are on your path currently and how you can move more quickly and successfully towards your goals.
• Understand your thinking preferences. People think differently, if you don’t know how to recognize this you can never communicate persuasively nor get the best out of other people.
• Discover and use your inner greatness. We all have an inner greatness. Most of us have no idea what it is. Occasionally we stumble across it and succeed way beyond our expectations. When you discover yours and use it more often you will be far more successful. Also you will start looking for genius in others and then they will also start becoming more successful.
• Become more confident, influential and personally more powerful. Confidence is important because when you are confident, people are drawn to you like iron to a magnet. Confidence is not something you are born with, it’s a set of behaviours. Do them and you will be seen as confident.
• Access the power of your subconscious mind. Your power comes from the pictures, words and stories you tell yourself every day. Unfortunately mostly we use these to sabotage ourselves rather than make ourselves stronger.
• Increase your energy levels. Energy is what gives you power. Few people know how to increase their energy levels let alone those of the people they manage.
• Become better at asking questions. Questions, not answers will be the seeds of your success. People grow when you ask questions. Many managers are poor at asking questions.
• Build your personal brand. Many people understand themselves only superficially. Power comes from self-knowledge. If they don’t know who they are no one else can know.
• Extend your networks and connectivity. Your success largely depends on who you know and how well you keep in touch. In the last 10 years a whole new science of networks has been developed, many people have never heard of it.
• Understand your manager and become more proactive in the relationship. Many people think their manager should make them strong, I think you should make your manager strong.

Only after you feel really strong will I help you see any problems/issues/barriers that you have that may be holding you back from achieving what you want. We all have weaknesses and usually people spend excessive energy and time trying to become strong where they are weak. My approach is more likely to help you find ways to manage these weaknesses than to waste time trying to overcome them. Managing your weakness may include working with partners who are strong where you are weak, technological solutions, and process solutions.

My Process

It is difficult to estimate the time and costs involved until we have made a start. As an indicator, it usually takes about 6,  two hour sessions to achieve lasting growth.

Sessions are usually about 2 weeks apart. This gives you time to do the reading for the next session and practice the learnings from the previous sessions in the workplace. After about 3 months we have a Review and Accountability session to review progress. I have deliberately build time (I cal it the ‘fourth dimension’) into the program so you have time to make lasting improvements and change any unhelpful habits.

Diagrammatically it looks like:

The content of each session (six blue boxes) depends on your needs. Usually this involves selecting areas from the 60 modules (see last page) that I have worked with previous managers on. We will need to work out together which ones will be most useful to you.

Once we have agreed the modules, I will supply you with relevant reading before sessions so that you get the most value from the sessions and have a lasting resource to go back to after we end.

I expect you to read material I supply in between the sessions and practice the ideas we discover together.

You have access to me at any reasonable time outside this schedule to discuss pressing issues, ideas and plans.

Agreement

1. I will work exclusively for you
2. We will work in a totally confidential mode
3. You may report back to your manager if you want to, but I will not, unless we both agree
4. We will do what we have said we will do
5. We will be totally honest with each other, even if this is sometimes uncomfortable
6. The focus will be on your strengths and finding ways to cover any weaknesses
7. I will ask questions more than find answers and reflect back what I see, hear and feel
8. I will supply you with written, audio and video material when I think it will add value
9. You will be open-minded to suggestions, read material I supply in between the sessions and practice the ideas we discover together
10. Each of us reserves the right to withdraw at any time if we feel the process is not adding value.

Other mentor work

I am currently (or recently) mentoring senior managers in Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government House, Auckland City Council, Transpower New Zealand, Presbyterian Support Service, Victoria University of Wellington, and several managers at Statistics New Zealand.

Guarantee

All work undertaken by Bruce Holland is guaranteed. If at the end of the program the client doesn't feel that they have received value for money, they may adjust the bill and pay an amount equal to the value they feel they received.

Next Step

Contact Manager@vitual.co.nz, or Phone +6421620456 or Skype Bruce.Holland