Mentoring Circles™

What are Mentoring Circles?

Mentoring has proven to be a successful tool to support individuals to gain vital confidence and support during times of change in their life. They are more general than Enterprise or Career Circles™ and can support individuals on a more personal level as well as a professional level.

Mentoring Circles™ were developed by Inova Education and Training in 2001 and use an innovative methodology which combines the benefits gained from one to one mentoring with those from working with a group of peers. A combination of action learning, coaching and peer mentoring principles provides mentees with a wider source of support and inspiration for idea generation and greater creativity in problem solving during crucial times in their life.

Within the Circle suite of products, Inova has also developed and run:

• Enterprise Circles™ to support start-up businesses or to help you grow your existing business.
• Career Circles™ to support those looking for career development or who are returning to employment after a break.

What happens in a Mentoring Circle™?

Mentoring Circles™ usually have up to 5 individuals (mentees) working with 1 trained mentor/facilitator. Circles meet for an agreed number of sessions e.g. once every four to six weeks, over an agreed time period. A Mentoring Circle™ lasts approximately 3-4 hours with every member given the opportunity to discuss individual issues, followed by group support and members acting as a sounding board for individuals to bounce ideas and potential solutions to problems/issues.

Mentoring Circles™

• Help individuals through a period of personal reflection and self-development.
• Are based on an action learning methodology whereby circle members are encouraged to facilitate learning through asking open questions rather than offering advice and are encouraged to engage in self-reflection practices.

Useful Tools

We use a wide range of tools and activities during mentoring circles and as ‘homework’ activities to consolidate learning and skill development of mentees. An example tool is provided below, why not give it a try?

Iceberg Exercise

When assessing our issues much of what we are tackling on the surface is just the tip of our iceberg. This exercise helps us to address issues for the long term by examining the underlying emotional and psychological aspects that will help address and reinforce our goals.

• This means identifying how we feel and what emotions are stirred by particular issues so we can keep them in check.
• Underneath our emotions are the deeply held values which we use to operate effectively on.  When we are clear of the values we hold for particular purposes, it helps us to know when we can compromise or where compromise is not acceptable.
• Being true to one’s values often yields a more satisfactory outcome for all parties involved.

Below you can download an example of the Iceberg exercise completed by someone experiencing problems at work.

Example iceberg exercise (PDF, 93.26 KB)

Accredited Providers

Denmark

• VALBJORN - International human Resource Development

  Peblinge Dossering 30. 1. floor,
  2200,
  Copenhagen,
  DENMARK.

• +45 35 35 76 33
• valbjorn@ihrd.dk
• http://www.ihrd.dk/

Portugal

• Global Human Development (GHD)

  Núcleo Empresarial de Almada, Rua da Judiaria, nº 14,
  2800-125,
  Almada,
  PORTUGAL.

• +351 21272073
• Ghd.director@ghd.pt
• http://www.ghd.pt/

Switzerland have been an observer of Career Circles through the EU Return Project

• Swiss Occidental Leonardo (SOL)

  c/o CCF SA,
  Pré-Fleuri 6, Case postale,
  CH - 1951 Sion,
  SWITZERLAND.

• +41 27 327 35 51
• sol@s-o-l.ch
• http://www.s-o-l.ch/