Three main factors go into building trust-based mentoring relationships: competence, integrity, and caring.  In this newsletter series, we will explore how you and your mentoring partners can leverage these areas to create powerful and transformational experiences.

In this issue, we will examine how assessing your talent, skills, and knowledge can help you build competence and lead to trust-based mentoring.

Three Areas for Assessment
At the beginning of mentoring engagements, one of the main ways to lay the foundation for trust is to assess and agree upon the learning goals for the relationship.  This provides a contract of sorts that all parties agree to and work to fulfill through their interactions.

Three critical potential development areas exist in which you can expand competence during a mentoring relationship: talent, skills, and knowledge.

• Talent - Talents are part of our personality and wiring.  They do not change much over time, but show up as “a recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied.”
• Skills - Skills are the “how-to’s of a role” that can be transferred from one person to another.  They are the practical tasks and work activities that must be done to be effective in any particular job.  Most skills are learned best through coaching and practice, not just in a classroom.
• Knowledge - Knowledge is our awareness and understanding of the facts, concepts, and practical issues needed to make decisions and choices.  It can be both factual and experiential, and can be learned in a variety of ways including reading, training, and job experience.  This is the area most often changed out of the three.

Adapted from Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman’s book First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently (1999, Simon and Schuster)

To put it simply, while knowledge can grow and skills can be developed, talents are innate abilities that change little over time. 

Strategies for Building Competence
One of the most important tasks for anyone engaged in mentoring is to work with their partners to develop strategies for expanding talent, skills, and knowledge.  Consider these suggestions as a starting point.

Look for Learning Connections 
Effective mentoring relationships form best when there is an explicit correlation between one person’s experience, skills, and knowledge and the other person’s learning goals.  You and your mentoring partners should discuss which knowledge goals the expert feels adequate assisting with and which goals may require additional resources.  Provide a safe and confidential environment for these discussions, allowing for each person to candidly talk about their strengths and learning opportunities.

Identify Undiscovered or Unrecognized Talents
Some people can be unaware of the nature and extent of their talents and strengths.  Effective mentoring partners will help others look for patterns of strength and passion in previous jobs, education, and experience as a way to see how they are wired for success.  Be mindful of these undiscovered or unrecognized talents so that both you and your mentoring partners can achieve your full potential.

Close Talent Gaps
People often find themselves in roles or jobs where they feel incapable or inadequate.  If this happens to you, work with your mentoring partners to assess whether you have the requisite talent or internal wiring to enjoy and excel at your job.  An honest and frank assessment of the situation can help you determine where you have talent gaps and help you take action to close those gaps.

Prioritize Skill Development 
When looking to build your competence in several skill areas at once, you run the risk of overwhelming yourself and setting yourself up for failure.  Instead, work with your mentoring partner to prioritize which skills are most critical and foundational for achieving your learning goals.  This will help you see the big picture and position you for long-term developmental progress.

Make a Learning Plan 
We can all learn something new every day if we make that choice.  Some kinds of knowledge are best gained in training and research, while others are best attained through interpersonal communication such as interviews and job shadowing.  The best way to learn complex skills is often to break them down into smaller learning projects that are more easily achieved.  This practice creates a less daunting view of a complex issue that, under normal circumstances, could derail progress.  Your mentoring partners can play a critical role in helping you assess what kind of mentoring assignments may be best suited to reach your goals. 

Practice Exercise
The following exercise can help you identify and leverage your talents, skills, and knowledge  as you work to build competence in trust-based relationships.  Complete this activity with your mentoring partners.

1. Complete the chart below, identifying strengths in the areas of your talents, skills, and knowledge.

2. Consider these questions in relation to your chart:

• Do you feel your talents line up with your present job? Why? Why not?
• What other experiences or jobs did you have where you were more effective or had more passion?  What does this reveal about your talents?
• What skills need to be more developed for you to increase competence in critical areas?
• What skill should be first on your development list?
• What new knowledge is needed to support that skill or to expand your expertise?
• What would be one good source for you to explore to expand your understanding in that area?

3. Discuss your chart with your mentoring partners.

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