Mentoring in workplace- assignment

Socrates summed up the secret to a meaningful life in

two simple words — “Know thyself.” Self-awareness

means knowing your needs and values, your strengths

and limitations, your passions and your idiosyncratic

quirks. It means having a deep appreciation of what

makes you a unique specimen on this planet. On a

deeper level, self-awareness means knowing how you

react in different situations and accepting full

responsibility for your feelings and actions.

Having a better understanding of oneself is the first

step to having a better relationship with others. This is

because self-awareness provides a window to expand

our understanding about other points of view and

perspectives. While the importance of self-awareness

is readily understood by most people, achieving it is

easier said than done. Even Benjamin Franklin

acknowledged this when he wrote in his Poor

Richard’s Almanac, “There are three things extremely

hard: steel, diamonds, and to know one’s self.”

The reason self-awareness is so difficult to achieve is

that it involves an ongoing assessment of our assump-

tions, beliefs, values, and mental models that shape

our behavior and guide our actions both at work and

in our personal lives. The goal of this kind of reflection

is not merely to see who we are and better under-

stand ourselves today, but to envision what we might

become tomorrow. It is a life-long process — a journey

of self-discovery, meaning making, and identity

shaping. It is the journey of becoming a self-mentor.

Why self-awareness is so important

The importance of self-awareness is based on George

Kelly’s construct theory, first published in 1955, and

his notion that every person is a psychologist. Kelly

believed that people’s common sense ideas and their

own theories about life and relationships are

enormously rich sources of knowledge about human

affairs. The central thesis of his approach is that we

do not merely react to events; we are in charge of

what we do in the world and have the potential to

recreate ourselves.

Two other social psychologists have been influential in

promoting the self-awareness movement of personal

psychology. In his 1987 book Beginning with

Ourselves, David Hunt calls the approach inside-out

psychology. He contrasts this to the outside-in

approach which leaves human affairs to the experts.

The same year, Donald Schon published his seminal

work Becoming a Reflective Practitioner. This book, as

well, gave credence to the idea that achieving

professional competence is a dynamic process

involving continual inquiry and renewal.

Being self-aware is at the core of what Howard

Gardner refers to as intrapersonal intelligence or what

John Mayer, Peter Salovey, and Daniel Goleman refer

to as emotional intelligence. They describe self-aware-

ness as the capacity to be introspective and examine

thoughts and feelings. This includes:

■ affective awareness — knowledge of one’s feelings,

attitudes, moods, and outlook;

■ ethical awareness — the ability to set one’s

principles and moral priorities;

■ self-regulation — the ability to monitor one’s

thoughts, actions, and behavior; and

■ metacognition — the ability to be aware of one’s

thought processes.

Self-awareness also means having a clear picture of

our internal motives; those things that drive us to say

what we say or do what we do. Peeling away the layers

of our motivations is not always a comfortable

process, but it is a necessary step if our goal is to

54 Exchange January/February 2007

Paula Jorde

Bloom

holds a

joint

appoint-

ment as Michael W. Louis

Endowed Chair of the

McCormick Tribune

Center for Early

Childhood Leadership

and Professor, Early

Childhood Education at

National-Louis University.

This article is based on

her latest book, From

the Inside Out: The

Power of Reflection

and Self-Awareness.

Becoming a Self-Mentor by Paula Jorde Bloom

Beginnings Workshop

Single copy reprint permission from Exchange, The Early Leaders' Magazine Since 1978 PO Box 3249, Redmond, WA 98073 • (800) 221-2864 • www.ChildCareExchange.com

Multiple use copy agreement available for educators by request.

become an authentic leader known for personal

integrity. Central to this process is gaining absolute

clarity about what we perceive our purpose is in life

and how we define success.

Becoming a reflective practitioner

The capacity to reflect and engage in candid intro-

spection is at the core of achieving self-wareness.

Reflective practitioners think creatively, imaginatively,

and, at times self critically about what they are doing.

Individuals who use a variety of reflective approaches

have a better awareness of their own strengths and

weaknesses and can better understand, monitor, and

adjust their behavior in personal and professional

interactions.

The most common type of reflection is referred to as

reflection-on-action. This is simply a replay of an

experience to review, revisit, or recall what has

happened — kind of like replaying a videotape.

Reflection-in-action refers to a kind of out-of-body

experience where we watch ourselves act and simulta-

neously reflect about the decisions we are making. A

third type of reflection is referred to as reflection-for-

action. This is a predictive process for forecasting how

we will use what we have learned from reflection-in-

action and reflection-on-action. It involves consciously

adjusting our behaviors based on our reflections

(Saban et al., 1994).

The content or substance of reflection also goes

through a change as individuals gain mastery in their

profession. They are better able to surface the gap

between their espoused theories (what they say) and

their theories-in-action (what they actually do).

Using self-assessments to build self-awareness

There is certainly no shortage of formal and informal

self-assessment tools to help build self-awareness.

Some are quick snapshots — a questionnaire that can

be taken in ten minutes and scored independently.

Others are quite lengthy and must be administered by

a certified psychologist or trainer.

At the risk of oversimplifying, self-assessment

instruments can be divided into two broad categories

of awareness building: prescriptive and descriptive.

Prescriptive assessments compare a person’s traits to

those of a model teacher or administrator and

diagnoses the individual’s strengths and weaknesses

in relation to that ideal. Descriptive instruments, on

the other hand, are the ones that say, “This is your

type, your style, your preference. It is no better or

worse than any other, just different.”

The goal of engaging in self-assessment is obviously

to improve professional practice and job fulfillment.

When we use the term professional practice, we’re

really talking about competence in whatever role the

early childhood educator holds. The goal of self-

assessment then is to surface a greater awareness on

the part of the practitioner of his/her strengths and

talents as well as knowledge and skill areas that need

to be improved. We can think of this as moving to

progressively higher stages in learning from

unconscious incompetence (“I don’t even know what I

don’t know”), to conscious incompetence (“Oh my, I

have so much to learn”), to conscious competence

(“I am keenly aware of what I know and how it impacts

my performance”), to unconscious competence

(“I am on automatic pilot”).

From reflection and self-awareness to self-mentoring

It is one thing to be self-aware, to acquire information

from reflection and formal and informal self-assess-

ments, and quite another to apply that information

into concrete behavioral changes. No doubt about it,

the most effective professionals hold a transforma-

tional view of human growth and change. They see

themselves as active agents in describing, interpret-

ing, and shaping their behavior. In other words, they

are self-mentors.

The great Roman philosopher Cicero is credited with

saying, “No one can give you better advice than

yourself.” That is really the premise of self-mentoring.

Self-mentoring is essentially self-directed learning. It

means intentionally developing or strengthening those

aspects of who you are and who you want to be. Self-

mentoring requires that you not only get an accurate

picture of your real self — who you are now — but also

a strong image of your ideal self — the person you

aspire to become.

One vital aspect of self-development, stresses Richard

Boyatzis, a leader in the self-directed learning move-

ment, is striking a balance between what it is about

January/February 2007 Exchange 55

Beginnings Workshop

Having a better

understanding

of oneself is the

first step to

having a better

relationship

with others.

yourself you want to preserve, and what it is you want

to change. His research shows that people who

successfully change in sustainable ways cycle through

the following stages:

■ Creating an image of an ideal self: Who do I want

to be?

■ Coming to terms with the real self: Who am I?

What are my strengths (where my ideal and real

overlap)? What are my gaps (where my ideal and

real differ)?

■ Crafting a learning agenda: How can I build on my

strengths while reducing my gaps?

■ Experimenting with and practicing new behaviors,

thoughts, and feelings to the point of mastery.

■ Developing trusting relationships that help,

support, and encourage each step in process.

Self-mentoring strategies

Aldous Huxley once said, “There is only one corner of

the universe you can be certain of improving, and

that’s your own self.” Self-mentoring means cultivating

your own professional growth through reflection,

networking, and seeking out appropriate resources.

The process clearly requires motivation and self-

discipline. Here are a few strategies to consider.

Observe the behavior of individuals you admire.

Effective leadership is both an art and a science;

leadership behaviors can definitely be learned. If there

is a person you admire for their listening skills, study

the precise behaviors that exemplify good listening.

Observe the person’s body language and the specific

probing questions they ask.

Talk to individuals you consider to be experts in the

field. Don’t be bashful. If there is a person you admire

for their knowledge in a specific area, contact the

person and ask for his/her advice and resources to

build your own expertise in this area.

Read, read, read. Subscribe to journals and

magazines that enrich your understanding of different

topics of interest. Don’t limit yourself to professional

journals, either. Some of the best wisdom you can get

will be from literature in the fiction section of your

bookstore. Most important, though, don’t just read

things that reinforce your point of view. Read articles

and books that challenge your assumptions and

promote a contrary point of view.

Pursue formal coursework. While demonstrated

competence will get you promoted to higher levels of

responsibility in your job, it is probably the formal

56 Exchange January/February 2007

Beginnings Workshop

Self-mentoring

means

cultivating

your own

professional

growth through

reflection,

networking,

and seeking

out appropriate

resources.

Getting Started

What’s really important to you? What do you value

most?

How do you define personal success? When have

you felt most successful?

How have you used your knowledge, skill, and

special talents to make a difference in the world?

When have you felt most energized and excited

about work? When have you felt most depleted and

discouraged about work?

Is there something you’ve always longed to do, but

never quite had the courage to do?

How do you handle adversity?

Have you achieved a reasonable sense of balance

in your life between your personal and professional

pursuits?

Would people consider you to be a compassionate

and kind person?

Do you know how to regulate your emotions or do

your emotions get in the way in your interpersonal

relationships?

Is it hard for you to relax and enjoy the present

moment?

Are you quick to blame others when things don’t go

well?

Do you often find yourself comparing yourself to

others?

What do you want more of in your relationships?

What do you want less of?

How would you describe your most favorite co-

worker? How would you describe your least favorite

co-worker? How are these individuals different?

How are they like or not like you?

What legacy do you want to pass on?

degrees or certificates you hold that got you the job in

the first place. Consider taking formal courses that will

help you attain the degrees, certificates, and certifica-

tions that will enhance your vita and open doors to

new opportunities.

Take risks. Be bold and audacious and stretch your

comfort zone. Challenge yourself to try new things and

risk the awkwardness of not being perfect at

something.

Cultivate a diversified portfolio. Don’t just focus on the

bolstering of your intellect; your emotional, physical,

and spiritual sides are just as important. A balanced

life has diversity and coherence.

Be open to feedback. Listen fully. Be open to receiving

any message — compliment or criticism — as helpful

data in understanding yourself better.

In sum

Socrates was right! The quest for excellence begins

with an inner quest to discover who we are — our

passions, values, talents, personal resources, and

even those foibles and annoying habits we might

prefer not to acknowledge. The insight that comes

from self-awareness will help you appreciate the

unique gifts you have to offer your organization and

the importance of surrounding yourself with others

who complement (and not necessarily compliment)

your unique skill set and personality.

The job of becoming a self-mentor is really about

developing the disposition of life-long learning and self-

transformation. It means becoming fully aware of what

you really want in all areas of your life and being able

to invent new possibilities to unleash your passions.

It is about taking charge of your life and taking

responsibility for your choices.

References

Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of mind: The theory of

multiple intelligences (2nd edition). New York: Basic

Books.

Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee A. (2002). Primal

leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelli-

gence. Boston: MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Hunt, D. E. (1987). Beginning with ourselves: In

practice, theory, and human affairs. Cambridge, MA:

Brookline Books.

Kelly, G. A. (1955). The psychology of personal

constructs. New York: Norton.

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional

intelligence. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9,

185-211.

Saban, J., Killion, J., & Green, C. (1994, Summer).

The centric reflection model: A kaleidoscope for staff

developers. Journal of Staff Development 15(3),

16-20.

Schon, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

January/February 2007 Exchange 57

Beginnings Workshop

The job of

becoming a

self-mentor is

really about

developing the

disposition of

life-long

learning and

self-

transformation.

It’s a process!: Becoming self-aware and reflective is a process that leads, according to

Bloom, to self-mentoring. Where are you in this process? Where do you need to focus

your attention? Answering these types of questions is a good place to begin.

Strategies galore!: The list of self-mentoring strategies opens the door for action. Start

at the beginning of the list and see how many of these strategies might work for you.

Getting started: Bloom proposes that becoming a self-mentor emerges from self-

awareness and reflective practice. Use her list of questions (p. 56) as a starting place for

getting started on your journey.

Using Beginnings Workshop

to Train Teachers

by Kay Albrecht