Monday morning and two unplanned sessions again.
> Team leader, in her early-30s, STEM training, technical men’s world, in her first management role: “Hi Bernd, when my son goes to sleep tonight, can we talk briefly on the phone about the questions of the panel discussion?”
> Strategic buyer, in her mid-50s, Chemical Industry, male-dominated, great competitive pressure, conflicts in the team: “Hi Bernd, if you had time for a short phone call this morning (except 9 to 10), it would be great. Topic: Further actions.”
The questions of the mentees I accompany come from everyday professional life. Often spontaneously and surprisingly. And that’s exactly what I appreciate so much. I am then included “live” for a short excerpt. And even if these insights only come from time to time, I often see a coherent picture in front of me very quickly after a few questions.
I facilitated some workshops in the past and learned that I only had to be there for a few moments in the respective break-out groups in order to be able to follow and understand the process well afterwards in the plenary session. That has always worked. And I apply the same principle today in my coaching/mentoring approach.
Situational accompaniment. Then, when it is needed. Short-term presence. Then, when it is necessary. Sometimes just 15 minutes at the phone, sometimes for an hour via a video call.
Maximum contextual proximity is my approach. I get into real work situations live and get a direct understanding of the dynamics, the topics and the rules of the game in the team. My goal is to quickly recognise patterns and offer tailor-made interventions and/or speech texts, without long diagnostic phases.
==> I benefited from this approach during my active corporate time as a mentee. Today I am a mentor myself with this approach.
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I am Bernd Scharbert and I accompany managers when it comes to finding a smart way in challenging situations: with a strong presence, successful and consistent with their own values. If this is of interest to you, please let me know.
