Nurture Future Leaders by Implementing Assessments Into Your Mentorship Routine
Mentorship programs connect experienced employees with colleagues who are new to the company, providing industry wisdom and moral support to unleash their full personal and professional potential. Effective mentoring programs include a well-organized structure, open communication, pathways for skill and career improvements, and, most importantly, personalized guidance and support.
Leveraging the Everything DiSC® assessment in a mentorship program can provide mentees with deeper insights into their behavior patterns while providing mentors with the tools to better communicate with their colleagues.
Coupling Mentorship Programs with DiSC Assessments
Everything DiSC® is a behavioral assessment highlighting your specific priorities, preferences, and tendencies in the workplace. The aim of Everything DiSC® is to provide us with knowledge about ourselves and others to create more effective relationships with coworkers.
In addition to providing information on your own style, the assessment also provides tips for communicating with and adapting to other styles. This is the heart of Everything DiSC—learning to better understand how others’ preferences can guide your behavior to create a healthier working relationship where you and your colleague get to be your best selves.
Connecting with your colleagues is crucial for building a strong mentor-mentee relationship and fostering their professional growth. The DiSC assessment can provide valuable insights into your mentee's communication style and preferences, allowing you to tailor your approach to effectively connect with them and foster growth.
Tips for Mentors
Adapt Your Communication Approach and Tailor Feedback
Insights from the DiSC assessment can assist you in adapting your communication and feedback approach, better connecting with your mentee. Depending on your mentee’s behavior style, your approach and your guidance methods should vary:
- Dominance: If your mentee has a dominant style, being direct and concise is ideal. Using a results-oriented communication style can help you and your mentee focus on action-oriented discussions and set clear goals. Mentees could benefit from their mentors highlighting areas of improvement and challenging them to take initiative.
- Influence: If your mentee has an influential style, open discussions with a focus on relationship building will go far. “I” styles tend to lean toward brainstorming sessions, so creating more opportunities for collaboration is key. It is important to acknowledge their contributions early on and insist that they focus on time management through positive reinforcement.
- Steadiness: If your mentee has a steady style, approach them with a calm, accommodating demeanor and allow them the space to reflect. A mentor’s support is very important to this “S” style and providing consistency will boost their confidence. Give mentees the space to adapt to new changes and responsibilities gradually.
- Conscientiousness: If your mentee has a conscientious style, they tend to be more private and reserved, placing value on accuracy. As natural planners, mentees with this “C” style tend to thrive off clear expectations and guidelines. Mentors should look to a more structured learning approach that is analytical and logical but continue to encourage mentees to embrace flexibility. During feedback or improvement sessions, set clear expectations and prompt them to continually consider alternative approaches to challenging situations.
Create A Comfortable Environment
Working in an environment with a variety of DiSC styles creates a more well-rounded workplace that offers diverse ideas and unique perspectives. As a mentor, use the DiSC assessment to create a comfortable and inclusive environment where your mentee feels understood and supported. An essential tool to have as a mentor is the ability to pivot and be adaptable in your mentoring approach. Continuously modifying your strategies ensures a comfortable environment and continued engagement.
By incorporating the DiSC assessment into a mentorship program, mentors and mentees can build more cohesion in the workplace, enhance their professional journeys, and achieve their career goals while forming meaningful relationships along the way.
Everything DiSC® on Catalyst™ is a personal development learning experience that equips people with the social and emotional know-how for more effective interactions at work—no matter who or where they are. Everything DiSC on Catalyst helps people better understand themselves, appreciate and value differences in perspective and approach, and readily and consistently adapt to the unique needs of each person or situation they encounter. FlashPoint offers a variety of Everything DiSC® assessments and training to support your needs. Contact us to explore the benefits of Everything DiSC® in your organization.
Photo by Gilles Roux on Unsplash
