Mentoring | Rebecca Thomas Designs

Recognizing and growing talent in others

finding my path, storytelling View Comments

Jul 052006

Something I’ve always been talented at (and perhaps why I have often found myself coaching individuals through career changes) is recognizing what someone else is good at, and then pushing them in the direction they want to go. Often, I’ve helped someone see a talent they had that they never realized was there.

I use this talent to my advantage as a teacher, a manager, and a volunteer coordinator.

Skip Angel recently shared a lovely piece on how it really is the duty of any manager to recognize the talents of those around them and then grow those talents to help the person reach their potential, and that’s so true. Managing isn’t about just getting the work done. It’s about cultivating the people who do the work to improve both them and the quality of work produced.

When someone has been encouraged to develop their strengths, they often respond by continuously seeking to do their best, create their best work, try their hardest, and work to consistently contribute to the environment. It’s true with employees. It’s true with volunteers. It’s true with students. Point out the strengths. Encourage growth. Help those around you become the people they were meant to be.

A community of nurturers

teaching View Comments

Mar 172006

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” — Nelson Henderson

Worthwhile’s Thoughts for the Day have been wonderful lately. This particular quote can be interpreted so many ways. You can read it at face value, and go plant a tree who won’t be full-grown until you’ve gone. However, it spoke to me both as a teacher and as a leader.

That tree you could be planting even though you’ll never personally reap the benefits of it is no different than a student or a team member. We have these people with us for one brief period in their lives, but because of our position we end up leaving some sort of imprint on them. If we’re doing our job well, then the impression will be a favorable one and will contribute to developing the full potential of the person affected.

I think sometimes we forget that. Those of us in a position of respect are in a position to plant seeds that will flower when we’ve moved out of another person’s life. Our job is to help cultivate the best forest we can in a person. Some of us are so worried about state tests, that next big project, etc., that we forget there’s a person involved. A person who deserves to have their own greatness nurtured.

Sometimes, it’s just nice to take a step back from our own ambitions and nurture the people around us. The world works better when we all work to our own full potential.

Perhaps my calling has shifted from education to motivation

motivation, writing View Comments

Aug 192005

After yesterday, the boys couldn’t wait to hear more of the story. They actually sat at lunch with me to hear the two chapters I knocked out yesterday. (I have the greatest sympathy for authors with a strong fan base. Trying to write two chapters in one day on my limited schedule was just insane!)

One of the boys who yesterday told me he was working on a fan fiction story of his own showed up at lunch today with a notebook and a pencil. He shared his writing with me. Quite nicely done for a nine year old. We talked about the challenges of finding the voices of established characters and wrote together for a bit. We’ve agreed to spend lunch next week working on our writing together!

Yesterday, I also attempted to needle fellow blogger Troy Worman into writing. He says it’s his passion, and I’m really of the belief people should do what they enjoy. I think I’ve at least convinced him to try National Novel Writing Month!

After the past couple of days, I really do think I’d make an okay coach… I like trying to support people in their pursuits of things they enjoy.

Rebecca the Storyteller

storytelling, writing View Comments

Aug 182005

I published my first story when I was eight years old. It was a nonfiction piece titled “My cousin, the robot”, and told the story of a night when my cousin started talking slowly and mechanically as she fell asleep mid-conversation. The one-page story sold twenty-five copies. I made a quarter off the entire deal. I wrote the story. I self-published it. I marketed it. It was a game.

Oddly enough, now I can’t find it in me to try marketing. The whole idea scares me because I’m afraid people will find me.

This week, I’ve been working on a fan fiction piece, my first in two years. I’ve worked on it during breaks at camp, one eye on the story, one on the kids. Not that it’s been a problem. The kids have been quite curious about what I’ve been writing. I gave them a very brief description. Yesterday, they deicded they wanted to hear it since the fandom involved is a cartoon so many of them enjoy.

Today, I gave my very first public reading…to a group of boys between the ages of eight and ten. They were quite the possibly the most receptive audience I ever could have hoped for as a first audience. At the end of each chapter, I gave them the option to stop, but they all begged me to continue and talked a bit about the chapter I had just finished reading. Tonight, I have to finish two chapters so they can hear most of the story. (I was only going to write one, but they really want two since camp ends tomorrow. So much for getting the next chapter up tonight…)

They even gave me a rating! Apparently, I rated 7.5 star chips out of ten (the rating is appropriate to the fandom I am writing in). I thought it was quite generous, but they insisted. I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised. The few who stayed for the entire reading refused every attempt by the others to get them to go play. They even encouraged everyone to come listen with them.

They also started telling me about stories and books they are writing or want to write. I told them they all have to write their stories so I can read them!

I think I walked a little bit taller after that.

Encouraging personal brilliance

character development, finding my path View Comments

Aug 152005

Last week, I kept coming across posts that talked about encouraging personal brilliance, both yours and others’. It’s a great idea. By encouraging the people around you to achieve their own personal brilliance, you are helping to build a stronger community. I think that when people are genuinely expected to achieve their own personal best, it makes them more willing to work hard and take steps to grow personally and professionally.

The first posts that caught my eye encouraged developing curiosity and awareness. The second pair involved training employees and growing employees’ strengths.

Helping people work on their personal brilliance isn’t restricted to the workplace. I can see the potential for this in educational settings with students as well.