Inviting ideas for Increasing Mentee-Mentor Communication at 7cups!

@Fristo

Hi Fristo! I definitely agree, having a mentor has been super helpful and I wish that everyone had a mentor.

Something that I think would help more people find their way to a mentor is reaching out to more newbies with the mentor link. I think that when the listener primer is offered, the mentor link could be too! I'm not sure 😛 but I generally do not see it recommended to many newbies, and I wish it would've been recommended to me earlier whether that would've happened in PMs or the teen listener room.

Another thing, I was always nervous about reaching out to a mentor as a new listener. Maybe if mentors were the first to reach out and offer support, more people would oblige!

That's all I could think of! Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention and putting the effort in to improve the system Fristo! ♡

I completely agree with you!

@VioletNotes Valuable suggestions, Violet! Listing them:

1) reaching out to newbies with the mentor link.

2) when the listener primer is offered, the mentor link could be too!

3) mentors could be the first to reach out and offer support.

@VioletNotes

those are some amazing ideas Vi <3

I'm definitely gonna be stealing those now

@VioletNotes I'm so glad that you have found it helpful having a mentor!! Yay for that!

It can definitely be a little intimidating reaching out to a mentor sometimes. Do you think it's as scary reaching out to a coach too? I just wonder if it's any different with people having to fill out the coaching form for someone to reach out to them.

@beck1

In my experience, the form is less scary! It's a little different when I don't know who I'm talking to and someone else reaches out to me. I also almost never heard of the coaching form though, I wish it was more accessible. I don't know how to find it when I want it 😅 but that might just be me. ♡ฅ ^

@VioletNotes I definitely hear you. I do believe they are working behind the scenes to make sure things are a little more accessible for people. If you ever have any questions, my PMs are always open!!

@Fristo

Encourage mentors initiate communication with listeners and reach out to them and vice-versa. Maybe workshops where listeners should participate and practice under mentor guidance. Group discussions related to it and progress badges e.t.c. would be helpful.

@pandanfe good thoughts, panda! either party could be encouraged to reach out to the other.

Increasing Mentee-Mentor Communication: Tips and Strategies

As a mentor, one of your main goals is to help guide and support your mentee's growth and development. However, successful mentor-mentee relationships require effective communication, which can be challenging to maintain. Luckily, there are several strategies you can use to increase communication with your mentee and help your relationship thrive.

1. Set clear expectations for communication: Before starting the mentorship, it's important to establish expectations for communication, including how often you will meet, what platforms you will use, and what topics you will discuss. This will help ensure that both of you are on the same page and have realistic expectations for communication.

2. Create a regular meeting schedule: Regularly scheduled meetings can help ensure that both parties stay engaged and motivated. These meetings can be in-person, virtual, or a combination of both. It's important to find what works best for both parties and stick to a schedule that works for everyone involved.

3. Be patient: Mentorship is a long-term investment for both the mentor and mentee. It's important to be patient and realize that it may take time for your mentee to see results. Providing ongoing support and encouragement can help your mentee feel more comfortable and inclined to reach out and communicate their progress.

4. Encourage open and honest communication: It's important to create an environment where your mentee feels safe and comfortable sharing their progress, challenges, and goals. Encourage open and honest communication by asking thoughtful questions and being an active listener.

5. Use technology to your advantage: Technology can be a great tool for staying connected and increasing communication. Utilize tools like video conferencing, email, and messaging apps to stay connected and engaged with your mentee.

6. Consider using a mentee journal: A mentee journal can be a great way for your mentee to collect their thoughts and track their progress. This can help them better understand their own goals and allow you to see their journey in a tangible way.

Increasing mentee-mentor communication takes intentionality and effort. By implementing these strategies and remaining dedicated to the mentorship, you can help create a successful and sustainable relationship that benefits both parties involved.

@VioletVeritas I especially love the mentee journal idea! Maybe a public space for every listener where they could journal the learning in their listening journey! It'd help the mentors know their mentee's journey so far as well as will encourage fellow listeners to continue with their progress too!

@VioletVeritas

I should addend my response to delete item #5, since off site contact is not permitted. I guess I would addend it to say to use the technology available on the site within the contact guidelines of the site, for example using the personal messaging, forums, maybe have group chats where issues are discussed.

@Fristo

Hi there, I am not sure if welcome messages to new subscribers have a message that invites them to connect with a QM ? Eventually it could be added

Also, QM could use the list of newbies to reach them out and share the form to apply for a Mentor guidance.

Cheers!

@MeaningfulSilence Welcome Message to New Subscribers of Listener Learning & Journey Subcom? This one? It could surely be made use of, for displaying info about the mentor program and the listener support room!

@Fristo

Cool Fristo 👍😊

@Fristo

As a Community Mentor I am more than welcome to offer assistance to new listeners or any listener.

There are far fewer Mentors accepting manatees compared to listeners so it maybe an issue.

I often will suggest for listeners to use the various training from 7cups

⭐️become a verified listener

⭐️Rocket, Graduate, Scholar and Master Badges

⭐️ QLP incredible program

As well there are many pathways and trainings offered. These tools are available to everyone.

There are also Listener Support Chat many pathways for listeners as well.

The support and training are plentiful use the resources that exist currently 7cups.

@SunShineAlwaysGrateful For sure, there is a treasure of resources for any listener to benefit from to grow in their listening journey! Yet, nothing beats the one-on-one mentee-mentor relationship, that's the most effective!

@Fristo

@ASilentObserver

@Heather225

@GlenM

Hi Fristo! 😊 ❤️ Many thanks for creating this forum post. I, for one, love the concept of brainstorming, "think tanks" and who better to ask than your wide and diverse set of highly intelligent people here in our community! Well done my friend! 😊 This to me is truly, one sign of great leadership.

You have posed the question and as of my writing, I see some amazing thoughts and contributions to this thread. I am like minded. Some of them I have thought of as well. *high fives* 😊 team!

I read the post 11 hours ago, slept on it and this is what came to me so far in addition to some of the thoughts already presented:

So, we currently have AMA''s (ask me anything) however, that is mostly related to asking about roles and what it entails with the effort to onboard. What about creating "Meet and Greets (MAG's)"?

I envision this being a weekly thing with a notification being sent out 3 days prior so others have time to put it on their calendar and prepare/plan to come and join as well as the notification still being sent out each day and even up until 2 hours before the "Meet and Greet" begins.

Our current mentors could sign up, one by one, to be the main talent to hold the "Meet and Greet" session with the intention of listeners being able to ask questions in regard to listening here on their journey. Maybe they don't have a mentor, perhaps they have always wanted to ask a question and haven't chosen to go to the LSR to seek support or answers to their queries for whatever reasons. Perhaps they haven't been introduced to the value in these options.

The session could be one hour in duration, it could be modeled after the sharing circles with each person presenting the * to show that they would like to be the next in line to ask their question in an effort to keep chaos to a minimum, for each person to have their opportunity as well as for other listeners to learn from the responses from another's query.

In this way, mentors may identify, as well as listeners, that they found a good "fit" for them for the mentor-mentee relationship to move forward with the option given considering the talent that is hosting the session. I do see this as a very special type of "ship" and one that each listener deserves to have on the platform. I truly see our mentors as the "secret handbook to 7 cups".

I think that having a strong co-host in the room would be in order and I feel as if it should be of the "Meet and Greets" hosts choosing. It should be someone they already have formed a great relationship with, someone that has already been proven to be a good "fit" for them, someone that understands them as a person, their timing with responding, etc.

The co-host would help to keep the room warm, welcoming, supportive and inclusive while the host is answering questions and greet others as well as be a highly knowledgeable and strong team player that could answer questions ONLY if the host is unsure of the answer. They could work in tandem with the co-host being a back up resource and the host could say....."that is a great question X (listener). While I am unsure of the answer, perhaps Y (co-host) might. Y, might you have any thoughts in regard to that"?

At this point the co-host could either answer the question or mention that they too do not know the answer, but with the promise to get back to X (listener) after reaching out to Z (other leaders in the community). At this point it would be the co-hosts challenge to find the answer and to get to the listener with in 24 hours via pm.

Teamwork makes the dream work! 😊 There is much to be said about knowledge. Even if you don't know the answer, part of being knowledgeable is knowing who it is that does! Weeeeeeeeeee weeeeeeeeee! 😊 One can promise to get back with the information needed and mention that this is a way that we all learn together. There is no shame in not knowing everything. None of us are expected to be "walking encyclopedia's of 7 cups information".❤️

At the end of the session the opportunity could be given to become a mentor to others there in the room, as a connection has already been made, as well as the link provided for all of the other mentors here on our platform if for some reason a bond was not formed.

Lastly, Isaac Newton's 3rd Law of Motion...."For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction".

Hypothetically speaking.....if for some reason this idea is liked, if it gets "lift" and becomes a part of our culture as well as truly works with mentors getting more mentee's.....a mentor can have a pre- determined limit of how many mentee's they can handle at once (which I hope they already know), they are allowed to set that they are no longer accepting new mentee's as well as if all of the mentors have gone through this cycle and are currently filled based on the program........it could be a moment to take a pause for the "Meet and Greet" program. 😊

Nothing wrong with taking a bit of a hiatus and or considering the need to find more talent to fill the roles of the mentoring.

Well, that's all I have for now. Hoping this was helpful. And if not, perhaps someone will read my thoughts, could have a eureka moment and have a spin off of the concept.

*high fives* 😊 and *hugs* ❤️

@SparkyGizmo Hi, Sparky! I always soo admire your conversational writing style, and you never miss out on seeing value in others, that's awe-inspiring!

The Meet and Greet Chatroom Event sounds like such a wonderful thought! I completely agree that these events wherein the mentees get an opportunity to exhaustively clear their doubts about their listening journey in the chatroom setting would play such a good role in not only helping the mentees but would create so much more awareness for the mentor program at cups!

@Fristo

❤️❤️❤️

@Fristo

as a care team member, we can include the mentor link within all our new listener message requests we get.

@heathermarie95 sounds wonderful, heather!

@Fristo

Maybe "packaging" all the services 7 Cups offers to listeners with the purpose of improving their skills and ability to support members under a "one-desk" big "7 Cups Listener Quality Program", and building a single outreach team for the whole Program, which should message, guide and follow up with all new and recent Listeners.

Quality Mentors would become the Mentors of this Program, in a similar way Academy Mentors support listeners in the Academy. Mentors already have this function, helping listeners utilize all the resources for listeners, locate them, etc. This would be a slightly different way to present it.

So instead of dispersing the advertising, outreach and visibility efforts of all existing teams and initiatives, the idea would be to package all under one umbrella Program with Quality Mentors at its center, and join all the advertising and outreach efforts in a single "Advertising Agency" for Quality.

@HealingTalk That could be very helpful and impactful to have an Outreach Team of Mentors, reaching out to new and recent listeners and offering them help and mentoring! I'd just like for each and every mentor to be involved in one way or the other. Regardless of the mentor track, each mentor has got chat support training (since it was made mandatory for all mentors of all tracks), so we can make use of the knowledge and potential of every single mentor on the site.

@Fristo

Thank you Fristo!

I was thinking more of merging and/or creating a dedicated outreach team for promoting quality-enhancing programs, mainly Quality Mentors, composed of Project-Agent level leaders.

Doing outreach "comme il faut" is laborious and time-consuming, even emotionally draining. It doesn't need chat supporter training, and might be overburdening for Mentors of some tracks, who at that point of their Listener journey typically have other roles too.

A well-managed team of Project Agents dedicated to promoting Quality might do the job.

They could be recruited from a very large base of Listeners that still don't have any role, rewarded with generous amounts of cheers for their efforts and successes, and widely recognized for the importance of their mission.

That's more or less what I had in mind (the "Advertising Agency" 😀).

@HealingTalk got it! project agents outreach team (preferably of those who don't have any roles yet) that'd help us spread the word about the mentor program at cups.

It's been a while since I did the active listening trainings but maybe emphasize the importance of checking in with a mentor more and the kinda of mentors there are in the trainings

@Endure777 A very good thought! Emphasizing more on who mentors are and what can they do for a listener!

@Fristo

I saw this post right after I contacted a mentor about offering me some words of guidance during my first week as a listener! I am excited and ready for this new experience, but also nervous.

@HopefulEar Happy to have you join our listener community, Ear! Wish you a good mentee-mentor relationship with your kind mentor, and a fulfilling listening journey ahead. 🌼

@Fristo

Hi! It's me again!

This might be obvious and maybe brutal. But...

In many psychological associations, it is required that a new member does therapy with a senior therapist and, afterward, that they meet regularly (weekly/biweekly) with one.

Let's skip the first practice.

Even if not affiliated with any psychological association, meeting regularly with a senior psychologist is considered mandatory for the professionalism of a therapist.

Movies and series on therapists show how this works (In Treatment is a good one: Gina is Paul's mentor and clinical supervisor, she plays an important role in his quality as a therapist, and his emotional wellbeing)

A regular meeting with a Quality Mentor might become mandatory for Listeners from some "Reputation Level" upward, for example, Intermediate.

So to get and keep that Level, Listeners that reach the required number of Cheers should also have a weekly/byweekly chat with a Quality Mentor.

This requirement might end with some number of positive ratings/reviews, But greatly encouraged to keep doing it.

The Reputation Level at which this might become mandatory may be established according to the availability of Quality Mentors compared to the number of Listeners that reach the required Cheers for the set Level.

@HealingTalk Thank you for continuing to think more!

Oh, like brushing upon the skills. I like that. I love this suggestion: "A regular meeting with a Quality Mentor might become mandatory for Listeners from some "Reputation Level" upward, for example, Intermediate." At times, listeners do reach a certain high level, but they are not really doing their best as listeners, so to maintain their level, they could be asked to fulfill a requirement of reaching out to a mentor and pass a mock chat test maybe!

Then the levels would more accurately reflect the actual listening quality.

@Fristo

You are welcome! I have the same concerns and wishes you have about listener quality in Cups.

And...

Exactly!

How a so-so listaner can be called "Advanced", a "Master" an "Expert" or even a "Guru" just for hours spent chatting? People take those names as certificates of quality backed by 7 Cups.

This system of "Levels" was established as a motivation to devote time to Cups. Might seem childish, but if it's there after 10 years, so prominent, it's because it works, I guess. Its traction could be used to promote listener quality as well.

@HealingTalk that's definitely a flaw in our system you've spotted! when we are labeling someone 'expert' or 'guru', they should be expert in the true sense of the word, and not just on account of the amount of time they spent listening at cups. hopefully, we will resolve it and remove this flaw, but excellent thinking there in identifying the problem!

@Fristo

My random thoughts are these:

1. Where are the mentors? Perhaps provide easier and quicker access to mentors by either opening a mentor room or having mentors visit the positivity corner twice a day and share some wisdom.
2. Do listeners need one particular mentor or would it be just as useful to learn from a few mentors? What if there was a list of currently active mentors who listeners could choose from just like listeners take members from the general chat requests? Put the Mentor List right next to the general chat list.
3. What is the difference between chat supporters/peer supporters and mentors? Maybe the problem is too many people to go to. If all three of those jobs were rolled into a mentor title, then that's the only place a listener in need would go. Is mentor the best word to use? What about

Listener Supporter?

@WhimsicalWhimsy Brilliant thoughts, whimsy!

1) We can make use of the Mentor Room (I think that one is for mentors only -so we could use it for bonding to happen between mentors, just like we have listener-only rooms).

2) "What if there was a list of currently active mentors who listeners could choose from just like listeners take members from the general chat requests? Put the Mentor List right next to the general chat list." -I totally love this idea. This was originally posted by @laura years and years ago. It was being called 'Quality Queue' at that time but for some unknown reason, we could not introduce it.

3) I like the sound of 'Listener Supporter' -but I'd keep the name mentor too just for the mentee-mentor concept. [PS. Peer Support is not a mentor. They only help listeners feel validated after their difficult chat.]

@Fristo

I dont know if the connection is sweetest but definately useful.

In order to improve the system to increase people utilising the system.

1. You can grant 50-70 cheers when connecting to a mentor , with maximum of 200 cheers/month will be provided with it.

2. Will it not be more benefecial for a mentor to get a badge if they complete a specified number of chats . And if mentees can browse mentors like they browse listeners?

@Skansly Nice! We can make use of cheers and badge motivation, and we do have our mentors page😀

@Fristo

i didnt knew about mentor page , but does the mentor page has a seperate page for feedback from mentees , cause i really dont wish to search a mentor by trial and error and would prefer if atleast some have seperate feedback from mentees understanding that with this feedback more people will approach them and my request may not reach.

@Skansly Excellent! We do not presently have any mentor reviews column/page where we could publish the positive feedback from mentees, but I think this would do us so good!