Do You Need a Coach? How To Pick a Mentor

Recently, I asked a question in my School Social Worker and Mental Health Provider Community.

I wanted to know how many of them were SOLO in the work they did. There were lots of responses. Some people were the only provider in the building, some the only in the district and in some cases they were the only one in the entire community. Healing should not be done in isolation.

All counselors and social workers are required to have some level of supervision during training, but often after graduation we are most often supervised by a building or district level administrator who may not have ever taken a counseling class. While they can help in many instances, for most of us, when it comes to the counseling we’re on our own.

In most professions, it goes without saying that mentorship or coaching can be invaluable. You may have heard that working with a mentor can accelerate your growth in your career, by streamlining the learning process or pointing out the pitfalls that most people without a mentor go through. However, trying to find the right mentor can be a challenge, especially in many schools where between the scheduling and lack of investment, you’re stretched pretty thin. If you’ve decided to invest in yourself or are looking to make the case with a leader about why this is a necessity, use these tips to help you find a good fit.

Mentors should also have a good knowledge base. You don’t want to find a mentor who has never experienced what you are trying to learn. Some people are good at pretending. However, when you come across situations that require certain expertise, these people will fall short. Having someone who is experienced with your age group, has worked in your type of area and who has a similar core belief about student services are all good things to consider first. For example, if you work in an inner city preschool with a largely minority population, having a mentor who has only worked in one rural town high school may not meet your needs.

At first, you may believe you should choose someone who is like you. However, sometimes the best mentors are those who are different from you. They offer a diversity that you would not get from someone similar. You will gain a perspective of someone different than you. Having someone with different personal characteristics can be helpful. It’s not necessary that you be alike enough to be friends, just comfortable enough to be honest.