Mentorship is about stretching potential strategically & with care
A great mentor doesn’t just challenge their mentees; they also provide the scaffolding to help them rise to the challenge. Stretching someone involves four key elements:
High Standards: Setting ambitious but achievable expectations.
Assurance: Letting them know you believe in their ability to succeed.
Direction: Offering clarity on steps and milestones.
Support: Being there to catch them if they fall and guide them forward.
Here’s how this might sound in practice:
“I have high expectations for you, and I believe you can meet them. I’ve seen your work and know you’re capable. Try out this challenge, and let’s discuss the steps and milestones you can take to get there. If you stumble, I’ll be here to help you get back up.”
I gained this insight from ‘The Power of Moments’ by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. It helped me better understand what stretching someone really means. For years, I’ve done this intuitively—pushing my former team to take on challenges and assuring them they’ve got what it takes.
However, I’ve also received feedback that I sometimes leaned too heavily on blind faith, like throwing someone into the deep end and trusting they’d figure it out. With these four elements in mind, I now know how to refine my approach.
Here’s what I’ve realized: This approach sounds simple, but it is powerful enough to transform careers.
If you’re mentoring someone now, how have you stretched your mentee?