Managers As Mentors, 3rd Edition

Dos and Don’ts for Dialogues

Dialogues are interpersonal crucibles for blending facts, figures, and feelings to concoct acumen and understanding. Dialogues are most powerful when you

• listen,

• do not teach,

• allow disagreement,

• create a warm, encouraging climate,

• are aware of the learning that is taking place,

• work as hard to learn from protégés as you hope they do from you, and

• do not pressure protégés to answer or behave as you think they should.

Above all, be authentic. Just be yourself while setting the tone, asking questions, and summing up discussions with your protégé rather than doing anything artificial or manipulative to keep the give-and-take going.

Discussions are opportunities for protégés to enhance their learning, not ...