Personal Assistant Mentor / Coach

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Personal Assistant Mentor/Coach

A Personal Assistant mentor facilitates PA learning and development to maximize personal development. Anyone can be a mentor if they have the time, commitment and necessary skills. As a development tool, mentoring is invaluable because mentors act as trusted and interested advisors.

Personal Assistants and secretaries can benefit from the guidance and advice given by a PA mentor/coach. PA mentoring is an excellent resource for PAs who are trying to achieve their effectiveness in the Personal Assistant role. Mentoring can provide the guidance mentees need to cope with an increased workload or a more demanding boss, so mentees can expect a reduction in stress as a result of mentoring.

Possible Uses

Here are some areas where mentoring is particularly useful:
- support in a new job
- induction
- redundancy support
- succession planning
- career progression

COACHING vs MENTORING

Coaching differs from mentoring in that it is more short term and is aimed at achieving specific goals. Coaching focuses on achieving goals and objectives. Improvements in performance and productivity are the main goals, so it's possible to target a specific area for development over a reasonably short period of time.

Mentoring is defined by an informal relationship in which a senior person within the profession, or an experienced colleague passes on their knowledge and experience to assist, guide and develop a mentee. The relationship between mentor and mentee represents a type of apprenticeship, where best practice and work-smart techniques can be explored. Mentors have direct experience of the mentees occupational role. In contrast, a typical coach need not have prior experience of the PA role.

Mentoring is long-term, tailored, supportive development that produces improvements for the mentee and their company. The desired outcome is to develop the mentee professionally. The relationship between mentor and mentee can last for a long time, even years. Mentors takes a broader view of the mentee than a coach. They focus on both personal and career development.

Benefits to Mentee

- increased confidence
- improved productivity
- better focus on continued professional development
- improvements in know-how and technical skills
- behavioural improvements
- improved networking

Benefits to Organisation

- increased productivity
- better retention of mentored employees
- helps change management
- improved succession planning
- increased job satisfaction

In addition to helping change management, a personal assistant or secretarial mentor will help with stress management, as they introduce the mentee to problem solving techniques, and behavioural and attitudinal change.

Telephone and e-Mentoring/Coaching

Weekly face-to-face meetings are ideal for building the mentor/mentee relationship, but face-to-face meetings are not always possible. Telephone mentoring/coaching and e-mentoring/coaching are viable alternatives that work very well; therefore, it's not necessary for the mentor and mentee to live in the same area, or even the same country. Mentees may find that email connections are preferable to face-to-face communication, which can take time out of their busy schedule. e-Mentoring can achieve the same nurturing, trusting relationship as face-to-face mentoring.

Consider engaging a PA mentor/coach if you are:

- hoping to maximise your next performance appraisal score;
- wanting to improve your level of confidence;
- new to the PA role;
- recently promoted to a senior PA role; or
- trying to improve your general effectiveness.

Personal Assistant mentoring provides guidance, moral support, encouragement and a confidential environment where issues and constructive criticism can be explored, along with ideas for improviding career visibility.

Click here for FEES for PA e-coaching and e-mentoring services

Go to Personal Assistant e-Coaching & e-Mentoring Explained

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	Personal Assistant Coaching & Mentoring If you are new to the corporate PA profession or have been newly promoted, PA mentoring and e-coaching can bring you up to speed.