Learning is not always a straight line but can be a tricky path. Derailments can happen at any time and is very important when coaching or mentoring, that you intercept the signals that may indicate a state of difficulty in a person’s learning path.
A key success factor in supporting any development or learning initiative is making sure the approaches we are using are the right solution. Whether it’s coaching, training, mentoring, it’s important to regularly analyse what’s working and what’s not.
Sometimes there are indications that things are not going as they should and that if ignored they can lead not only to the failure of the initiative involving the resource, but even to a regression when lack of trust either in learner or in teacher kicks in.
In particular, you need to pay attention to:
- Lack of continuity and proactivity by the person you are following
- Person who does not dedicate himself to scheduled learning sessions or who shows disinterest
- Does not follow a method and jump from topic to topic
If you run into these signs, it is necessary to analyse the situation by asking yourself, among other things, some questions that help to frame the problem:
- Is this person receptive to feedback and training? Without the active participation of the other party, it is not possible to train a person.
- Are the goals set still adequate? Are they clear? Should objectives be prioritised again?
- Does the resource still see value in the learning and feedback process? In this case it may be that the maximum achievable has been reached and it is necessary to redefine the objectives or accompany the resource out of the role because it is no longer adequate
