You're in a Coaching & Mentoring internship. What's the best way to develop your skills?

Absolutely! An internship is a fantastic springboard for your coaching and mentoring journey. Here are 2 key actions to maximize your development: 1.Active Listening & Powerful Questions: Hone your ability to truly listen and ask questions that spark self-discovery. This empowers your coachee/mentee to find their own solutions. 2.Seek Feedback & Reflect: Actively solicit feedback from supervisors and co-workers. Reflect on your interactions - what worked well, and where can you improve? By mastering these, you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful coach or mentor!

As a coaching and mentoring intern, not only should you observe your peers, mentors, and supervisors but also role-play as a client or audience member. By doing so, you can develop empathy, gain a different perspective, and become more sensitive to the nuances of feedback. It also allows you to understand the motivations and intentions of clients better and learn various coaching techniques and methodologies. Participating in coaching sessions as a client enables you to assess the impact of coaching on one's personal and professional development, preparing you to become a skilled and effective coach or mentor. Every experience in your internship is a chance to grow and learn and become the best version of yourself.

Regularly engage in self-reflection on your coaching or mentoring sessions. Consider what went well, areas for improvement, and any challenges you encountered. Use reflection as a tool for continuous learning.

Practice, practice, practice. I found that early on in my CTI coaching journey practice was so so important. This involved reaching out to people I already knew and had relationships with. This meant putting myself out there and asking people to work with me even if it was for free. Building your skills and knowledge up is so important. And learning new skills takes time.

As an intern, building relationships are crucial. Each internship I had, I made sure to build connections with my hiring manager, senior leaders and executives and with colleagues. Every time I left internships, I stayed in contact with employers who almost always asked for my return. These individuals were also able to help me with recommendation letters and background checks.