“Spirit is like the wind, in that we can’t see it but can see its effects, which are profound.” - Jimmy Carter
The Life Solutions Network is a collaboration of volunteers and service professionals in the Cincinnati/NKY area working to improve the capability of people in need. This newsletter aims to present information, ideas and tools to grow personally and to better serve others. Our target audience includes potential volunteers, new or experienced volunteer mentors and mentor program leaders. We hope to touch you with knowledge and skills to allow you to “live, work and serve to your purpose, passion and potential”. Please share this with someone who might consider life skills or mentoring as a role.
Perspective - Focus on Mentoring
The Life Solutions Network launched less than five years ago. During this time, we have created extensive life skills and volunteer solutions toolboxes. We have touched over a hundred organizations through volunteer fairs, workshops and speaking events…but it’s time for an adjustment. With much deliberation, we have decided to organize around life skills and mentoring solutions rather than the broader social service volunteerism.
We are “sunsetting” Volunteer NKY. I want to thank the many local volunteer leaders that contributed to this initiative. It has been a pleasure to collaborate and become friends. We will maintain and continue to share the toolbox. Supporting mentoring organizations has always been a personal priority. With this more consistent focus on mentoring comes our sponsorship of the emerging Greater Cincinnati Mentor Leadership Alliance (read more below).
This month’s newsletter is focused on mentoring and includes some of my favorite material. I believe mentoring is one of the most powerful skill sets in life and can be applied as a volunteer mentor, as a parent or a manager at a non-profit or business. I’m sure you will find something of value as you read. Everything we create remains freely available to volunteers and organizations that serve people in need.
Network Updates 2018 Mentor Leadership Summit. This formative event occurred on November 7 at the Life Learning Center. About 50 people and 30 organizations participated in a half-day event for networking and sharing of best practices. This event is the springboard to an ongoingGreater Cincinnati Mentor Leadership Alliance. The new Core Team kicks off in January.
Speaking Events. Our speaking topics have been updated for 2019,click here for our flyer. I'd love to engage your clients, staff or the parents of your clients in the topics of purpose, passion and potential.
LSN Web Site. A significant refresh has been started for the LSN web site. Ourhome pagehas updated mission, flyer toolbox and menu system. You can easily find our life skills wiki, 250 Words blog, volunteer and mentoring solutions.
Book Recommendation - The Heart of Mentoring The Heart of Mentoring: Ten Proven Principles for Developing People to their Fullest Potential by David A. Stoddard outlines 10 principles for effective mentoring:
* It starts with the heart.Effective mentors understand that living is about giving.
* It's the journey that counts.Effective mentors see mentoring as a process that requires perseverance.
* Into their world, through yours.Effective mentors open their world to their mentoring partners.
* Aligning passion with work.Effective mentors help mentoring partners find their passion.
* Advancing through adversity.Effective mentors are comforters who share the load.
* Let your values filter be your guide.Effective mentors help turn personal values into practice.
* The substance of mentoring.Effective mentors model character.
* The fuel that drives the engine.Effective mentors affirm the value of spirituality.
* The vision gap:focusing on the future.Effective mentors recognize that mentoring + reproduction = legacy.
* It's never too early, or late, to start.Effective mentors go for it.
Mentoring in Greater Cincinnati
About 30 local social service organizations attended the recent Mentor Leadership Summit.They serve diverse needs across all age groups.Focus areas include youth with insufficient family support, release from jail, post-recovery, poverty and more. We will work to better introduce them to you in future newsletters and through our partner Cincinnati Cares.
The scope of our Alliance includes:
* Greater Cincinnati inc. NKY.
* Social service-focused mentoring…serving people "in need" (not career mentoring for professionals).
* All ages…adult, teen, youth.
* Mentor Program Leaders including executive directors, volunteer managers and “key” mentors.
Our collection of resources for volunteer mentors and mentor program leaders continues to grow.This summarizes some key elements of our toolbox.
Starting web page.This page brings together various resources across our web site and beyond.The intent is to enable individual volunteers to think about their role and new possibilities.The Learning Map is notable.
Wiki-page on Mentoring.Mentoring is a value-adding relationship process where one person supports another’s growth. Mentors build people up and pull them toward their own dreams rather than push them.
Mentor for Purpose.This section contains the Skill Assessment Tool and an overview of the many workshop topics that are available including:Asking Powerful Questions, Uncover Beliefs and the GROW Model.
While all tools are not on-line, they are freely available to local organizations upon request.Just send me an e-mail.
250 Words
My blogs are about life, life skills, service and living to our purpose, passion and potential. I aim to write about 250 Words (the amount an average adult can read in one minute). This linktakes you to a summary of my blogs dealing with the topic of mentoring. Here are a few favorites:
Asking Powerful Questions. Asking questions is a sign of respect. If done well, the other person feels valued and the relationship grows. Try finding some new questions to routinely ask others instead of “how did your day go”.
Mentoring is a Core Life Skill. Mentoring is about inspiration, care and support of another but it transforms us too at many levels…heart, mind, body and soul. It is a skill worth mastering to improve our own capacity for purpose and knowing ourselves deeply.
Mentoring vs Coaching.Mentoring is a relationship-based process owned by the mentee with outcomes directed by the mentee.
Recent Social Media Postings
Unlike the LSN Blog which is original content, the Facebook and LinkedIn postings are articles gathered from the internet. The themes match the blogs. Here are recent favorites:
Live with Purpose on Facebook: Living and Loving Well. The only way to become whole is to put our arms lovingly around everything we’ve shown ourselves to be: self-serving and generous, spiteful and compassionate, cowardly and courageous, treacherous and trustworthy.
The Life Solutions Network encourages “purpose, passion and potential” in the form of capability-building service to our community. Thank you for your friendship, partnership and service. Let me know how I can support you.
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