Mentoring Experience: The Climb Together

1. Mentoring Experience: The Climb Together By: Jeremiah Rivera HTM 480

2. My Mentor Partner • Meeting and Communicating • Support and Goal Setting • Making Progress • Reflecting • Celebrating • Connections to the Cycle • Final Thoughts Overview

3. Meet Judy Nguyen • My mentor partner was Judy Nguyen. • She is currently working as a server at a Japanese restaurant while she goes to school part time. • Her emphasis is in hotel management. My Mentor Partner

4. Communicating • Judy and I have met with each other several times throughout the semester and have also kept in contact through emails and Facebook. • I first contacted Judy through email. • In our emails we were able to schedule a meeting date so that we could get to know each other.

5. I wanted our first meeting to be very casual and comfortable, so we decided to get together at the Starbucks on campus. I treated Judy to an iced caramel macchiato and we went outside to talk. • During our first meeting we introduced ourselves and talked about our classes and involvement in HTM. • I learned that Judy had already finished all of her upper division business courses and only needed to complete the HTM courses to graduate. She also told me how she used to be very involve in NSMH but she didn’t participate in their activities as much anymore because she wanted to focus on finishing school. • I wanted to use my previous experience in HTM 301 as a way to connect with Judy, so I showed her my personal slide assignment that I had saved. This also allowed me to share my strengths and weaknesses with Judy and create an open climate and a supportive foundation for our relationship. • From our conversation we learned that we both struggle with interpersonal communication and that in group situations we have difficulties voicing our opinions. • I told Judy it’s always good when you share ideas with your group because it gets everyone thinking and can even enhance other ideas. Making contact: Our 1st Meeting

6. Connections to the Cycle

7. I feel that Developing a Service Climate and Developing a Relationship are two aspects of the Cycle that apply most to our 1st meeting. • Developing a Service Climate: I wanted to create an open and supportive climate so that Judy would know that I was there to encourage her and be a resource for her, but that I wasn’t “better” then her just because I was her mentor. I did this by meeting at a casual place, setting an informal tone, and sharing the story of how I first got into HTM with her. • Developing a Relationship: In order to build a good relationship I knew that it was important to establish a solid foundation with Judy during our first meeting. I was able to this by learning about Judy through our conversations, telling her about my strengths and weaknesses, and sharing my past experiences with her. This allowed us to build trust and find ways that we related with each other. For example. we discovered that we have similar difficulties with interpersonal communication and group interactions. After making that connection I was then able to share some of the things that I have done to improve my interpersonal communication skills with Judy. so that she could try them and develop her skills as well. Connections to the Cycle

8. Before our second meeting I asked Judy to come up with some short term goals and long term goals for herself so that we could discuss them and come up with ways to achieve them. • This allowed me to create a productive climate and defined a common objective for Judy and I to strive for together. • I also told Judy about the St. Patrick's day mixer NSMH was having and encouraged her attend it with me. • We met up again for another Starbucks on campus to catch up with each other and talk about her goals. Support and Goal Setting: Our 2nd Meeting

9. Judy came up with the following goals: • Short term goals: • Pass all courses with As and Bs • Long term goals: • Obtain a hotel job by the Fall semester in order to complete the HTM 398 Internship requirement Goals

10. During our second meeting Judy shared her goals with me and told me that she had finished her Industry assignment for HTM 301 early. • Together Judy and I came up with ideas about how to achieve her goals. • For her first goal, to pass all courses with As and Bs, we decided that everyday she should dedicate 2 hours to study. • We agreed that trying to balance school, work, and a social life was challenging and that we could both benefit from having more organization in our lives. Being organized would help us set priorities and encourage us to engage in activities that would bring us closer to our goals. • For her second goal, to obtain a hotel job by the Fall semester in order to complete the HTM 398 Internship requirement, I suggested that she constantly keep a look out in her emails and check on hotel websites every 2 weeks for any job postings or internship opportunities that may come up. • I told her that I had found my hotel internship by replying to one of the emails that Brian Blake had sent to the students and that it would be a very helpful source for her as well. • She also said that she was feeling a little anxious about the Conquest Air assignment . • She was nervous because she was having difficulty speaking up in her group and she felt that she could not come up with ideas as fast as other people, Judy prefers to take the time to think about ideas before sharing them. Our 2nd Meeting

11. My advice to Judy in regards to sharing her ideas was that she should write them down as she comes up with them and then share them with her group, that way she has time to think and can still contribute them to the group. • In order to be more organized and get good grades I suggested that she try using a planner or lists to set small goals for herself throughout the week or month. I also said that she should take the time to recognize her accomplishments and reward herself when she had achieve a goal or completed a task. • For our 3rd meeting I wanted us to talk about the progress she had made in reaching her goals and any difficulties she may have encountered. Our 2nd Meeting

12. Connections to the Cycle

13. Creating a Shared Vision, Developing Expectations, Teaching and Training, Assessing Performance, and Providing Feedback were all the aspects of the Cycle that applied to our second meeting. • Creating a Shared Vision: We were able to create a shared vision by establishing short term goals and long term goals for Judy. • Developing Expectations: I was able to set expectations for Judy by assigning her tasks to complete before each of our meetings. For example before our second meeting I had Judy come up with short term goals and long term goals she had for the semester as well as some possible solutions and difficulties associated with those goals so that we could discuss them. • Teaching and Training: I was able to implement Teaching and Training by giving Judy advice on how to reach her goals and voice her opinions in group settings. For example, I advised Judy to get a planner so that she could organize her priorities and dedicate time towards studying in order to achieve her goal of passing her classes with As and Bs. When in a group setting I suggested that she take the initiative to come up with ideas ahead of time and write them down along with any other ideas that the group comes up with, that way she would be able to share her ideas and keep everyone in the group on the same page. • Assessing Performance/ Providing Feedback: I was able to assess Judy’s performance and provide her feedback when she told me about completing her Industry assignment early. She told me that at the event she recognized one of the professionals but was too shy to address him. I praised her for getting the assignment done early and told her that she should not let her worries hold her back. Connections to the Cycle

14. Our 3rd meeting took place right after Spring Break. • We talked about what we had done over the break and Judy vented to me about some of the things that had happened at her job. • She also told me that, although she was nervous about her Conquest Air simulation, she had done great during her group’s presentation. We discussed how she felt about the simulation and why she did so well in the presentation. • Judy said that being prepared for the presentation boosted her confidence and helped her succeed. • I congratulated her and let her know I was glad that she was doing well in class. Making Progress: Our 3rd Meeting

15. For the rest of our third meeting we talked about the progress she was making on attaining her goals and the 4-the-Fam simulations. • Judy and I both had gotten planners to help us organize our priorities and focus on school. • Judy told me that using a planner and setting aside 2 hours a day to study was helping her reach her goal to do well in her classes. • She explained to me that she was not too sure about where she wanted to do her internship at because she wasn’t very familiar with the different hotels. • I encouraged her to search through the different hotel brands and learn more about the different company cultures there are. That way if she found one interesting she could try to pursue an internship there and experience it herself. • I was able to use my 4-the-Fam simulation experience to help give Judy an idea of what would happened during hers. • My advice to her was to be prepared, stay calm, and have fun. • Because Judy prefers to take the time to think and develop her ideas before sharing them, I advised her to read the project descriptions ahead of time and brainstorm ideas early on so that during the simulation she would be ready to share her ideas with her group.  • I also told her that it was important to have a solid game plan and well defined roles for the simulation because it helps everyone stay on the same page and can minimize confusion. Making Progress: Our 3rd Meeting

16. During our third meeting is when I learned that Judy was more interested in positions in hotels that involved more employee interactions rather than guests interactions. For example positions in the HR department . I told Judy she should explore her interest and consider looking into which hotels offer training programs within human resources. After the meeting I emailed her several links to hotel job sites and hotel training programs to help her search for a hotel internship. Making Progress: Our 3rd Meeting

17. Connections to the Cycle

18. The aspects of the Cycle that apply the most to our third meeting are Teach and Train for Service Quality and Motivate and Inspire for Service Quality. • Teach and Train for Service Quality: I was able to teach Judy how to find internships. I was also able to teach her that different companies offer different management programs. I told her that learning about management programs would help her see the long term benefits of working for a particular company. • Motivate and Inspire for Service Quality: By sharing my previous experience with the 4-the-Fam simulation I was able to motivate and inspire Judy to perform successfully during her group’s simulation. I also gave her several suggestions about how to prepare for her group’s brainstorming session and how to organize her group during the actual simulation. Connections to the Cycle

19. Judy and I had our 4th meeting in mid April • During this meeting we talked about the 4-the Family simulation, our Print numbers, and Judy’s final presentation. • Judy told me how she had taken my advice to read the 4-the-Family description ahead of time and came up with ideas that she was able to share with her group. She said that her group decided to choose a Mexican theme for the kick off event. • She shared with me that the evaluator commented that Judy had good ideas but that she needed to deliver them with confidence in order to get other people interested in them. • I told Judy that one way to get people interested in her ideas is to write them down, repeat them and elaborate on them. • Judy found out that her Print number was #9. • People with the Print #9 are motivated by having peace and harmony and seek to avoid conflict, discord and discomfort. Reflecting: Our 4th Meeting

20. I asked Judy how accurate she felt her print was. She explained to me that she thought it described her well and that she felt that it related to her difficulty communicating her ideas, because she prefers to keep peace in a group rather than force her ideas onto people. • We were also able to relate one of her shadow traits, procrastination, to the short-term goal she came up with for the semester. • Avoiding procrastination would help her achieve her goal to pass her classes with As and Bs. I told her that she could avoid procrastination by using her planner to set dead lines for herself and keep her priorities organized. • For Judy’s last presentation I advised her to look over her print report and the evaluations that she had received through the to semester to come up with her strengths and areas of improvement. By utilizing the feedback she received from the simulations and group activities she would be able to identify how the Kaleidoscope Competencies apply to her personal development. Reflecting: Our 4th Meeting

21. Connections to the Cycle

22. I feel that Motive and Inspire for Service Quality, Assess service Performance and Provide Feedback are the portions of the Cycle that most relate to our fourth meeting. • Motive and Inspire for Service Quality: I was able to inspire Judy’s final presentation by giving her tips about how to determine her strengths and areas of improvement. I was also able to motivate Judy to get more involved on campus. She told me that the stories I shared with her, about my involvement in NSMH, made her feel that she would enjoy participating in the activities on campus. • Assess service Performance and Provide Feedback: I was able to assess Judy’s performance when discussed how her 4-the-Fam simulation went. I was also able to give her feedback when we talked about her Print number and revisited her progress through out the semester. Together we decided that Judy should focus on developing methods to present her ideas with confidence and optimism. Connections to the Cycle

23. Judy and I met one last time right before finals. We decided to get together for a casual lunch and celebrate the end of the semester . During our lunch we talked about plans for the summer and exchanged gifts that we had gotten for each other. I gave Judy a poster calendar and Judy gave me a personalized Buzz Lightyear mug. Celebrating :Our 5th Meeting.

24. My mentoring experience was a wonderful opportunity to implement the Coaching Cycle first hand. • My mentee and I made a great connection. I feel that because we had similar strengths and weaknesses we were able develop a strong level of understanding. • I learned that it was really important to build trust with my mentee. Trust was the foundation of our relationship. To maintain the trust Judy had placed in me I needed to be reliable, understanding, and supportive. • I feel that this mentoring activity allowed me to experience what it is like to be a leader and what it means to develop strong, healthy relationships with the people who depend on me. • In the end Judy told me that I was a wonderful mentor and that she appreciated all of my help and support. I’m really glad that I was able contribute to her development and success. Final Thoughts

25. The End