Transcript

NARRATOR

This video shows how a mentor can provide feedback to assist the mentee to improve their performance.

The mentor should build rapport at the start of a feedback session to set the mentee at ease.

MENTOR

Tell me, Jerry. Did you enjoy the game tonight?

JERRY

Yeah, it was a lot of fun, actually. Yeah. Good game. I know we didn't have a capacity crowd out there. But they still made a lot of noise. It was a bit of a battle for us to hear each other, actually. And the fact it was close made it really enjoyable too.

MENTOR

Now mate, what do you think you did really well tonight?

JERRY

Well, pretty comfortable with most of it. I think, our decision-making was close to spot-on. And we got a good speed in the rocks, so I was happy with that.

Yeah. I mean, I guess there were just a couple of instances where it was a bit on-sided with things that happened in the play of the ball. I guess that can happen in any game-- you get on-sided.

NARRATOR

The mentor should use questions to encourage the mentee to self-reflect.

MENTOR

So Jerry, where do you see the areas for improvement?

JERRY

Well, if we had picked up those few little things around the play of the ball, it would have been the icing on the cake. It would have felt as if we really nailed it. So I guess to pick up those things would be the bit of a goal for next time.

MENTOR

So the last time we met you really wanted to work on your focus and vocab at the play of the ball. How do you think that went today?

NARRATOR

The mentor can provide advice to help the mentee improve their performance.

JERRY

Yeah. Well, you can see there the Dragons player puts their hand there and knocks the ball out. That should have been a penalty.

The thing was, the touch judge was calling to me for a penalty. And the same time the pocket referee was saying it was a lost ball. So it just came through as garbled to me.

MENTOR

I know the communication might have been garbled. But really, you're the central referee. You're the control guy. And you really should have seen it.

So tell me about your position.

JERRY

Yeah. Well, I hadn't looked at positioning that much. But when you look on there, I'm probably only one or two metres wide of the play of the ball. And I'm kind of trying to peer around to get a clear view. And I just didn't get a clear view from there.

MENTOR

So if you had your time over again, what would you do? How would you change things?

JERRY

Well, I guess looking at it now, put myself a few metres wider, maybe actually turn my body so I'm looking back in at the play of the ball.

NARRATOR

There may be times when the mentor and mentee disagree, and the mentor needs to diffuse conflict.

MENTOR

Yeah. I want to talk about the communication, because it really looked as if the Newcastle skipper was running the show.

JERRY

Oh, I don't know about that. I mean, it's just a straight out penalty. And sure, he questions it. But I give him a response, and we move on.

MENTOR

Why do you think he took that liberty with you and came at you the way that he did?

JERRY

Yeah. Look. I'm probably not that confident, because I haven't seen what's actually gone on. And maybe that invites him to question me.

I don't think he's seen what's happened either. But the fact I haven't gives him escape to come in and ask me a question.

MENTOR

Let me show you some of these great advantages--

NARRATOR

Establishing an action plan will provide the mentee with a way forward to improve their performance.

MENTOR

Well, Jerry, just to wrap up, I thought you contributed really well to a terrific game of football. I thought some of the advantages that you played were wonderful. Overall, I've never seen you look fitter or better.

JERRY

Well, yeah. I was pretty happy with it, overall. I think we got the big things right. So I was happy with that. And we left it to the players to determine the result. And we won a talking point at the end. So yeah. It was good.

I think it's just that fine tuning, the positioning around the play of the ball, working on getting in that tight rack and creating an angle so we've got vision in there.

MENTOR

Yeah. I think in relation to that I want you to have a talk to Bill before the next training session Thursday and work on developing a couple of drills that you can practise and make sure you get used to the new angles that you'll be running.

JERRY

Yeah. I've noticed a couple of guys in the squad are actually really good at it in around that area. So I might get their DVD and just have a look at where they go to in that scenario. And I'm sure if we get some guys running some sets into the drive line and I practise getting into position at the tight rack and get comfortable in that position, should be something I can carry forward next week.

NARRATOR

When providing feedback, mentors should build rapport with the mentee. Mentors use open questions and active listening skills to encourage mentees to self-reflect. Mentors provide advice and suggestions for improvement. If mentees get upset by negative feedback, mentors diffuse the conflict. The development of an action plan will assist the mentee in the future.