INVITATION to make use of the Mentoring/supervision scheme * for TTT Core group,Management group,project co-ordinators, TTNetwork staff  and office staff

Rationale for providing this service
In campaigning organizations where people bring enormous passion and commitment there is always a risk of burnout – even more so in one which is multi-stranded, not a single issue – and where it plans to be longterm and expanding and evolving. We need to look after each other.

So what is the focus in mentoring?
It seems to us that mentoring in the context of TTT could be  about helping you to think
“Am I doing enough self care to enable me to be effective and yet not burn out?”
“What is ‘effective’ for me?”
“Am I getting the balance right between TTT, my other work and the rest of my life?”

It may be about helping you to voice some of the more difficult feelings that can arise in the work e.g. dealing with conflict, envy, rivalry,despair,anger, feelings of ‘not being good enough’ or ‘not doing enough’.
 
It can also be a space to discuss personal issues because work affects personal issues and personal issues affect our work.

It’s also a space for you to celebrate what’s enjoyable,
and to look at how you’ve met the challenges you’ve faced,
and to look at how your work relates to the larger scheme of TTT..

Process for mentor and mentee meeting up
Some of you already have mentors or would like to try meeting again. Others will not have tried it yet. We would like you to contact us and we will give you the current list of mentors and their cvs. You can then choose who to contact: if the first one is not available try your next choice , and so on. If you’re not sure about the first mentor  you see  it is best to arrange  to see another. Having confidence in your mentor is essential and will enable you to get the best out of the work you do together. If after contacting  and/or meeting a few you still haven’t found anyone please let us know.

What to expect

This service is free.What’s likely to happen is that in the initial meeting you will discuss what you would like from these sessions and what the mentor can offer. In this process you will be able to assess whether you two are a ‘good match’. If you are both happy with this it is advisable to arrange a series of 3 or 4 meetings at intervals to suit you, maybe weekly or fortnightly or monthly, to be reviewed in that 3rd or 4th session. It’s often a good idea to set up 3 or 4 or even consider a longer term mentoring relationship. As one mentee said “Sometimes I turn up feeling I don’t need a session only to be really surprised  about what comes out and how glad afterwards I am that I came!”

Your mentor should let you know in the first meeting whether they are able to offer short-term or longer term mentoring. However there is no need to commit yourself to a longer term agreement unless you feel sure that this is what you would like. Sessions are best reviewed regularly to evaluate how and whether this is serving your needs and perhaps to re-negotiate the agreement.
No-one can or should be forced into a particular mould – but TTT could do well to adopt an ethos that recognizes the importance of checking out the tendency to burnout. The appropriate ways to reduce stresswill vary with each individual – from going to the pub, to meditating, to martial arts, dancing , cycling etc. But for a process as intense as the Transition movement we would argue that there is a need for a neutral space to talk over  the questions which we mention in the section above on the Focus in mentoring. It is a sign of strength and commitment not inadequacy on the part of the mentee to make use of what is available to support them in their work.

Confidentiality

All that takes place between mentor and mentee is treated with respect and discretion and remains confidential. This is very important in a community movement such as TTT if there is to be trust and the opportunity to be frank.

We stand in a multiplicity of relationships which means the threads can get very tangled if there is gossip or rumour.

You may also find yourself and your mentor attending other TTT groups or events where you will each be in a different role from that of mentor and mentee. You may want to talk about how that feels with your mentor or you may wish to choose a mentor who is on the fringe of the TTT community while still sharing in the ethos.

We hope what we offer will be useful and enjoyable to you.

Rosie Bell 01626324890  /  07950935157
Email: 3talloaks@tiscali.co.uk (temporarily out of  order)
and
Suzanne Dennis 01803 865737  /  07796925558
Email: suzanne.dennis@virgin.net

* It seems clearer to call this a mentoring process because a) it’s not  counselling supervision (although much of what is inherent in counselling supervision is extremely useful in providing a framework for the process)  and b) the word supervision to most people has hierarchical not supportive connotations.