The MAGLE provides you with all of the following:

A customized course based on your needs

A course which integrates your company information

Learner access 24 hours per day

A means to assess learners in a practical, focused way

Continuous learning opportunities

Chances to interact with subject matter experts

The Centre for Education and Work, in collaboration with Dojo Learning, has developed the MAGLE system which is an extremely user friendly, web-based, course system totally adaptable to your needs. This course system integrates text, video, audio, animation, and other media to help your learners gain skills in taraget areas.

The MAGLE system allows you to customize your own information and outcomes in a pleasing, fun-to-use format. You don't have to be a computer expert to use this system, but you do need access to high-speed internet and some software which is downloadable from the web. If you want more details on how the Dojo Learing system works, you can go to www.dojolearning.com.

The course format also lets you interact with your learners through a journal or through a "live" chat room. Learners can also up-load their own work or learning samples. In this way, you can assess how well people are learning the materials.

You can see how our Coaching and mentoring course might integrate some of these materials. 

When thinking about how people learn, we often remember our teachers from school days. Sometimes our memories are good ones, but often they are negative. And typically, we forget that the most important learning experiences are not in the classroom but in the workplace. We all learn in the workplace.... we have to learn to efficiently and effectively perform our jobs. Often, we learn the most from a colleague or supervisor who takes the time to help us along. These informal guides are called coaches or mentors. Usually, a coach or mentor is someone who knows how to do our job, but who also understands, and helped us understand, the organization or company.

A coach is a person who teaches and directs another person by encouraging, instructing, directing and advising them.

Mentoring, on the other hand, refers to a developmental, and typically longer-term relationship between a more experienced ‘expert’ and a less experienced (and usually younger) protégé. Mentors support and encourage novices by providing guidance.  They challenge the novice to improve and think about ways to develop expertise.  Mentors use constructive, non-judgmental ways to help others learn.  

Some people think that good coaches and mentors just “happen,” but coaches and mentors need skills in facilitation, support, constructive feedback, appropriate interventions and vision.

In this Guide,we will use the terms Coaching and Mentoring interchangeably, but with an understanding of the differences provided by the definitions in this text box.

Coaching and mentoring are not always completely separate activities.  In some cases, a novice will require coaching. This means, for example, that the novice may need specific instruction and direction on how to perform a new task.  In other situations, the novice may require mentoring from the same individual. This may mean that the novice needs guidance and support to work through a problem or a process on the job.

Good coaching and mentoring increase awareness, personal responsibility, self-belief, learning, skill development, effectiveness and performance. This applies to the individual, the team and ultimately the bottom line of an organization.

The qualities and roles of a workplace coach or mentor are similar to those you usually associate with coaching sports or other activities.  Coaching and mentoring requires a special relationship between the coach and the learner.  The relationship demands mutual respect and a willingness to devote time and energy to the learning experience. 

If you have watched the Star Wars movies, you know about YODA.  YODA is a mentor to Luke Skywalker.  Luke is studying to become a Jedi Knight: he is learning to use "the force." 

Yoda uses three approaches needed for every coach and mentor.

He supports and guides Luke

He provides a map or vision of where Luke wants to go

He challenges Luke to learn and gain his skill. 

 

As you can see, the MAGLE system is easy to use and has potential for integrating company information as well as new information. The entire MAGLE Coaching and Mentoring course will take an individual about six hours to complete.

You will learn:

 The benefits of being a Coach/Mentor

How to be a "guide on the side" in your workplace

Characteristics of an effective Coach/Mentor

Establishing Expectations

How to develop skills and knowledge in your employees

How to develop your own skills of coaching and mentoring others 

How to facilitate rather than "teach"

How to encourage questions

How to challenege learners to improve their performance

How to demonstrate new skills so others can learn

How to observe and record the performance of others

How to give supportive and non-critical feedback

How to help learners self-assess their progress

How to link company vision to specific jobs

How to challenge learners to improve performance

Mentoring in a multi-generational, multi-cultural environment

 

 

 Benefits of being a Coach/Mentor

 

Coaching and Mentoring in the workplace can be personally and professionally rewarding.  Coaching and mentoring provides opportunities for experienced employees to:

 

Give back to the profession, the company or the community

Be a positive influence on a new employee or novice to the profession

Share your experience and knowledge with others

Help someone else to grow personally and professionally

Develop your own coaching and leadership skills

 

Does this sound like something you would like to be a part of in your workplace? This Guide provides you with some information and tools to determine whether you should consider becoming a workplace coach or mentor.

Characteristics of an effective Coach/Mentor

Coaches and mentors have certain characteristics in common. An effective coach/mentor:

·         Takes an interest in others

·         Has technical expertise in his or her job or profession

·         Commits time and energy to help others improve

·         Is respected by fellow employees

·         Has strong interpersonal skills

·         Is patient

·         Respects confidentiality

·         Is non-judgmental

·         Is a good listener

·         Is tactful, honest, supportive and straightforward

·         Can give clear explanations

·         Sets high expectations of performance