The First-Year Senior's Hurdle! Tips for Mentoring to Solve "How Should I Teach My Junior?"
"Why can't you"
do something this simple?"
"Wait, do I really have to explain it from that point?"
Have you ever thought like this
while teaching a junior?
But that might not be the junior's fault,
it might be a problem with how you're teaching💡
"Mentoring a junior is so hard..."
Feeling that way is a common struggle
faced by second-year employees.
• "What and how much should I teach?"
• "I'm not even perfect myself yet..."
• "What are the points to keep in mind
when mentoring?"
If you just keep mentoring while holding onto these anxieties,
it will only lead to stress for both of you...
But don't worry!
Just by grasping a few "tips for teaching,"
mentoring your junior will become
much easier✨
🔹 The first thing to realize is
that "Senior" does not mean "Teacher"
When many young employees hear "teach your junior,"
they tend to think, "I have to be perfect."
But a senior's role is not
to be a teacher, but to grow together.
✅ A supporter who shares knowledge and experience
✅ A navigator who stands in the junior's shoes
to help overcome stumbling blocks
Just by having this mindset, you can relax your shoulders,
and mentoring will become easier💡
🔹 Increasing "questions" rather than "explanations"
accelerates growth
You might be eager to say,
"I have to explain everything!"
but what's important is to let the junior think for themselves.
For example, here is the difference in mentoring👇
❌ "Make this document like this"
(The senior just gives the answer)
⬇
✅ "How do you think we should make this document
easier to understand?"
(Letting the junior think)
By asking the junior questions,
they will acquire the ability to think and act on their own✨
🔹 "Acknowledging what they've done" is more important than "teaching"
When it comes to mentoring, people tend to focus on
"what to teach," but
"acknowledging the junior's growth" is
just as important!
💡 The key is "Fact + Praise specifically"
❌ "Great job! Keep it up!"
(Too vague)
⬇
✅ "This document is very easy to understand!
The explanation for XX in particular is concise and looks good!"
(Specifically)
Acknowledging small successes boosts the junior's motivation!
As "I did it!" moments increase,
mentoring will also become smoother✨
🎀 Summary:
3 Tips for Mentoring Juniors
1️⃣ Instead of "I have to be a teacher!", have the mindset of "growing together"
2️⃣ Instead of teaching the answer,
ask "What do you think?" and let them think
3️⃣ Praise what they've done specifically to
accelerate their growth
If you feel that mentoring a junior is difficult,
don't feel pressured to "teach everything,"
and become a support for their growth!
The next free note will be...
For companies, I will explain
"effective mechanisms for developing young talent."
💡
📌 What is the difference between "companies where young talent grows" and "companies where they quit"?
📌 What kind of mentoring structure can even busy managers implement?
If you are curious, please check out the next note as well!✨
📢 Who should read this!
✅ Young employees struggling with mentoring juniors
✅ HR and managers thinking about developing new graduates and young talent
✅ For everyone who feels, "I'm not good at teaching..."!
If you are struggling with mentoring juniors, please try these tips!✨
💌 Sharing this might help someone important to you, too?
If you thought, "This content was helpful!" please share it!
💡 Likes and comments are also very welcome!
Getting feedback like "I tried it!" encourages me!✨
Let's sort out our worries together and live more easily!