Mentoring in the Arts

* The photo shown above and the following article is re-posted in it's entirety, as originally found at:
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=the-art-of-medicine/hnbfat6w


It was an unintended discovery - one made after following a chain of URL links - a chain that led me to this story that's reposted today.  There are a number of interconnected threads, perhaps more than can be fully addressed here, but definitely aspects of "MENTORSHIP" and its significance in the world of the arts!

When you read this story, I'd encourage you to reflect for a moment on the importance that 'the arts' play within a free society. And when you grasp onto that realization, consider the very real and practical need to attend to the ‘business’ related aspects of those arts.  Strengthening the health and vitality of the artistic community in turn strengthens the cultureal fabric of our society as a whole.

Within my own community, I'm looking forward to future steps that will provide additional value - bringing the ‘artistic community’ and the ‘business community’ together.  Not only will it improve the financial position and strength of the artists who participate, but it will further enrich the character and vitality of the community at large, namely, those places where we live, work and enjoy quality time with each other.

Thank you to all of those (including those within the following story) who's efforts improve the enviroment and allows the full creativity of people to be shared with those around them, and the world.

Please enjoy the following reposted article and let us know your thoughts by providing us with your comments.

Sincerely,
 - Jim Ewing, for all of us at Pro-Vision Solutions Inc.

October 28, 2013

By: Colonel Steve Plourde, AFAMS Advisory Team Leader

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”- Pablo Picasso

Hidden away in a mostly industrial neighborhood in Kabul, the small and seemingly austere home of the Centre for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) can easily be overlooked. However, within the small brick-walled compound lies true Afghan treasure in the form of talent, passion, courage and hope for the future.

This fortunate yet unlikely destination is a result of a voyage of sorts begun by Major Andrew Currie, a Medical Officer, assigned as a mentor to the Armed Forces Academy of Medical Science (AFAMS) in 2011, as part of the Canadian Contribution to the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. A small team of Canadian Forces Health Services members have been serving on this mission as advisor-mentors to their Afghan counterparts to develop and implement a standardized, Afghan appropriate, medical education and training system for the Afghan National Security Forces.

Maj Currie, a skilled artist/cartoonist himself, began raising money from his fellow contingent members, in hopes of making a modest contribution to a yet-to-be-determined organization, in hopes of encouraging those who amid the ravages of war, find the inspiration to express the human condition through Art. Subsequent rotation members adopted the cause and continued fund-raising efforts and determined that an art school would be a worthy benefactor of this small but heartfelt gesture of assistance. The CCAA was identified as the target organization and effort began by members of the final mission rotation to locate and establish contact with this deserving centre.

The CCAA was founded in 2004 and is run by Rahraw Omarzad, a writer, artist, curator, journalist and professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Kabul. The CCAA is an independent artistic and cultural center in Kabul. In 2006, the centre changed focus and established the only women’s art center in Afghanistan. The main goal of CCAA is to provide equal opportunities for both men and women and to provide young artists the chance to express and improve their artistic talent as individual and creative artists, and implement a new way of looking at art in Afghan society. Previously repressed under the Taliban, the centre is working with artists in the fields of visual arts, installation, painting, video art, photography, and miniatures.

The 30th of September, 2013, a unique military mission was initiated. Accompanied by my Sergeant-Major, MWO Brad Olmstead, our CAF Imagery Technician MCpl Frieda Van Putten, and our ever-present soldiers providing force protection, we set out to the centre to make our small donation on behalf Maj Currie and of all who served the AFAMS Advisory mission. Navigating through the confused congestion of Kabul traffic, our two-vehicle convoy travelled but a short nine kilometers to reach the modest and relatively non-descript centre. Behind the rickety doors separating the inner buildings from the street, I was greeted by Ms. Bahar Falah, the Deputy Director who, with the traditional warmth of Afghan hospitality, quickly and most-politely invited us to sit and offered us Chai (tea).

We introduced ourselves and explained the history and reasoning for our donation to our appreciative hosts who were clearly surprised at this seemingly “out-of-the-blue” support for their oft-overlooked but tangible contribution to nation-building. What followed was truly inspiring. We were taken on a tour of the “studio”; a gravel-floor building at the rear of the austere compound, lined with various impressive works of art leaning against the otherwise barren concrete walls. There, a half-dozen young women perfected their craft. Each of them, with suppressed pride and visible passion, explained what they hoped to convey. Most were mixed reflections of pain, uncertainty, hope and emancipation. They touched each and every one of us by the depth and intensity of their works. It was hard to imagine why and how such expressions could be considered illegal and immoral a few short years ago.

The AFAMS Advisor Teams (2011-2013) raised and donated a total of 33 468 Afghani (about $600 USD) in order to support and encourage the fine and important work of the centre. A modest sum perhaps, yet an immense boost we were told, to this organization ability to continue and grow. As health services professionals, we appreciated the opportunity to focus on the less-physiological but no-less vital aspect of humanity’s ability to endure through artistic expression, no matter the circumstance; the Art of medicine indeed.

"Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" ...

With this post, we invite you to comment and respond to this discussion.  Share it within your circle of contacts and let's build the conversation with a 'community' that's interested in developing others to their fullest potential!

Here are some further thoughts after further reflection on our previous series of BLOG posts regarding Key Characteristics in Healthy Mentoring Relationships.

* IN THIS POST we're asking:  What are your thoughts on the importance of pro-actively stepping forward to advocate on behalf of a Mentee?

If for example, let's consider the big picture and the 'long-term' development within the business or organization we're trying to move forward. What sort of involvement or support might have contributed to the realization that the successful person has achieved their success as a result of, to use that great imagery, "Standing on the shoulders of giants". 

It reminds me of the developmental role and responsibility of leaders to groom the next generation of leaders. And that may well be to in some way: INTERCEDE, ADVOCATE and MENTOR them through their preparation process! After all, when you honestly think about it ... isn’t that what others did to help you along your path?

• Is there someone you still need to thank for the help they provided you? 
  
• Who can you help in the development of their career path?
   
• What are your thoughts on this, OR a related experience you can share? 

PLEASE ... add a few comments for us all to consider and share with others. (Thanks)

 

REVISITING - "COACHING vs. MENTORING"

I recently had opportunity to take another look at the question, "What’s the differences between coaching and mentoring?" It's a good question and the post of June 5, 2011 in this BLOG seemed to really 'hit the nail on the head', so if you don't mind, I'd like to revisit it once again.

Professor David Clutterbuck

By way of an update:  

1) My introduction to Professor Clutterbuck has over the years transitioned into a wonderful professional relationship. Thank you David for your input, friendship and (if I may use the term here) MENTORSHIP!  David operates under the name, "David Clutterbuck Partnership" and his Website is at: www.davidclutterbuckpartnership.com

2) Let me also mention that the professional association (APEGA) was known as "APEGGA" at the time of the original post. It is now has known as "APEGA" - that is, the "Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta".  I’ve enjoyed attending a number of the APEGA Mentoring Conferences in the past and found them to be most valuable. 

 

NOW - here is that very interesting look at the difference between "Coaching" and "Mentoring" ...

 

What’s the differences - coaching and mentoring?

People often ask:  What’s the differences between coaching and mentoring? It’s a good question, and if you’ve done some research on Mentorship, you will have noticed that responses widely differ, leaving a lot of confusion. To shed some light on this, here are some enlightening comments from Professor David Clutterbuck,  David Clutterbuck Partnership. These are taken from the notes that I took during his session at the APEGA Mentorship Conference in Calgary, Alberta in October 2010, Please give them some thought, see if they help you, and feel free to add your thoughts as a comment to this post. Thanks.

David Clutterbuck’s comments: If you know where the conversation is going, and have a clear scheme in your mind for the discussion ... it’s not mentoring.  Where you get to in a Mentoring conversation may not be where you originally intended ... it’s a journey of discovery, a creative conversation.

On the other hand, coaches typically have you do something. They observe you and provide you with some feedback. As a result of following their direction, improvements can quickly result.  While there may be some long-term develop that occurs, the main focus is on improving your immediate results.

Coaching is always about performance, it’s about ‘doing’. Whereas, Mentoring is about development, it’s about ‘becoming’ more than what you are now.



Following the APEGA Mentorship Conference, I came across the following from an article by Professor David Clutterbuck.  It seemed to address this puzzling question and was titled, ENSURING COACHING & MENTORING DELIVER REAL VALUE TO INDIVIDUALS & ORGANISATIONS (2005).

Confusion about what is meant by coaching, mentoring and other forms of development, he says, leads to a mismatch of expectations between participants. Enjoy the balance of Clutterbuck’s explanation and then share your comments to this post.

Terminological confusion: There are at least two major types or styles of both coaching and mentoring.

Traditional coaching, as typified in sports coaching is a system for imparting skills and improving performance, using observation and feedback by the coach.

Developmental coaching has the same goals, but uses a much greater level of self- observation, reflection and self-feedback by the learners – the coach’s role is essentially to help them coach themselves. There is often a high emphasis on behaviour change.

Sponsoring mentoring, derived from US practice and still the dominant model in N. America, is a relationship in which a senior person uses their influence and experience to guide the career of someone more junior. It is generally a one-way learning activity that places high emphasis on career achievements and on direct intervention by the mentor.

Developmental mentoring is largely independent of the power issues, although the mentor’s greater experience is important. It is a two-way exchange of learning, where personal growth is the critical outcome (which may or may not lead to career achievement). The emphasis is on helping the other learning partner do things for him/herself.

People describing themselves as executive coaches or life coaches, for example, might operate in any of these styles, or a blend of several. Successful learning relationships therefore need to define clearly what each party expects in terms of approach and behaviours. It’s also important to examine the experience and qualifications of people offering coaching and mentoring services to determine how relevant they are to the approach expected.

Glenn Furuya - Mentorship Moments (PURPOSE - NEW VIDEO)

We really enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with Glenn Furuya, President & CEO at Leadership Works, LLC in May 2012 while we were in Honolulu, Hawaii. Glenn is an expert in leadership and employee development - serving a wide variety of clients and industries throughout the world since 1982. 

Here's a portion of the discussion where Glenn talks about the PURPOSE for a Mentorship relationship.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

For your benefit, here are a few of the key thoughts from that video discussion with my friend, Glenn Furuya - Mentorship Moments (Purpose)

Glenn says that the purpose of mentorship is to set people up to succeed.  It's intended to help them find their gifting and talents and nurture them to share those talents with others. Mentorship helps to develop confidence, provides support, education and advise to those being mentored. Mentorship gives them an opportunity to spread their wings, to give things a try, it helps them to grow & lets them build, expand and develop, and then share it with others.

Our full interview with Glenn Furuya can also be found on our YouTube Channel and a direct link to Glenn's full interview is provided by clicking HERE. 

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on Mentorship, or on developing a mentorship program for your organization. 

PLEASE LEAVE A FEW COMMENTS RELATED TO WHAT YOU'VE SEEN AND HEARD.

KMC #9) COMMITMENT (Part 2 ... a little late)

Key Mentorship Characteristics (KMC) 

We had so many great things happening last month that we missed getting this one posted to the BLOG. (Our BAD!)  

Still focused on the role of “COMMITMENT” in Mentorship relationships, we invite you to comment and respond to this discussion on Key Characteristics found within Healthy Mentoring Relationships.

* IN THIS POST - Some collected thoughts on the significance of this KMC.

Here are a few comments that we wanted to share with you on this topic:

There is a great little story regarding the farm animals that decided to throw a party for the farmer who had worked so hard to make their home a wonderful place. They decided to make the farmer breakfast, and bacon and eggs were chosen for the menu. As they were finalizing their plans, the PIG thought for a moment and said, “I think that we’ll need to reconsider the menu.” 
"Why is that,” said the CHICKEN? 
“Well,” said the PIG, “for you, making the good farmer breakfast involves a simple contribution. For me, it requires making a total commitment!” (Smile)

When we think of COMMITMENT, who do we think of? One of the people that comes to my mind is that of Mother Theresa, a woman who was recognized for showing compassion to the poorest of the poor, in a life of service. That’s a great example of commitment - a commitment to people.

When I speak with business owners and managers, they'll frequently bemoan the work ethic that they see in their own work places and places of employment. They'll say, “Where is the COMMITMENT; where is the loyalty; where are the people willing to do an honest day’s work?”  Those are all very good questions, and I'm sure they are sincerely asked by many business and civic leaders.  But don't you think it strange that in many instances, it is the same people complaining about these disgruntled workers who hired these people into their organizations. The question one might asked is, "What changed these once enthusiastic, vibrant individuals into demotivated, complaining staff?" How do you get these once brilliant, energetic and productive people back, and engaged in your work place?


I often tell audiences of potential entrepreneurs and business owners that they now have an opportunity in the businesses they create to establish the type of work environment that they wished they had when they worked for someone else.


IF ... we expect to see COMMITMENT in others, we need to be prepared to show COMMITMENT in return.  It seems fairly straight forward, but perhaps we could still do better on the latter.  We can't change the past, but we can commit to working for a better tomorrow!  Anybody else 'in' on that?  (Smile)

NOW - Please feel free to share your comments and experiences with respect to this aspect of mentorship.  Also, help us to reach others who could benefit from participating in this discussion. We welcome your 'sharing' this page with those in your circle of contacts!

Questions:

• What is the role of COMMITMENT within a mentoring relationship?
• What does COMMITMENT mean to you?
• How is COMMITMENT developed between the mentoring partners?

KMC 9) COMMITMENT (Part 3 - NEW VIDEO)

Key Mentorship Characteristics (KMC)

When it comes to COMMITMENT within a Mentoring relationship, we thought you would find the following comments helpful in building a better Mentorship Relationship for both the Mentee and the Mentor! 

NEW VIDEO CLIP related to "COMMITMENT" ...

Over the past few years we've asked several of our interviewees for their thoughts related to some of the Key Characteristics that we’ve seen within Healthy Mentoring Relationships. We're using these to develop a compilation for each characteristic and uploading them to our YouTube Channel. 

We invite you to add your thoughts, comments, experiences and wisdom to that being shared by some of our many experts on this topic. 

Listen to their responses, compare them with your own experience and then share your thoughts on BOTH our YouTube Channel and on this post to the Mentorship BLOG.

Before viewing the video clip, we want to express our deep appreciation and special thanks to these friends for sharing their time and Mentorship experience with all of us, and helping us to bring this collection to you:
 * Jared Smith,  Principal at "Incite"
 * David Saxby - Spark Communications Inc.
 * Al Petersen - Petersen Buick GMC
 * Norm Greenwood - Greenwood 2 Management
 * Dr. William A. Gray - Mentoring Solutions
 * Claire Clark - Aboriginal Women's Professional Association
 * Peter Bradbury, MBA, CA - Calgary Volunteer Business Mentor (Retired)
 

HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR VIDEO: 
     Title: Mentorship Characteristics - "COMMITMENT" 
  
TO VIEW THE VIDEO CLICK HERE:  URL link http://youtu.be/SsGRGdjx-Go

NOW it's YOUR TURN! - Please feel free to share your comments and experiences with respect to this aspect of mentorship. 

WHAT'S been your experience with respect to COMMITMENT within MENTORSHIP?

Also, help us to reach others who could benefit from participating in this discussion. We welcome your 'sharing' this page with those in your circle of contacts!

Questions:

   • What is the role of COMMITMENT within a mentoring relationship?

   • What does COMMITMENT mean to you?

   • How is COMMITMENT developed between the mentoring partners?

Glenn Furuya - Mentorship Moments (RELATIONSHIP - NEW VIDEO)

We felt we had to share this with you because there seemed to be such a great connection between the comments in this video clip and our discussion on the topic of COMMITMENT within Mentorship Relationships.

It was a special treat for us to meet with Glenn Furuya, President & CEO at Leadership Works, LLC just over a year ago in Honolulu, Hawaii. Glenn is an expert in leadership and employee development - serving a wide variety of clients and industries throughout the world since 1982. 

Here's a portion of our discussion with Glenn where he talks about aspects related to COMMITMENT within a Mentorship relationship.  Glenn underscores the importance of understanding the Life Cycle Process, and that the key to development requires a systemic process of continuity and regularity. Leadership requires a frequency of contact ... It needs to be there. It needs to become, "a habitual ritual". 

Here is a link to these key thoughts in our video: 
 Glenn Furuya - Mentorship Moments (Relationship)

The bottom line: Mentorship requires frequency of contact in order to successfully continue. That frequency comes through the development of the Mentorship Relationship over time. In other words, it comes down to COMMITMENT. 

THANKS FOR THE INSIGHTS ON THIS GLENN!

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on Mentorship, or on developing a mentorship program for your organization. 

PLEASE LEAVE A FEW COMMENTS RELATED TO WHAT YOU'VE SEEN AND HEARD. 

P.S. - Our full interview with Glenn Furuya can also be found on our YouTube Channel and a direct link to Glenn's full interview is provided by clicking HERE.