Team Mentoring and Coaching

Tower Building Exercise & Discussion

NELD, April 2007

Getting Ready
• Tell everyone that they are about to participate in an exercise.
• Divide group into teams of 4 to 6 people.
• Assign each group to a table where they will have workspace for their team
project.
• Assign an observer (non-participant) to each group and provide a set of
observation questions/statements.

Directions
• Your goal in the next 10 minutes is to build the tallest structure that you can
with the materials provided.
 The structure you build must be self-standing.
 You must use all the materials in the set.
 You cannot use any other materials.
 You can do anything you want with the materials.

• At the end of the 10 minutes (can use less time), I’ll say, “stop.” (Give
warnings at 2 minutes and 1 minute prior to the end of the time.) You must
stop activity at that time. I will then ask you how your team approached the
problem and what you learned about your team that can be applied to
coaching and mentoring. There also will be observers of each team.

• Give each team a set of these items (or similar items):

 2 sheets of 8 ½ X 11 paper
 3 playing cards
 3 crayons
 3 fishing hooks
 3 mini-tubs of Play-Doh
 3 chopsticks or skewers

• When I say, “GO,” begin.

Observer’s Role/Debriefing Questions
As teams build, observe (take notes) the roles of team members. During the debriefing,
the group will be asked the same questions.

1. Who emerged as the coach in your group? How could you tell?

2. Who emerged as the mentor in your group? How could you tell?

3. What was the main difference between the two?

4. Which person listened to suggestions of team members?

5. Which person offered encouragement?

6. Which person generated responsibility?

7. Which person was the most concerned about achieving the goal?

Debriefing--At the end of the 10 minutes ask each group to reflect on the questions
above as to what happened in their respective groups:

Conclusion:

What did you learn during the exercise that parallels coaching and mentoring?
(Examples)
• You need a strong base (support structure) for those being mentored.
Mentors and coaches each contribute to a strong structure.
• It helps to have reinforcements (cards doubled up=coaches, experience)
throughout the structure (organization).
• Tackling something new takes teamwork. Each person has something unique
to contribute. (mentor, mentee, coach)
• Some things you learn by trial and error (mentoring freedom); when you
make a mistake, just start over and look at the problem from another angle.
• Doing something difficult is easier when you’re having fun and
encouraged/motivated.
• Other comparisons can be drawn from the Coaching verses Mentoring chart
on the next page.
 Coaching versus Mentoring
Coaching is functional Mentoring is relational

A coach does not need in-depth knowledge A mentor should have expertise &
of their client(s), but must provide the experience in regard to their client’s
motivation to get to the next step. profession.

A coach is job focused so the desired goals A mentor focuses more on the needs of the
and performance objectives can be individual.
achieved.

A coach has a specific agenda to reinforce A mentor is a teacher and facilitator, with
or change skills and behaviors. no agenda, allowing their trainee the
flexibility to make mistakes.

A coach is impartial, focused on Mentoring is biased in favor of the trainee.

improvement in skills or behavior.

Source: Matt Starcevich 1999, http://www.coachingandmentoring.com/Articles/mentoring.html. Other

resources available at The Center for Coaching and Mentoring, http://coachingandmentoring.com/

Team #5 Members
Tonya Evans
tonya.evans@ces.uwex.edu

Ruth Wilcox
rwilcox@iastate.edu

Joe Schwamberger
schwambe@uiuc.edu

Sue Henderson
hendy@iastate.edu

Peter Hirst
hirst@purdue.edu

Loren Giesler
lgiesler1@unl.edu

Karma Metzgar
metzgark@missouri.edu