Mentorship & Coaching

89% of those who have been mentored say they’ll go on to mentor others. So, how do you find great mentors and convince them you're worth helping? LinkedIn is a great place to start. Ever since I fell into the clean energy industry, people I met here, like Erin Greeson, Joseph F. Tassone Jr (both pictured), and NICO JOHNSON 🎙️ have spent countless hours sharing what they've learned with me. Which is incredibly humbling, because... I didn't know anything about this industry three years ago. I just knew that I wanted to work in a fulfilling field. So I started writing about the tiny, tiny sliver of things I did know about and posting them here. And it attracted some of the most amazing people I've ever met. But I still had to convince them I was worth hanging out with... Here are three rules I follow that continue to bring great people into my circle: 1. Create Before You Ask Write and post what you know or what you're passionate about. Seriously, the benefits outweigh the annoying parts. Writing content here has given me access to SO many people I never would have met otherwise. It gives people an idea of who you are and what you're about before you even meet them. 2. Reach Out and Compliment Without Asking for Anything When someone you admire engages with your post, message them and thank them. Then talk to them like a person. Without asking for anything. That's it. If they want to engage further, they will! 3. Show You’re Teachable Once someone gives you advice, act on it. Listen, say thank you, and follow up with what you did based on their guidance. People LOVE sharing what they've learned. They love hearing that what they taught you worked even more. I have SO much more to learn. And a long career in climate tech ahead of me. I can't wait to see who else I get to meet and learn from 😁

🚨 “𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿… 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗮𝘀.” That’s what a 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿 told us after getting laid off. 10+ years in tech. DevOps. SRE. AWS-certified. Built systems But even with all that experience... He hit a wall.  He said:   👉🏾 “I’m used to pushing myself. But this time, I couldn’t see the road. I didn’t need more motivation. I needed direction.” Let me keep it 💯 with you... 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗼.   Anyone would, especially after a layoff. Why?   Because nobody teaches us how to 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, only how to grind harder.   That’s a setup for burnout. Here’s what he 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 needed: ✅ A clear, structured learning path (because he needed to add a few skills)   ✅ Real-world projects to PROVE his value   ✅ A coach to help him build 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆... 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 ✅ A hiring game plan aligned with his 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 His goal?   👉🏾 Land a DevOps/SRE leadership role   👉🏾 While raising two kids   👉🏾 Building a consulting biz   👉🏾 And STILL making time for family 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 🟢 You just need to realign with whats happening in the industry! 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿.   The gas? That’s strategy, and once you have that, then you can take the action you need. So... If you’ve been sitting in neutral.  it’s time to fuel up and hit that damn gas. Level Up!

If your one-on-ones are primarily status updates, you're missing a massive opportunity to build trust, develop talent, and drive real results. After working with countless leadership teams across industries, I've found that the most effective managers approach 1:1s with a fundamentally different mindset... They see these meetings as investments in people, not project tracking sessions. Great 1:1s focus on these three elements: 1. Support: Create space for authentic conversations about challenges, both professional and personal. When people feel safe discussing real obstacles, you can actually help remove them. Questions to try: "What's currently making your job harder than it needs to be?" "Where could you use more support from me?" 2. Growth: Use 1:1s to understand aspirations and build development paths. People who see a future with your team invest more deeply in the present. Questions to explore: "What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?" "What parts of your role energize you most?" 3. Alignment: Help team members connect their daily work to larger purpose and meaning. People work harder when they understand the "why" behind tasks. Questions that create alignment: "How clear is the connection between your work and our team's priorities?" "What part of our mission resonates most with you personally?" By focusing less on immediate work outputs and more on the human doing the work, you'll actually see better performance, retention, and results. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #leadershipdevelopment #teammanagement

Nothing impacts leadership success more than how you start. Here's my Week 1 Playbook for New Managers: There are many reasons more managers fail than succeed. And those mistakes often start in week 1. Study and bookmark this playbook. It'll help you skip my mistakes. And the ones I've seen hundreds of managers make. 5 COMMON NEW MANAGER MISTAKES ❌ Racing to prove value • Rushing changes to show impact • Undermining emerging trust ❌ Skipping 1:1 connections • Relying on group meetings • Missing crucial context ❌ Leading with authority • Flexing positional power • Creating resistance ❌ Focusing on tasks • Diving into operational details • Missing subtle team dynamics ❌ Promising quick fixes • Making commitments without context • Setting impossible expectations 5 WISE NEW MANAGER MOVES: ✅ Study before stepping in • Review metrics, plans, org charts • Enter conversations prepared ✅ Lead with vulnerability • Share past failures openly • Build psychological safety ✅ Invest in relationships • Meet everyone individually • Learn names + personal details ✅ Gather intelligence • Ask powerful questions • Listen more than talk ✅ Communicate constantly • Share insights and questions • Keep team in the transparency loop The biggest surprise in Week 1: You're leading from behind. • Be respectful. • Be curious. • Be you. And you'll be rewarded with trust and momentum in Week 2. PS - Even if you're not a new manager, most of this playbook can be used to reset with a struggling team. Fresh eyes = A fresh start. If this was helpful: ♻️ Please repost to help other leaders start strong ✅ Follow Dave Kline for more practical management insights.

Here’s something I’ve never shied away from: Asking tough questions. I’m in talks with executives all the time, but I’ve never let their stature intimidate me. My selection process goes beyond the resume resumes and references. It's about understanding the deeper layers of a candidate, and learning about their motivations, values, and the experiences that shaped them. I grew up with the Oprah show on daily. I’ve admired how she masterfully uncovers the true face of her guests through tough, yet thoughtful questions. I aspire to use similar techniques to get to the heart of a candidate’s story during interviews. Here’s the thing, asking tough questions isn't about grilling someone, it's about creating a space where honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability can come through. Now, no two interviews are the same. Which is why it’s important to dive deeper into the story to uncover various aspects. Here’s how you can frame these tough questions as per each candidate: 1/ Ask About Their Vulnerabilities Asking questions that allows candidates to reflect on their struggles, resilience, and growth is an integral part of the process. An example: What’s the biggest failure that you’ve experienced, and how did it shape your approach moving forward? 2/ Discover Their ‘Why’ Understanding why someone does what they do helps reveal the candidate’s core values and motivations, and gives insights that can help in determining if their personal goals align with your company’s mission. An example: Can you mention a transformative personal story, and how it influenced your professional decisions in the past? 3/ Encourage Honest Self-Reflection There must be questions that allow the candidate to introspect about their career, as the answers highlight how they handle self-reflection, growth, and change—key traits in today’s rapidly evolving business environment. An example: How do you assess your own growth and progress in your career? 4/ Get Personal Within Reason Without crossing professional boundaries, asking personal questions can give you a window into how candidates think and prioritise in life. This approach can shed light on the values they bring into the workplace and how they lead others. An example: Are there any life experiences that you believe have prepared you for this leadership role? Can you elaborate on one? Trust me, these questions will save you a lot of headache in the future. Thank me later! #Interview #Hiring #HeadHunting

"I want to advance at work, but my manager says the budget is maxed out this year." During our quarterly coffee check-in, my mentee expressed frustration about the unclear career growth paths within their team. They are eager to mentor and coach others at work to develop their skills and explore their potential as a people manager. However, I highlighted that being promoted to a people manager role is not the only way to coach, mentor, and lead. Instead, here are the suggestions I shared. 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: ① Communicate openly with your manager. Make your aspirations known. Suggest projects you can lead. If not known, they won’t be considered. ② Volunteer to shadow and support. Assist during new projects or knowledge onboarding, using your expertise to guide others. ③ Share knowledge openly. Organize workshops or lunch-and-learns for teammates or stakeholders. Teaching and presenting publicly enhances leadership skills like influence without authority, storytelling, and organizational savviness, and builds valuable relationships. ④ Join or lead mentorship programs. Whether through ERGs or other groups, mentoring helps you grow as you guide others. 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: ① Connect and offer help. Reach out to less experienced peers or junior colleagues. Learn about their journeys and offer support—whether encouragement or tactical guidance—via platforms like LinkedIn or at professional events. ② Volunteer within professional communities. Annually, I mentor for Data Science Association that I co-founded and Break Through Tech AI for women and underrepresented students in STEM, inspiring and supporting their career start. ③ Ask your mentors. Share your aspirations with mentors who might connect you with groups needing guidance. This showcases your proactiveness and growth mindset. Career growth as a people manager is not limited to the title nor budget constraints. There are many ways to develop your leadership skills. While you explore other routes, you are also accumulating the credentials, the skills, and the experiences needed when the budget is ready or when another company is ready for you 😎 If you’re looking to develop leadership skills and become an effective people manager, reach out to discuss how my 1:1 coaching and career advice could help! ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ 🙋🏻♀️ Hi, I'm Nina Tseng, a Career Consultant & Life Coach. After 13 years in data and analytics & 6 years as a people and community leader, I now empower mid-career professionals to build a career and life they are excited about and proud of. 👭 Together, we will clarify your values and strengths, identify limiting beliefs and unhelpful habits, develop a personalized roadmap, and acquire new tools and mindsets for a life that brings you peace and ease.

Finding good mentors changed my life. If you’re looking to find mentors, here are 3 ideas & resources that help you do it. Context: I’ve had different mentors during different phases of my life. As a student at Columbia University, it was mainly my seniors. As a Product Manager at Salesforce, it was Senior PMs. Since quitting my job, it’s been a mix of people, such as founders, authors, and more. I can positively say that I wouldn’t be where I am without all this mentorship. Here are 3 resources if you are a student, founder or a tech professional: ✅ Websites that help you find a mentor [FREE] Websites like adplist.org, The Mentoring Club, and SCORE Mentors are proof that humanity still exists. These websites help you get matched with a mentor who is giving their time for free to help someone out. Start from here. Go browse the websites, use filters to find a targeted mentor, and show up prepared for the call. (Just adplist.org has over 25,000 experts on it!) ✅ Websites that you help find a mentor [PAID] While you can start with free mentoring websites, don’t discount paid ones, especially if you need ongoing mentorship for a job search. Here are some useful PAID mentor-finding platforms: - MentorCruise: Best for people in tech & engineering - Preplaced: Similar to MentorCruise, but for folks in India. - MentorPass: Best for startup founders and small business owners. - Interview Kickstart: Best for folks actively searching for a job in big tech ✅ Use what you already have, better Honestly, if you learn to use LinkedIn better, that’s a great starting point. Follow and support people on LinkedIn you admire — and reach out with a compelling request. Instead of starting with, “Can you be my mentor?”, start with, “I love what you’re doing, and am a huge supporter. How can I help? Here are my skillsets <LIST SKILLSETS>.” And wait. Once you show people that you are a valuable connection in their life, they’ll have little reason to say “no” to spending more time with you. … Mentorship, in the end, is a two-way street. To find a great mentor, you need to learn to be an exceptional mentee. As Rajesh Setty wrote once, “To find your Michelangelo, be ready to be a David first." Please re-share this post so it helps more people! 🙏 Finally, if you’re an immigrant in America, join 11000+ who get my weekly newsletter packed with breaking news & free resources like this: https://lnkd.in/gXzfuj74 :) #unshackled #students #education #startup #career #freeresources

Is your goal to find a mentor this year? 76% of people think mentors are important. But there’s a problem… Only 37% of professionals have a mentor per Forbes. ⚡️“Talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not." - Leslie Cornfeld ⚡️ The right mentoring relationship can boost your career success, lead to opportunities, promotions, and more! I’m grateful for all my mentors who helped me develop the right skills, mindset, and experience over the years, and I’m committed to paying it forward. I get this question a lot: “How do I find a mentor?” Here are a few tips: ➡️ 1. Clarify your goals and mentorship needs ▪ What do you want to accomplish in the short-term or long-term? Is it to learn new skills? Broadening your network for opportunities? SMART goals help you identify the right mentor. They also help determine if you need a mentor or a sponsor. ➡️ 2. List people who you admire ▪ Do your research and create a list of more senior people in your field whose journey you can learn from. Explore your alumni network, professional organizations, or conferences. Prioritize those who are skilled at teaching, training, and foster growth. ➡️ 3. Consider a digital mentor ▪ Review your existing professional network but also consider people with a digital presence who you can learn from. Technology has made it possible to learn from afar with the democratization of knowledge and information. ➡️ 4. Communicate your interest ▪ Start with what you like about the person's work, especially if you've never met. Do your research to be specific and make a good impression. Share your goals and how you can learn from them. Do not start with an ask. ➡️ 5. Build the relationship and support ▪ How can you promote and support the person’s efforts? Can you use your skills to contribute to something they’re working on? Find ways to proactively further their goals as you get to know them. ➡️ 6. Demonstrate your value ▪ Create touchpoints to add value to the person and share the value you’re adding elsewhere. Share the actions you’re taking against your goals, your accomplishments, and positive feedback you receive. Give the person a reason to want to support you, without even having to ask for mentorship. People like to support others who are motivated, proactive and have potential. ➡️ 7. Set realistic expectations ▪ Mentoring is an option and not an obligation. As you share your interest in having the person as a mentor, recognize that they may not have bandwidth to take initial meetings or commit to ongoing mentorship. Be respectful of their time and always thank them for considering. What would you add? How did you find your mentor? If you’re seeking one, what steps are you taking? If you're a mentor, what tips would you share with mentees? #mentoring #mentorship #career #leadership #careeradvice

When I was a leader, there was a time that I thought that improving my coaching skills meant giving better advice and moving quickly to solutions 😅. I was wrong. The first thing they teach in coaching certification is this: Coaches don't give advice. Instead, we believe that the coachee is the best person to solve their own problems as it helps them take ownership, builds creativity and fosters resilience. When I see leaders made this coaching mindset transformation, too, they get better growth, creativity and results in their teams. Here are three shifts you can make to improve your coaching skills as a leader: ➡️ SHIFT 1: Transform from hearing to intuitive listening. Intuitive listening is hearing a person fully beyond their words at face value. It is that little jolt, nudge or zinger you feel inside when you sense something is off, not lining up or maybe information is being withheld. You can ask questions like: ❔"I have a hunch there might be a deeper worry here, but tell me otherwise?" ❔“How long has this been a concern for you? Why is that?" ➡️ SHIFT 2: Move from problem solving to problem identifying. So much “coaching” is fruitless because leaders are too quick with advice or getting into action that we solve the wrong problem. Here are questions to help you get to the root of the issue so you solve the RIGHT problem. You can ask questions like: ❔“Why would it be so bad if XYZ happened?” (Points you towards the worry or belief holding them back) ❔“If you could make XYZ happen, what are you hoping that helps you avoid?” ➡️ SHIFT 3: Shift from telling to asking. Once the problem has been identified, it can be so tempting to unleash all of the brilliant advice that you've been holding back ;) However, great coaches know that asking the client/coachee how THEY'D solve the problem leads to better creativity, results and ownership. You can ask questions like: ❔What's been your current approach to solving this? ❔What else could you try? ❔What worked when solving another similar challenge? ❔How could this be happening FOR you? TRY THIS NEXT: In your next coaching conversation, ask one more question that you normally would before jumping into action. What coaching strategies have you tried to help you ask better questions and refrain from jumping in to solve the problem?