The Power of Nexting
One of my favorite things about working at TeamMates is when I talk with mentors about all the hope they are inspiring in their mentees. Hope for a successful future and a hope to accomplish their goals. When we inspire hope for the future and talk about what that looks like, we are practicing ‘nexting’ with our mentees. ‘Nexting’ is a great way to create a vision for the future and to help our mentees be excited about what that future looks like.
My mentee aspires to be a famous singer, so when we meet, we talk through what that might look like and what is motivating her to become a singer. It’s a great conversation also to talk about the steps she wants to take to get there, including becoming involved with her school choir and look at colleges that offer music education. It’s also a great conversation to motivate her into music education by pointing out the strengths that she has to help her get there.
With the end of the school year coming up, this is a great time to have ‘nexting’ conversations. You may ask your mentee, “What are you looking forward to next school year?” Or maybe, “What goals do you have for next year?” We are not only creating hope for the next school year, but it gives us a chance to support transitions they may be making and help them to set goals.
Thank you all for creating hope with your mentee!