Shapers

SHAPER FAQ

Q: What is my primary responsibility in the Global Shaper Directory?

Your main responsibilities are:

-        Timely Response and Guidance: provide timely responses to university students' queries, guiding them proactively, assisting in developing personalized action plans, and offering formative feedback.

-        Discussion and Questioning: Actively participate in meaningful conversations, asking questions about various aspects of their learning and entrepreneurial journey

-        Emotional and Professional Support: Recognize that students may face challenges, feel overwhelmed, or be under pressure. Provide both emotional support and professional guidance during these times. Share your own experiences and enthusiasm for mentoring

Q: What is the minimum commitment required?

The minimum commitment is 0.5 hours per month.

Q: How will students reach out to me?

A: Your contact information will be accessible to a filtered group of motivated students from major universities' entrepreneurship clubs, who will reach out on an ad-hoc basis.

Q: What are some best practices for mentoring?

Emphasize being a "learning facilitator," ask questions, share experiences cautiously, and encourage reflection and alternative approaches.

Q: What should be shared and what should not be shared?

Please kindly avoid delving into highly personal subjects and refrain from sharing your personal social media accounts (such as Instagram or Facebook) for security reasons. If you have any feedback or issues you'd like to discuss, please feel free to reach out to us at londonhubiiprojects@gmail.com.

Q: How should I structure conversations around skills development?

Focus on specific-skill based questions aligned with students' motivations for joining the project. You could also guide students in goal setting, to create SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—for clarity and achievability.

SHAPER GUIDE

I. Your Main Responsibilities as a Shaper participating in “Shaper Directory”

·        Timely Response and Guidance:

o   As a Shaper in the Global Shaper Directory, your primary responsibility is to provide timely responses to queries from university students. Be proactive in guiding students based on their goals, assisting them in developing a personalized action plan, and offering formative feedback to support their growth and reflections.

·        Discussion and Questioning:

o   Engage in meaningful conversations with your mentees. Actively discuss and ask questions regarding various aspects of their learning and entrepreneurial journey.

·        Emotional and Professional Support:

o   Recognize that students may face challenges, feel overwhelmed, or be under pressure. Provide both emotional support and professional guidance during these times. Share your own experiences and enthusiasm for mentoring.

·        Minimum commitment:

o   The minimum commitment requirement is 0.5 hours per month.

II. Facilitation Process

·        Your contact information will be accessible to a filtered group of motivated and committed students from major universities' entrepreneurship clubs. A rigorous filtering process will assess their motivation, commitment, and level of engagement. Students will reach out on an ad-hoc basis, and it is at your discretion to choose the communication format—whether chat, video call, or in-person meeting.

III. Common Challenges and Solutions as a Mentor:

·        Time and Energy:

o   Common Pitfall: Finding sufficient time.

o   Solution: Start small, manage expectations, and communicate openly about time commitments.

·        Building Trust Quickly:

o   Common Pitfall: Limited time to build trust.

o   Solution: Listen carefully, demonstrate credibility, keep promises, and maintain confidentiality.

·        Not Being the "Expert":

o   Common Pitfall: Difficulty in not having all the answers.

o   Solution: Position yourself as a learning facilitator, admit limitations, and seek help when needed.

·        Being Sensitive to Differences:

o   Common Pitfall: Assuming similarities.

o   Solution: Identify and explore both similarities and differences, fostering a learning environment.

III. Mentoring Best Practices

·        See yourself as a "learning facilitator" rather than the expert. Guide mentees to resources beyond your knowledge.

·        Prioritize asking questions over giving advice. Use probes to prompt broader thinking and reflection.

·        Share your experiences when requested, but emphasize differences and avoid solving their problems.

·        Assist in exploring alternative interpretations and approaches.

·        Boost your mentee's confidence with supportive feedback.

·        Inspire and challenge your mentee to achieve their goals.

·        Help them reflect on past successful strategies for new challenges.

·        Assess and seek feedback on your mentoring skills.

·        Enjoy the privilege of mentoring, recognizing its impact on both your mentee and yourself.

IV. Suggestive topics

●   Specific-skill based questions

○       Most students are required to have specific motivation when joining the project

○       It would be most helpful to structure the conversation around the skills they want to develop

●   Goals setting

○       It might also be helpful to guide students regarding their goal-setting process. To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be SMART:

1. Specific (simple, sensible, significant)

2. Measurable (meaningful, motivating)

3. Achievable (agreed, attainable)

4. Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based)

5. Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)