LDEP Manager's Guide

WATCH OUT FOR THESE TEMPTATIONS

Talking more than your participant

1. By giving advice you will miss the opportunity to have a developmental conversation.

Advice-giving (be a coach, not an expert)

2. Instead, ask effective (often open-ended) questions. 3. Exercise empathy so you understand their experience. 4. Help your participant solve problems, develop strategies and plans. 5. Empower them to fix things they aren’t happy about.

1. You may find yourself tempted to “join” by sharing your experiences in the program. Be cautious and thoughtful about doing so. Don’t shift the focus from them to you or from their experience to yours.

Joining

Avoiding giving difficult, constructive feedback

1. Remember, people rarely grow without the benefit of feedback so they can understand how others experience and are impacted by them .

1. Participants will have a norm of confidentiality that you would not want to invite them to break by talking about others. 2. It is fine for them to share anything they want about their own experience.

Asking about other participants

Multi- tasking while meeting with participant

1. Remember active listening skills: be fully present and attentive.

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