Film-style poster for the Why Elevator for Mentors presentation

Mentor / Coach Guide: Why Elevator

How to send the Why Elevator, read the answers and talk them through.

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What it is

From a goal down to its reason

Your mentee asks what the goal gives them, floor by floor, and tags each answer.

When to send it

Send it when a goal feels flat

It helps when a goal is set but the drive is missing.

  • A goal without energy set, but nothing moves
  • Someone else’s goal a parent’s, a manager’s
  • Choosing between goals which reason runs deeper

An honest frame

Own reasons keep a goal going

Goals pursued for reasons of one’s own are kept up longer (Sheldon and Elliot, 1999).

  • Their own words short answers are fine
  • No right floor the bottom is where it stops changing
  • For me or for others neither is wrong; both are worth seeing

Sending it

Send it from your matching

It takes a minute, and your mentee gets an email.

Open your matching

Choose Assign a tool and find the Why Elevator.

Try it as your mentee

Fill it in yourself first; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Open your matching

Choose Assign a tool and find the Why Elevator.

Try it as your mentee

Fill it in yourself first; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Reading the answers

Start at the bottom floor

The last answer is often the real reason; the tags show whose reason it is.

  • Bottom floor the deepest reason they reached
  • For me · for others how many floors serve others’ eyes
  • Pull how strongly the goal pulls, out of 10

Questions to ask

One question, then a follow-up

People who ask follow-up questions are liked more (Huang and others, 2017).

  • Did the bottom floor surprise you? then: what does it tell you?
  • How many floors were for you, and how many for others’ eyes? then: which ones would you keep?
  • Is there a shorter way to the bottom-floor reason than this goal? then: what would that way look like?

Feedback that helps

Talk about the answers, not the person

Feedback can backfire, so keep it on the answers and the next step.

1 in 3 In a large review, over a third of feedback effects lowered performance Kluger and DeNisi, 1996

Keeping the reason alive

A small step that feeds the reason

Look for a step that serves the bottom-floor reason, not only the goal.

  • Tied to the reason not just to the goal
  • Small done within a week
  • Ridden again when the goal changes

After the meeting

Keep the follow-up on Mentornity

The answers, your comments and the next steps stay in one place.

Read it at a glance

The bottom floor, the tags and the pull are summed up.

Add next steps

Write what happens, who does it and by when.

Ask them to fill it in again

Earlier answers are kept, so you see what changed.

Read it at a glance

The bottom floor, the tags and the pull are summed up.

Add next steps

Write what happens, who does it and by when.

Ask them to fill it in again

Earlier answers are kept, so you see what changed.

Mentornity in Claude and ChatGPT

Use Mentornity from Claude or ChatGPT

Ask in your own words; your assistant plans meetings, fills in tools and drafts messages.

Connect it once

Add Mentornity in Claude, ChatGPT or another MCP app, then sign in.

Ask in your own words

Plan meetings, fill in a tool or form, find a mentor, reply.

A preview before every change

The assistant shows what will happen; nothing changes until you say yes.

Disconnect any time

It sees only what you see; Settings shows what it did recently.

Connect it once

Add Mentornity in Claude, ChatGPT or another MCP app, then sign in.

Ask in your own words

Plan meetings, fill in a tool or form, find a mentor, reply.

A preview before every change

The assistant shows what will happen; nothing changes until you say yes.

Disconnect any time

It sees only what you see; Settings shows what it did recently.

Your goals and the Academy

Set goals, learn, earn a badge

Track your goals in My development and learn in Mentornity Academy, in your language.

Set your goals

Write what you want to reach and rate it at each check-in.

Badge courses for mentors

Seven skills with short practice, then a 20-question exam.

Guides for mentors and mentees

Research-based guides, a deck for every tool, and decks for your program.

Add your badge to LinkedIn

Pass the exam and share the badge page, valid for two years.

Set your goals

Write what you want to reach and rate it at each check-in.

Badge courses for mentors

Seven skills with short practice, then a 20-question exam.

Guides for mentors and mentees

Research-based guides, a deck for every tool, and decks for your program.

Add your badge to LinkedIn

Pass the exam and share the badge page, valid for two years.

Send it when a goal feels heavy

Pick a mentee whose goal lacks energy and send it this week.