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Film-style poster for the Wish, Obstacle, Plan for Mentors presentation

A guide for mentors: Wish, Obstacle, Plan for Mentors

How to send Wish, Obstacle, Plan, read the obstacle and try one plan this week.

English

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What this guide covers

What it is

A wish, an obstacle, a plan

Your mentee names a wish, the best outcome, the inner obstacle, and if-then plans.

When to send it

Send it when a goal keeps slipping

It fits a goal that matters but keeps getting put off.

  • Put off again the same goal, every week
  • A first goal to set one that holds
  • Before a push an exam, a launch, a habit

An honest frame

A modest effect, larger one to one

The effect is small to moderate, and larger when it is done one to one.

21 studies in one review: small to moderate effects, larger one to one Wang and others, 2021

Sending it

Send it from your pairing

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

Open your pairing

Choose Assign a tool and find Wish, Obstacle, Plan.

Try it as your mentee

Write one if-then plan yourself; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Open your pairing

Choose Assign a tool and find Wish, Obstacle, Plan.

Try it as your mentee

Write one if-then plan yourself; nothing is saved or sent.

Add a short message

Your mentee sees it on their home page and Tools.

Reading the answers

Read the obstacle first

Check the obstacle is inside them: a habit, a feeling or a thought.

  • The obstacle inside, not other people
  • Feasibility under 5 suggests a smaller wish
  • If-then plans at least one, up to five

Questions to ask

Ask when the obstacle shows up

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

  • When is the obstacle most likely to show up? then: what happens just before?
  • Is the “then” part small enough to do on the spot? then: what is the first move?
  • Which plan will you try first this week? then: how will you know it worked?

Feedback that helps

Do not solve the obstacle for them

Ask how they would handle it before you share how you would.

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

One step

One if-then plan, tried this week

Pick the plan they will try first and agree when to check in.

94 Tests found that if-then plans help people reach their goals Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006

After the meeting

Keep it all on Mentornity

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

Read it at a glance

If-then plans are counted, and low feasibility is flagged.

Add next steps

Write what will be done, by whom and by when.

Ask to fill it again

Ask to fill it again; earlier answers stay for comparison.

Read it at a glance

If-then plans are counted, and low feasibility is flagged.

Add next steps

Write what will be done, by whom and by when.

Ask to fill it again

Ask to fill it again; earlier answers stay for comparison.

Send it for the goal that slips

Choose one goal your mentee keeps putting off and send it today.

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