Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can’t Afford to Miss by David Cottrell

Leadership is a vital part of any workplace environment, and Monday morning is the perfect time to assess your leadership skills and set a positive tone for the week ahead. In his book Monday Morning Leadership, David Cottrell offers leaders and aspiring leaders practical advice on how to use each Monday morning as an opportunity to refresh and focus their workforce. In this book, he details 8 mentoring sessions which give readers a 360-degree overview of leadership topics such as target setting, accountability, communication, and problem solving.

The first mentoring session Cottrell describes is “Set Clear Goals and Objectives”. Obtaining clear and tangible goals is crucial for any team, and a leader needs to be able to clearly define the goals and how to achieve them. They also need to be able to motivate others and be a role model for high standards of performance. Furthermore, leaders must create a positive environment and be a source of mentorship, guidance and support.

The second mentoring session outlined by Cottrell is “Creating Accountability”, which entails monitoring the progress of team members and holding them to the expectations and standards set by the leader. It also requires setting deadlines to ensure tasks and projects are completed in a timely manner. By holding team members accountable, leaders can ensure their department and business are moving in the right direction.

Cottrell’s third mentoring session discusses “Leading with Communication”, and emphasizes that communication must be timely, concise and relevant in order to be effective. Leaders must be aware of how team members view and interpret communications, should keep the lines of communication open, and remain professional and courteous. Other communication topics discussed include active listening, verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as clarify.

The fourth session outlined by Cottrell is “Problem Solving”. He stresses the importance of problem solving skills in order to make sense of any situation and take decisive action. Leaders must be able to recognize a problem quickly and accurately, craft creative solutions, and commit to those solutions. Furthermore, they must identify the best time and place to discuss a problem, and be able to assess the consequences of their solutions.

The fifth mentoring session emphasizes “Process Improvement”. Leaders must strive to be better performers by improving their processes. To do so, they must examine the current process, ensure accuracy, eliminate redundancies and eliminate any unnecessary costs involved. Furthermore, leaders should also focus on streamlining and organizing their processes for maximum efficiency.

The sixth session discussed is “Providing Direction”, which entails clearly communicating the goals, plans and tasks to team members. Leaders must explain why certain decisions are made and the role their team members must play in order to achieve those decisions. They must also take the time to answer any questions or concerns team members may have.

The seventh session outlined by Cottrell is “Developing Team Competencies”. Leaders must work to create a team made up of people who can work well together and bring a variety of strengths to the table. They should be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of individual team members, and focus on further developing their competencies.

The final session discussed by Cottrell is “Creating a Positive Environment”. Leaders must ensure their environment is engaging, supportive, and promotes creativity and collaboration. It is also important that leaders set aside time for team members to bond and get to know each other. Furthermore, Cottrell also emphasizes the importance of creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and encouragement.

In conclusion, it is essential for every leader to master the topics outlined in Cottrell’s eight mentoring sessions in order to become a successful and valuable leader. By implementing the advice offered in Monday Morning Leadership, leaders will be able to set clear goals, create an atmosphere of accountability, effectively communicate, make sound decisions, and build an environment of trust and respect. As a result, the workplace will become a more productive, effective, and happy environment.