How to rescue a person from “drowning at work” – A Mentor’s Guide

Times have changed. We only need to look at Social Media to understand how it has become all consuming. Do we even know how to take a break these days? How much chocolate, energy drinks etc., do we need to keep going?

The fact is life has become hectic to say the least, and the bottom line is, we are all overloaded in one way or another.

So, how can you help others to manage their workload and at the same time find strategies that will lighten the load for yourself?

As a person’s mentor, you have the ability to guide them through the process, that will allow them to take control over their own lives. It is not about telling them what to do, but rather assisting them through a process of questioning that is relevant to their situation.

This will clearly help them to define the problem areas and find the solutions for themselves. Once the person understands what they need to do, then it is all about implementing those strategies. You, as their mentor, can hold them accountable to follow through.

Here are some questions you can ask that will assist you through the process:

1. Are there tasks that you are doing right now that you could stop doing? This question is to clarify for the person the differences between what is mission-critical and what seems important, but really isn’t. Helping a person to prioritize tasks or to re-evaluate if some of these can be eliminated, will prevent them from becoming stressed and overwhelmed.

2. Are you doing stuff that has become redundant?

Sometimes we may be working on a project that seemed important at the time, but has now become obsolete. Alerting a person to this, may help them to comprehend the importance of having interim deadlines and scheduling progress meetings. This will also help them to stay up to date with their work.

3. Are you an organized person?

This question helps you to understand if their behaviour is the issue or if they just need help with planning. It seems that to stay on top of things, we need to become extremely well organized. I have found that the more I schedule in my diary and plan ahead, the less stressed I become. Don’t get me wrong, I much prefer to be spontaneous, but when time is poor, you really need to program everything into your diary, including things in your personal life.

4. Are there other people that can do some of the work for you?

This question will determine if the person can let go, by passing on work to others and being good at delegation. It may also establish how great they could be as a leader. If you take this a step further and explore what the person absolutely loves doing, what they don’t mind doing, what they are good at and what they hate doing; you will then be able to explore options for delegating, especially the things they hate. We sometimes think we need to do everything ourselves, but having the right resources, supports and training in place, can really help. Speaking to the right people, asking for help or networking, can provide the person with the relevant resources.

5. Are you doing repetitive tasks?

This is a great question. You see, most people are repeating tasks over again and again. The way round this is to put a system in place. You can help the person to formulate systems for the tasks that are repetitive. This could be anything from developing standard documents to creating blueprints or even producing videos. You can help the person to discover alternative strategies to create systems that will free up their time, and allow them to do the really important things.

6. Could you improve your time management?

It seems we can all waste time. The average person in the U.S spends 20 – 60 minutes a day on Facebook alone and 28% of the workweek reading or responding to emails. This is estimated at 6.3 hours a day. Now that is a lot of time that is being wasted. You may be able to give the person some tips and strategies as to how and when to tackle some of these tasks and improve their time management. By helping them to find solutions themselves, they will have a much better chance of implementing them.

7. When are you most productive and what does this look like?

We all work differently. Some of us are more focused in the morning, whilst others are better in the evening. Some people can concentrate better in a quiet office, whilst others work better in noise, like an open-plan office. There is evidence to show that people get more done when they remain focused on one task at a time, rather than multi-tasking. This question will help the person to recognize what works best for them. They can then speak with their boss about options with regards to flexibility etc.

8. Are there other things you can do to relax and alleviate your stress?

This is an important question that will help them to explore a range of options that will not only be helpful to their work-life, but also for their personal wellbeing. Exercise for one, has been shown to not only alleviate stress, but it increases focus and productivity. Another good technique is meditation, taking regular short breaks etc. Working on a 30, 60 or 90-day action plan or the 5 must do items to complete in a day, can provide more focus and achieve better outcomes.

As the person’s mentor, you can help them to figure out some great strategies that will prevent them from ‘drowning at work’.

Mentors Insync makes it easy for Mentors and Mentees to connect with one another. It is flexible and will save you time. Visit mentorsinsync.com to find out more.

Igniting Passion - Tools for a Mentor

Clarity and focus helps us to achieve success, but most people are uncertain about their purpose in life. With 87% of the world’s workforce disengaged, now more than ever, they need people in their lives who can guide them towards a clear understanding of who they are, their future direction and their true purpose in life.

You, as their mentor, can provide them with the clarity they are looking for. Having a mentor who is neutral, actively listens, asks the right questions and helps mentees to find their true purpose, will help them to shift form uncertainty to certainty.

Clarity is about making decisions. Sometimes the decision is to do nothing, which is still a decision. Everyone must decide for themselves if they are willing to make changes as the saying goes: “You can take a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.” When a person is ready, and only when they are ready, will they implement the changes that are needed to make improvements to their lives.

These questions will help your mentee to discover their passion.

1. What is currently working well, is enjoyable, fulfilling, meaningful and important to you?

This is a discovery question that highlights some of the person’s current strengths, things they enjoy, find fulfilling or meaningful, and how they may be aligned to the person’s core values and beliefs. It may also help to distinguish if the person has a strong desire to make a move, or if they will remain stuck within their comfort zone.

2. What excites you?

This is a leading question that gets the person talking about the things they love doing or have a strong desire to do. It leads to an understanding of their aspirations and purpose.

3. What do you consider to be your strengths?

With this question, you can help the person to recognize their core strengths and talents. Often, we look past the things we are good at and only focus on the negatives. Knowing what the person is good at, as well as their personality strengths, can enlighten them to other options not yet considered.  It may also be the driving force to motivating them to reach their goals.

4. What do others consider to be your strengths?

A self-discovery question that helps the person to recognize their strengths from someone else’s perspective. Often, family, friends and colleagues understand us better than we understand ourselves. Having the person look at themselves objectively through someone else’s eyes, may help them to explore job roles that suit them and / or their personality type.

5. What skills do you possess that you really enjoy and love to do?

A question that helps to establish the person’s capabilities and skills. It also provides them with an alternative viewpoint, to determine if they have the right skills that match the position they seem passionate about. They may be required to gain the necessary skills to perform the role. The clarity you provide, helps them to acknowledge if they have all the right skills or not.

6. If money were no object, what would you choose to do?

I personally love this question, as it helps to define a specific area that has real meaning for the person. Without exploring this question further, you may find that the person’s choice isn’t a true passion, but rather a whim. Try to get deeper, by exploring questions that have to do with their feelings and /or meaning. It may also help to probe for the details, as this may spark a vision of their true calling in life.

7. Is fear or limiting beliefs preventing you from moving out of your comfort zone?

Fear can be a real barrier. Whether the fear is: of the unknown, financial or failure, it is something that cannot be ignored. Helping the person to face their fears and by exploring the real reasons behind them, may be the first step to them overcoming their reservations. It is important to acknowledge and not trivialize their fears.

8. What would you like to be remembered for after you die?

This strange question can determine a person’s true calling in life. It touches on the spiritual reason for their being. ‘Why’ questions in this situation, may help a person to explore the deeper reasons behind them choosing what they feel passionate about. You may need to ask the ‘Why’ question several times to get to the real reason behind their passion.

 Communication Tips!

• Just hearing the person isn’t enough. You need to be actively listening. This is about being present, listening very carefully to what the person is saying and how they say it. Listen for what isn’t being said and rephrase what they do say to show that you have heard them.

• Clarifying questions ensures that you are on the same page as them.

• Examples are: ‘When you say ……, what do you mean?’ or ‘It sounds like you’re saying ……is that correct?’ ‘Tell me more about….’, ‘I would like to know more about……'

• Open-ended questions are helpful when you are probing for more information. They usually start with ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ or ‘how’. Example: “What are you concerned about?’. However, it is important that you do not make the other person feel like they are being interrogated.

•  A summary of what you have heard, can help the person to comprehend for themselves what they are trying to say. For example: ‘Can I run through with you what you have been telling me, to confirm that I understand you correctly?’

 We hope you have found this article helpful. If you would like to find out more, please follow us on Facebook or you can subscribe to our newsletter at Mentors Insync   

Find out what causes workplace depression

Some experts don’t believe that it is your job that is making you depressed; whilst others really do get your pain.

"Work can't actually cause depression," according to Clare Miller, director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, an arm of the American Medical Association, designed to help employers deal with and strengthen employee mental health. "If someone is predisposed to actually having depression, work can be a force of good or could be harmful. But someone can't get depression simply from work. There need to be some other things going on."

According to Everyday Health, “Mental pain and suffering at work is not a small problem, though, and it does not just impact the individual. According to research released by Miller's organization in May 2013, depression is a leading cause of lost productivity in the United States, costing employers $44 billion annually.”

Although work can’t cause depression, there are a number of factors that can aggravate the circumstances and cause mental health issues.


Symptoms include the following: 

• Giving up - not trying 
• Social withdrawal
• Passivity
• Decreased effectiveness at work
• Decreased problem-solving ability
• Procrastination
• Frustration
• Low self-esteem

Some of the causes of workplace depression are:


Being in the wrong job. You may have been pushed into a career that is just not your calling. You are not passionate about your occupation and would much prefer to be doing something else.

You don’t fit in. There seems to be no alignment of culture or values with the organization.

Feeling guilty about working. You want to work and like your job, but you feel you should be spending more time with your children and family.

Strained working relationships. You don’t have the choice of who you have to work with. This could mean that you have to face some very unpleasant people, who have different personalities and work styles to yourself.

Inadequate work-life balance. Placing more time on work and less on personal relationships, social connections, hobbies and other interests, can lead to depression.

Introverted / Extroverted stresses. High expectations surrounding social inclusion or exclusion and the lack of office privacy, can increase stress and anxiety.

Financial stress. Struggling to pay the bills due to a lack of compensation, can lead to despair.

High expectations. Having to constantly perform and deliver results, adds pressure and stress, that may cause unhappiness.

Lack of guidance and support. This can leave one feeling uncertain or unsure of what to do. The lack of skills and knowledge that is required to perform, can affect one’s confidence leading to hopelessness.

No growth. A job that lacks the opportunity to grow, can foster a feeling of complacency and a lack of self-worth. This can lead to feelings of having no purpose or value and despondency.

Poor communication skills. Not being able to deliver due to poor communication from managers or the organization itself, can make people feel like that are letting the team down, which can contribute to their sadness.

Bullying. This can be a huge issue for some employees, especially if they feel like they are being bullied by their bosses or co-workers and have no one to turn to.

Blame. When certain employees are constantly targeted or blamed for mistakes, whilst others, who perform badly, are always being rewarded and recognized, then this may create low morale and disengagement.

Poor working environments. Having to work in unsafe or uncomfortable environments and not being given sufficient breaks, can lead to discontent in the workplace.


Organizations need to recognize what is going on with their employees, so they can address the issues and ultimately reduce employee depression.

Turning a blind eye to these issues, costs companies in employees’ disengagement and a lack of productivity. It is better to “treat the cause rather than the symptoms”.


Mentors Insync provides the right kind of mentoring as a solution to support employees. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website or contact us at: info@mentorsinsync.com.

Recognizing the tell-tale signs of boredom

No one feels engaged all of the time at work, but if you are bored, uninspired, unmotivated or unhappy, it’s time to take steps to improve your situation. First you have to have some insight into why you feel the way you do. 

Kelsey Manning of Levo League refers to a 2012 paper written by Psychologist John Eastwood, where he tries to pin down a definition of boredom within the scientific community. “The Unengaged Mind: Defining Boredom in Terms of Attention.” Kelsey states the following; “Eastwood hypothesized that boredom is more than the common refrain, “I have nothing to do!” Someone who is bored wants to have something to do and wants to feel engaged—but isn’t. He defined boredom as, “The aversive experience of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity.” What’s satisfying, of course, will vary from person to person, and so too the nature of boredom itself will vary.”

Boredom can be a sign of real unhappiness and even depression. You may need to understand how this could be affecting you and your entire life.

If what you are experiencing is damaging your friendships, romantic relationships or leaving you unmotivated to do anything, even over a weekend, and if these feelings are flowing over into your personal life, you may need to seek some professional help.

It is also important that employers try to gauge what is happening with their employees, so they too can take action by showing some interest and care before it is too late.


Understanding the differences between boredom and unhappiness.

• Most often, boredom stems from not being challenged enough, whereas unhappiness can stem from a number of other areas such as, a toxic work environment, one’s own insecurities or even the fear of rejection or criticism.
• You may be experiencing bordom if you can’t wait to leave each day. Avoiding getting up in the morning or not wanting the weekend to end, are true signs of feeling disengaged; whereas true unhappiness may have you waking in the night with anxiety or work-related nightmares.
• Not being challenged in the workplace can lead to boredom, which can develop into feelings of unhappiness. Having a ton of work that isn’t challenging, or not being able to grow and develop in your current position, are typical situations where people find themselves feeling bored.

So, what can be done to improve the situation?

1. The first thing is to stop being negative and face reality. Blaming yourself or others for what you are experiencing, will not bring you any closer to understanding the real reason behind your unhappiness. Rather, try to determine exactly what is making you unhappy. Is it boredom, the lack of work-life balance, not utilizing your skills or being surrounded by toxic coworkers? 
2. Look inwardly and take action. Knowing what you know, it is important that you do something to change the situation. This can be anything from realizing what you need to do to motivate oneself, talking to your boss, looking for ways to engage in new projects or making a list of the things that you are good at and what is good about your job. It is important to understand the difference between the job being boring, and you allowing yourself to become bored? You also need to try and figure out what it is you would really like to be doing and how to make it happen.
3. Having a mentor as a sounding-board, may provide you with the guidance you need. They may help you work out what the issues are and what to do about them. 
4. Set specific goals. Writing down some specific goals can motivate you to take action. Having a mentor or accountability buddy, will give you a much better chance of achieving these goals. If you have a good relationship with a coworker or boss, they too can hold you accountable. It is important to reflect on your progress and re-evaluate your situation on a regular basis.
5. If the job is no longer right for you, move on. If you have tried to implement positive changes to re-engage or solve the problem of your boredom or unhappiness, with little or no success, then it may be time to move on. If you have come to realize that you no longer like what you are doing, then it is important for your health and wellbeing, that you consider looking for something else.

Mentors Insync provides the right kind of mentoring as a solution to support employees. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website or contact us at: info@mentorsinsync.com.

How to achieve a healthy work-life balance

Do you feel like you never see your friends and family? Are you constantly taking care of business; working overtime, spending long hours in the workplace or being glued to your inbox after you get home? If so, you seriously need to reassess your life and consider what is needed to make it more balanced.

In today’s age, it is really difficult to achieve any form of balance in life. So why is this? Well, it seems that as the years go by, life becomes faster and faster. Computers, the internet and new gadgets have all provided us with the means to do things quicker, and the quicker we work, the more we try to cram into our day.

We seldom stop to smell the roses or get off the treadmill. We just keep going as if we are machines that cannot stop.

Studies have found that a bad work-life balance can lead to an unhappy, sad and even lonely life. It can affect relationships, family life and one’s own health.

So how do we create a healthy work-life balance?

Creating life balance within the workplace may be more complexed than one thinks. It needs to be addressed as part of a company’s overall implementation strategy and adopted as part of an organization’s culture.

Managing Work Life Balance says: "Flexibility, in where, when and how work is undertaken, is a priority for most employees at different times in their careers. If employers are to attract and retain staff, they need to offer and support flexibility at their workplace".

Here are a few ideas that both employees and organizations need to consider:

1. STOP and reflect. You need to take the time to think and assess what you are looking for when you think of a balanced lifestyle. Everyone is different and what this will mean for one person will be different to that of another.
2. Share your thoughts with your organization. If they do not understand what you are looking for, then they will not be able to accommodate your needs.
3. Organizations need to create a flexible and responsive corporate culture. Employers and employees need to develop a collaborative relationship that will deliver on the needs of both staff and employers. Where there is a need and want for workplace flexibility, it is important that staff members feel that they are being supported. This can result in increased morale and motivation. If action is taken and a strategy is implemented, it is likely to deliver positive results for all concerned.
4. Flexible work arrangements are key to attracting and retaining employees.This isn’t easy to implement, especially in large organizations, however I have been told that if planned and implemented correctly, the benefits are significant.
5. Understanding your employees’ childcare and eldercare responsibilities. Managing work and the needs of children or the elderly can be extremely stressful. Being flexible and supportive of those that have to care for others, can pay off in the long run.
6. Being flexible around work hours. Some employees may have increased travel times to get to work; whilst others may work better when they start and finish later.
7. Being flexible when it comes to the delivery of management and other staff training programs. This could include webinars, flexible mentoring programs or e-learning modules.
8. All roles being flexible. A new concept that has been implemented by organizations such as Telstra, ANZ Bank, and the ASX. It is something that needs to be supported by CEO’s, as this approach demands a massive shift in corporate culture, behaviour and attitudes. Managers and leaders also need to change their values and beliefs with regards to flexible working, and they need to be educated and supported whilst adopting this concept.
9. Ongoing communication. It is important that staff members are taken seriously and that organizations keep them in the loop, about what is available and what is being considered when it comes to flexible work arrangements.Evaluate along the way. With any new strategy, etc., it is important that you continue to assess and evaluate the success of the program being implemented. It is also important to continue evaluating your employees needs as they change. This is why open communication is so important.

Mentors Insync provides the right kind of mentoring as a solution to support employees. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website or contact us at: info@mentorsinsync.com.