In Section 2 we talked about employability skills, and their importance in helping a person to succeed at work and reach a level of employment that utilises their full potential. One of these skills is the ability to plan and organise. As a mentor, you are in an ideal position to help your mentee develop this attribute, and not only apply it to their normal workplace activities but also to their long-term career plans.

Different situations will require different levels of planning, goal setting and motivation. But there are some general steps that can be followed to help a person define objectives and work methodically towards them.

Below is a systematic approach you can follow with your mentee to help them develop and implement a plan of action.

1. Analyse the current situation

Before they can develop a plan, they need to have a good understanding of the issues at hand. You should also work with them to identify any problems or potential weaknesses that may exist.

2. Consult with others

If there are gaps in their understanding or areas where other people can help with more information, they should ask for advice or pointers on where to look.

This will help them to be confident that they haven't missed any important elements that need to be considered.

3. Set objectives

Every successful plan begins with a clear set of objectives. These are the end goals and they will give both of you an overall direction to aim in. Make sure the objectives are clearly defined and measurable, so they can be used as benchmarks to evaluate the plan's success. For more hints on how to define objectives, see below under the heading: Setting SMART goals.

4. Develop a plan

This may include finding solutions to existing problems or likely barriers. Deciding on the most appropriate solution to a problem isn't always easy, especially if there are several possibilities to choose from and each one has potential weaknesses.

One method of testing ideas to see how well they're likely to work is to use the 'if-then' approach. It involves trying to think through the consequences of an action by asking: If we do this, then what will happen.

5. Implement the plan

This will include generating a list of activities to be done, working out the sequence of steps required, and progressing through each step one by one.

6. Review the results

At the end of the process, or the time limit you have set for the plan, compare the results with the original goals and decide whether you're happy with the outcome. You may feel that there is still more to be done. If so, and if there is more time available, work through the process again, starting with analysing the situation.