Cognitive load

- Do you have a life outside of work? Of course you do. Everybody does. You have the pressures of spending time with family and friends, cleaning your home, doing laundry, paying bills. The list goes on and on. You are not alone in feeling the heaviness of these stressors and the toll of their cognitive load. Just like you, your mentees have many pressures and stressors that are weighing heavily on them. To be an inspiring mentor, you cannot ignore this. In this video, I'll share with you some common cognitive lows you should be aware of so that you can recognize these stressors when you see them in your mentee, and in yourself. Perhaps you're already familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs. But in case you're not, here's a quick refresher. Russian-American psychologist Abraham Maslow explained that for people to tap into their passion and intrinsic motivation, certain basic needs must be met. This is often shown as a pyramid with the basic physiological needs of food, water, and shelter as the foundation of the pyramid. Think about it this way. If your mentee is worried about their living arrangements or has food insecurities, how could they effectively think about taking on stretch assignments at work? Your mentee's safety may also be impacting their cognitive load, and safety can be anything from concerns about their health, to the security they feel at their job. Pay close attention to your mentee. Do they seem distracted and overwhelmed when they're usually in full control? Do they look like they rolled out of bed when usually they appear fit for a runway? Look for stark changes in their look or behavior. If you see a change, reach out to them privately for conversation and ask them, "How are you, really," then wait patiently for a response. The next tier of the hierarchy of the needs is the feeling of belonging and wanting to be part of a group. Having friends and family nearby can make a big difference to your mentee's overall wellbeing. Consider asking them about their family whenever you meet. A simple, "Hey, how's your family doing," can be a bridge for your mentee to feel more connected. Self-esteem, confidence, and respect from others are other areas that can weigh heavily on your mentee. For early career mentees, self-esteem can be a source of vulnerability until they get a bit more experience and credibility under their belts. As their mentor, take every opportunity you can to build your mentee's confidence and praise their achievements. The pinnacle of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is self-actualization. If your mentee feels like they can do more, be more, achieve more, but are never given the opportunity to do so, this will weigh heavily on them and will be much of what they think about. As a mentor, you need to be on the lookout for opportunities for your mentee to be creative, to be a problem-solver, and to feel the core of who they are through self-actualization. So the next time you meet with your mentee, consider all of the different areas of needs they have that might not be met. Any of these needs that are lacking are cause of the discomfort, pain and cognitive load. Sometimes, all they might need is for you to listen and understand that they have a lot on their plate at the moment, but no matter what, being an inspiring mentor means that you are aware of all of your mentee's needs.