Resource Integration - See What You Already Have

Objective

• Helping the mentor become aware of and activate resources that support growth and change.
• The technique allows for focusing on what is available here and now, instead of focusing on gaps.

Effect

• The mentee (or mentor) gains greater awareness of what they have and what supports them.
• Resources are named and organized, which strengthens the sense of empowerment.
• It is easier to move from analysis to action by utilizing what is already available.

When to use

• At the beginning of the mentoring process – to clarify your goal and motivation.
• In moments of doubt or loss of confidence in your own abilities.
• Before planning a major professional or personal change.

Duration

• Approx. 60 - 90 min
• You can also divide this process into 2 sessions.

Props / Supporting Materials

• Sheets of paper
• Post-it notes
• Colored markers or highlighters
• Online whiteboard (e.g., Miro, Mural, FigJam) – if working remotely.

How you can use it

🤝 For the mentor with the mentee

• Use this technique to empower the mentee and help them see how much they already have.
• This is a good space to talk about strengths, relationships, experiences, and resources that can be consciously used.

🌿 For the mentor (own work)

• This is an excellent tool for self-reflection. Use it to identify your own resources – Competencies, relationships, and experiences that support you in your role as a mentor.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Define the area.
   Determine what goal, topic, or decision you want to address with the exercise.
2. Prepare your workspace.
   Draw a table or divide a piece of paper/board into three columns:
   • Material resources
   • Individual resources
   • Social resources

Resources Material

• Focus on what is physically or organizationally available.

Guiding questions:

• What tools, equipment, and software do you have?
• What does your (or your mentee's) work/study space look like?
• What supports you in your daily activities (materials, systems, space, budget)?

Individual resources

• These refer to the traits, skills, attitudes, and experiences that allow you to act effectively. This covers two areas of work: questions about success and questions about activity.

Questions about success

The goal is to become aware of and identify strengths and talents, which can then be consciously used in subsequent professional or personal challenges.

• What success have you achieved? Tell me about it.
• What are you most proud of?
• What qualities, talents, or skills helped you achieve this?
• What were you thinking when you took the action?
• How did you feel when you achieved success?
• How did you benefit from this success?
• How did others benefit from it?
• How can you use this experience in the future?

Tips:

• Be very attentive to what your Mentee says – Note key elements of the story.
• Note the strengths, personality traits, and talents that emerge.
• Share your reflections as observations, not assessments.
• Ask to what extent what the mentee heard aligns with his/her perception.
• Express appreciation for the mentee's resources and courage in realizing them.

Questions about activities

The goal is to become aware of which activities naturally nourish and empower you, so that in the future you can consciously seek them out or incorporate more of them into your daily work.

• In what situations do you feel you are in your element?
• When time ceases to exist and you are fully engaged in what you are doing?
• What activities give you a sense of energy, lightness or satisfaction?
• Who do you collaborate with then? Under what circumstances does this happen?
• What makes these activities so engaging for you?
• What qualities or skills of yours are revealed then?
• How can you introduce more of these activities into your everyday professional life?

Tips:

• Note down recurring themes or words (e.g., "building," "inspiring," "connecting").
• Share your reflections with curiosity, not judgment.
• Check to what extent the mentee identifies with what they hear.
• Emphasize that what gives you energy also constitutes resource and it's worth consciously cultivating it.

Social Resources

Encourage the Mentee to complete the Social Resources Circle, i.e., the relationships they have. In the center, write "me," and then, on the following lines or circles, the people and groups with whom the Mentee has a relationship, whether closer or more distant.

me

Individual lines indicate the closeness of the relationship with a given person or group of people. These don't have to be just individuals – They can also be entire groups, e.g., clients, a project team, colleagues from another department.

Guiding questions:

• What do you notice when you look at your relationships?
• Which ones are the most supportive?
• Which ones might be missing or need strengthening?

Then invite them to reflect on giving and receiving in relationships.

Receiving:

• Who can I seek advice from in difficult situations or with demanding tasks?
• What are these situations?
• From whom can I learn?
• What can I learn?
• From whom can I receive feedback? What could it be about?

Giving:

• What kind thing can I do for the people I work with?
• How can I bring more lightness or fun to my team?
• What can I share with others?
• What can I give to others in professional relationships?

After the conversation, ask the mentee for a short summary and reflection:

• What did they notice?
• Which relationships strengthen them the most?
• Which relationships require more attention or nurturing?
• Connect resources. Encourage the mentee to look at the bigger picture and reflect.
• How can these resources support each other?
• Which of them are crucial today?
• What can you do to use them more often?

It is worth combining this technique with “Energy Balance”.

Reflection / Summary

• How did the Mentee react to discovering their resources?
• What was a discovery for him/her, and what was a confirmation?
• How was working with this tool for you – were you more structured or intuitive?
• What resources of your own were visible in this process?

Interesting fact / context

• The "Resource Integration" technique draws on the concept of "job crafting" created by Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton.
• In mentoring, it allows you to shift the focus from "what am I missing" to "what can I use now" – strengthening the sense of agency and meaningful action.

Source / study

Based on materials and own practice, as well as publications:

• Mentoring. User's Manual - Piotr Ciacek, Joanna Filipowicz
• Job Crafting. A New Method for Building Engagement and Meaning in Work - Agnieszka Łądka-Barańska, Malwina Puchalska-Kamińska