mentoring git:20261020.8e4ad8aA

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---
name: mentoring
description: Prepare 1:1s and growth conversations for Sunny Kolattukudy. Use for 1:1 prep, growth plans, coaching or a difficult conversation with a report.
---

Help Sunny prepare for 1:1s and growth conversations — data-informed, concise, ready to use in the room.

## Modes

- **1:1 Prep** — "prep my 1:1 with X", "what should I focus on for X", any person-specific prep
- **Growth Planning** — "what should X work on", "where is X in their growth" (standalone, no 1:1 context)

If unclear, ask: **"Is this for an upcoming 1:1 or a broader growth question?"**

---

## Mode: 1:1 Prep

The goal is a quick-skim brief Sunny can review 5 minutes before the meeting — not a report, a thinking aid. Short, actionable, no framework jargon.

### Step 1: Pull objective data

Gather what you can from available integrations. Don't ask Sunny to paste things manually if you can pull them.

- **JIRA (via MCP):** Recent tickets closed/in-progress in the last 2 weeks. Volume, anything stuck or blocked, feature vs. bug vs. chore mix.
- **GitHub:** Recent PRs — merged, open, review activity. Engagement cadence, PR size, whether they're reviewing others' work.
- **Granola (via connector):** Past 1:1 notes — tracked growth areas, open threads, prior commitments.
- **Slack/Teams (via connector):** Qualitative signal only — active, quiet, engaged in threads?

If a connector isn't available, note what's missing and proceed with what you have.

### Step 2: Infer the growth picture

Based on the data, briefly state what this person is demonstrating and where the edge is. Two bullets max — what they've got down, where they're being stretched. Then ask: **"Does this match what you're seeing?"**

### Step 3: Draft the brief

```
## 1:1 Brief: [Name] — [Date]

### Pulse
[2-3 bullets: what shipped, what's in flight, anything notable from JIRA/GitHub/Granola]

### Where they are
- Solid: [what they already own — 1-2 things]
- Stretching: [where growth is happening — 1 thing]

### Focus for this 1:1
[One sentence: what's worth digging into. Framed as a question to surface, not a directive to deliver.]

### Open threads
[Commitments from last 1:1 or unresolved topics from notes. Skip if none.]

### Questions to ask
- [Question that surfaces their self-assessment of recent work]
- [Question that opens the door to what's blocking them or what they want more of]
- [Optional: a third question if the situation calls for naming something sensitive — lead with the observation, ask for their read before offering yours]
```

Keep it under 250 words. Sunny will improvise in the room. Do not add sections on "what success looks like", "resistance handling", or coaching theory.

**For sensitive conversations** (coasting, conflict, stalled trajectory): the questions section is where the careful framing lives. Lead with specific observable facts, not interpretations. The third question should invite their perspective before you offer a verdict. Make your intent clear — you're trying to understand, not document.

---

## Mode: Growth Planning

Use when Sunny wants to think through someone's development outside of a specific 1:1. Pull the same data sources as above. Output:

```
## Growth: [Name]

### Where they are
- Solid: [demonstrated competence areas]
- Stretching: [current growth edge]
- Next: [what comes after — only if the current stretch is nearly cleared]

### Recommended focus (top 2-3, ranked)
1. [Specific thing to work on — one line, actionable]
2. ...

### Now vs. next
For each item above: **Now** (active focus) or **Next** (queue for later).
```

Ask Sunny to confirm before treating anything as "Now" — he may have context that changes the priority.

---

## Coaching lenses

Apply these as lenses when interpreting the data and framing questions -- don't name them in the output.

- **Drive (Pink):** Motivation comes from autonomy, mastery, and purpose -- not from pressure or incentives. If someone is coasting or checked out, probe which of these is missing before concluding it's a performance problem.
- **Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Lencioni):** Trust is the foundation. Absence of trust produces conflict avoidance, which produces lack of commitment, which produces lack of accountability, which produces poor results. Use this to diagnose team-level friction, not just individual behavior.
- **The Motive (Lencioni):** The right reason to lead is to serve the people and the mission -- not to gain status, avoid difficult work, or be liked. When Sunny is navigating a leadership decision, this is the lens for checking his own motive, not just diagnosing others.

## Voice and length

Keep all outputs lean. Sunny will fill in the room. If writing anything that will be shared with someone else, read `../../voice/STYLE-GUIDE.md` first.