Coffee Hour: When Your Manager Competes Instead of Mentors

Work Relationships
Most people expect their manager to support growth, offer guidance, and help them succeed.

But sometimes, something shifts.

Instead of mentorship, you sense competition.

Instead of encouragement, there’s withholding, comparison, or subtle undermining.

This Coffee Hour is a reflective space for professionals who have experienced—or are beginning to notice—what happens when a manager behaves more like a rival than a mentor.

This is not a venting session and not about labeling anyone as “toxic.”

It’s about understanding the dynamic and how it quietly affects confidence, decision-making, and professional identity.

In this session, we’ll explore:

• How and why mentorship can turn into competition
• What these dynamics can trigger internally (self-doubt, over-performance, silence, or disengagement)
• What is yours to interpret—and what is not
• How awareness alone can restore clarity and agency

This Coffee Hour is intentionally reflective.

It’s designed to help you name what’s happening, without rushing to solutions—creating a strong foundation for future strategic and skills-based work.
☕ Bring a real situation (past or present).
🧠 Bring curiosity rather than conclusions.
💬 Leave with perspective.
Everything starts at **www.DrBarbaraForSuccess.com** — my hub for coffee hours, workshops, courses, community, and 1:1 or group coaching.
Join my free community at https://www.skool.com/ciccarelli-coachingconsulting-4905/about?ref=ac89acdf8c244d01b8ad65b85bb70cde