Working with a supporter is something that is unique to New Heroes. It is a person that you yourself have chosen, someone whom you trust and invite to guide you on your learning journey. Depending on the theme of your learning journey, you can choose your best friend, a family member or a colleague or supervisor - or all of them. Because we know that changing behavior can sometimes be very difficult all on your own. A supporter can also act as a mirror, showing you things about yourself that you do well and things that you need to work on.

You will be surprised to know what others can perceive of you. More often than not, other people notice things that you yourself are not even aware of. A supporter can help with your personal development by:

• Giving you more insight into yourself
• Supporting you throughout your learning journey
• Quietly motivating you with their knowledge of your goals

Would you like to be supported and inspired by different people? Well then, invite more than one supporter.

Your invitation to a supporter says: “I trust you and I value your opinion”. And who doesn’t like hearing that? Supporters see it as a compliment when you ask them. And your supporter is free to determine the amount of time they invest in you and your learning journey. 

Don’t panic! Your supporter received a single invitation via email to give feedback. It may be that he or she has not seen the email yet, or has simply forgotten. Feel free to ask if they have read the email. In the meantime you can continue with your learning journey, even without a response from them.

Choosing a good supporter can be challenging. Use these tricks to help you.

Write down the names of a number of people. Think out of the box. Also, there is no need for your supporter to be a member of New Heroes. Think about: 

• your partner
• a friend
• your father or mother
• your brother or sister
• your supervisor
• an acquaintance
• a colleague
• a new contact, for example a LinkedIn contact.

Now answer the following questions and then cross off the names on your list that do not meet your requirements for a supporter.

1. Do I want someone who knows me well?
2. Do I want someone who is knowledgeable about this topic?
3. Do I want someone who feels the same way as I do about this topic?
4. Do I want someone who will encourage me?
5. Do I want someone who can be objective?

And voila! You have found the right person. Do you have more than one name left on your list? No problem, because now you can invite more than one supporter.

Have you crossed off all the names on your list? Then consider a professional coach. New Heroes has them ready and waiting for you to support you. 

A supporter can only see the section for which you have invited them. He or she has no access to the rest of your learning journey. That means that all the other sections remain private. For clarity, we will explain the process below:

1. Fill in the name and email address of the person you want to invite as supporter
2. Personalize your invitation and click on ‘send’
3. The supporter will receive an email with your invitation
4. While you await a response, you can continue with your learning journey
5. The supporter views the section for which you have invited him or her. In learning goals, tasks, video assignments or video response trainings, the supporter will be able to see your answers. For the questionnaires supporters will be asked to fill in statements that relate to you, but will not be able to see how you yourself answered the questionnaire
6. The supporter gives his or her input
7. You will receive an email the moment that your supporter has provided his or her response.

• For the entire journey. As a motivator or reminder of your goals when you are feeling less than enthusiastic.
• For sharing your learning goal with someone else. That will help increase your chances of reaching your goal.
• For a task. The supporter can give you feedback about your task or you can ask him or her to also participate in the task.
• For a video task or video response training. He or she can provide feedback on your video recording.
• For a questionnaire. You can see yourself through the eyes of others. Use the total scores of your supporter’s questionnaire to compare with your own scores.