How to teach without breaking down – the story of Andriy Levytsky’s mentoring
Andriy Levytsky works as a storekeeper at a regional warehouse in Lviv and in 2025 became one of the best TWI mentors. But if you watch his work, it becomes clear: for Andriy, mentoring is not a role or status. It is a way to be there when a person is difficult, new, and a little scary.
“A mentor is someone who shows by example and helps a person reach the point where they can confidently work on their own,” he says.
Andriy remembers well what a person feels in the first days in a new place. That is why he never starts with demands or remarks. First, contact. A few words, a smile, a simple question. “When you approach normally, in a human way, a person relaxes. And when they are not afraid, then they start thinking,” Andriy explains.
There are no sudden movements in his approach. He listens carefully to how the employee explains his work, how he sees the process, where he feels it is difficult. Even if a person has been working for a long time and formally should know everything, Andriy does not exclude that over time something could have lost its logic. “I ask you to simply tell me how you do it. Not in terms, but in your own words. And then it becomes clear where exactly everything went wrong,” he shares.
The changes that he notices in employees after training are not always measured in numbers. It is a different perspective, a different tone of voice, a willingness to explain and take responsibility. Often, those who were once helped themselves begin to support newcomers. For Andriy, this is one of the best indicators that he is doing everything right.
He was also actively involved in updating TWI approaches. Andriy is convinced that training should be clear and lively. “A person should look and immediately understand what to do. If they are interested, they will learn,” he says. That is why he likes the ideas of short explanations, videos, real examples from work, and not formal schemes.
When Andriy is asked what motivates him to remain a mentor, he talks about development. “Every new person is a new experience. You are constantly learning,” he admits. A special feeling arises when you see the result — confident people who are not lost and know what they are doing.
Outside of work, Andriy reads a lot, draws, listens to music, and walks. Books for him are a way to collect other people's experience and better understand himself. He reads fiction, books on psychology, leadership, business, and recently — even comics. “You can find something useful in any story if you look carefully,” he says.
Among his favorite books, Andriy names “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill — as a reminder of the power of thinking, consistency, and responsibility for one’s own decisions. He applies these same principles to his work with people every day—calmly, without pressure, helping them become more confident step by step. That's why he was recognized as one of the best mentors.