Mentoring

Mentoring Is Critical For Both Personal & Professional Development

Mentoring services are available for those who prefer a less structured, more self-directed process to enhance their performance. Clients include small business owners, mid-level managers, entrepreneurs, and retirees who wish to start their own businesses. Here are some sample mentoring objectives:

• Identification of a value proposition for a new business
• Development of an effective marketing plan
• Increased revenue
• Enhanced leadership or other skills
• More effectively prioritize tasks or goals

Participants in the mentor program have access to expert advice and feedback on an as-needed, unlimited basis by phone or e-mail during a six-month period. Members are responsible for contacting me for guidance and discussion. I return calls the same day within regular business hours (usually 90 minutes) and respond to e-mail messages the same.

Mentors are people “with experience you’re looking to gain.” Your mentors should be able to share their knowledge with you, either one on one or through the examples and information in their public work or writings. Seek a mentor who can guide you, perhaps a boss, a teacher, a relative or a friend.

“In most cases, people get stuck trying to complete the entire project instead of working on subprojects that – when completed – could get them closer to the finish line.”

Experienced mentors can help you build momentum and can assist you in three main ways:

• “Mentors help you build resilience” – They can share stories about how they or others overcame the obstacles you now confront. Such stories will help you gain a more objective perspective about the challenges you face.
• “Mentors can give you productivity and workplace performance ideas” – They have an independent perspective that can help you see your goal in different, innovative ways.
• “Mentors help you find smarter people” – A mentor helps you meet leaders who can assist you in pursuit of your project or objective.

Mentoring is a relationship between two colleagues, in which the more experienced colleague uses their greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of the less experienced colleague. A mentor can perhaps help an individual if they would value input from someone more senior or experienced in a particular field – for example, project management, leadership or finance.

Many organizations use mentoring when people step up to more senior leadership roles for the first time, or perhaps where they move from project to program management and need to quickly assimilate the different skills and ways of working needed to perform effectively in the new role.