IT’S A LONELY BUSINESS AT THE TOP

How to Find a Great Business Mentor 
When you are running your own business it can be lonely at the top if you are freelancing, a sole trader or the Managing Director. Even in a partnership or with a team of staff, sometimes you may find yourself wondering who to turn to for help and support. In the early start-up days you may have been allocated a mentor. What about when they are no longer there? What do you do then?

Find a Mentor!
A word of warning first - do not let your judgement be clouded by a bad or poor experience of being mentored in the past. This is a very different ball game so please read on……

The best mentors are ones that you chose yourself. You may in the past have fallen lucky and been allocated someone who was a perfect ‘fit’ with your business needs, your personal development requirements and your character. This ‘fit’ is what you are looking for in a good mentoring relationship.

So what is a mentoring relationship, when do you need it and for how long, how do you find it, and why should you bother?

Let’s tackle ‘what is it’ first …..

A business mentoring relationship is based on regular, dedicated time for self-reflection on your business. It is an exchange between professionals, with the main goal being to facilitate the development of yourself and your business.

MENTORING IS NOT SOMEONE TELLING YOU WHAT THEY THINK YOU SHOULD DO!

Next let’s look at the ‘when’ and the ‘how long’……

·         Finding a good mentor is best done before you desperately need one;

·         Look ahead and anticipate areas of your business where you may need help and support in the
          future;

·         A mentoring relationship may be short or long term but is never a crutch.

How do you find a mentor?

·         Carefully consider who you know with the experience and skills you need, then ask them;

·         If you don’t know anyone then do some research on LinkedIn and then shop around for the
          right ‘fit’ – meet them and try them out first.

Finally ‘Why bother’ ……

·         Mentoring helps you strengthen your limitations and therefore the business – after all we can’t
          all be good at all aspects of business;

·         It offers you a sounding board when planning strategy or when there are problems that need
          resolving.

Who Should I Chose?

Chose a person for their skills, experience and because you like and trust them. I remember the first time I asked someone if they would be my mentor. Quite frankly I was terrified! Sounds silly doesn’t it? The fact is that I had been told all my life that I should never ask for anything, not even help – boy do we learn some stupid lessons from our parents, sometimes!  When I eventually plucked up the courage to ask him (it took me weeks!) I was amazed by his response. He actually expressed how flattered he was and that it should be me mentoring him – that was something I had never considered and it lead me to becoming an Executive Coach/Mentor myself.

You are in Charge

Having a mentor puts you in charge of your own learning. It is up to you to decide what learning needs you have, what you want to discuss and what you want to achieve from each mentoring session each. It is vital that you end each session with an action plan and then implement it before the next session, wherever possible. After all mentoring is about developing you and your business so action is needed to embed the learning and move you forward.

How often you meet and whether it is face to face, using video conferencing or by email is down to you to negotiate with your mentor.

So get looking and enjoy the great experience of having a mentor to help you and your business grown and develop.