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Mentoring-Keys To A Successful Business Mentoring Relationship
Today’s leader is facing challenges from every corner of the business and competitors. From other managers, staff, shareholders, customers, suppliers, and personal “life balance” issues.
Our mentoring program gives today’s business leader a three–pronged approach.
- One–on–one mentoring with one of our experienced mentors,
- Access to the global best practice management tools of Mindshop, and
- Access to “peer to peer” mentoring through our Business Advisors with “Top-Management” business experience.
Our leadership mentoring program allows business leaders and senior managers to gain access to external one-on one confidential mentoring with a highly skilled and experienced Business Advisor, as well as training in the latest management thinking, plus the ability to attend quarterly State-based meetings with other like-minded leaders and senior managers, to share experiences in a confidential environment.
An external mentor can be the “honest” mirror. The external mentor will say things that others won’t. Our valued clients are business leaders that want honesty to ensure that the right issues are addressed.
Before addressing keys to a succesful business mentoring relationship, it is important to understand the difference betwen mentoring and coaching.
Some confusion exists between the sometimes-interchangeable use of the terms ‘coaching’ and ‘mentoring’ when applied to the development and support of leaders.
So: What is Coaching? Coaching as defined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is: “Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Coaching assignments are normally short-term and focused on specific development areas/issues and achieving specific, immediate goals.
Coaching can be one-on-one or one-on-many. The client/coach relationship generally has a set duration and is generally more structured in nature than mentorship.
What is Mentorship? The Oxford dictionary defines mentorship as “the advice and help provided by a mentor to a less experienced person over a period of time”
A Business Mentor is an individual, usually older, generally more experienced, who helps to guide another individual’s development.
The Business Mentor ‘s role is to guide, give advice, and support the client, in both their business role and personal life.
A Business Mentor can help a client to improve their abilities and skills through observation, assessment, modelling, and by providing ongoing guidance. Meetings are scheduled in advance.
The following are keys to establishing successful Business Mentor – Client Relationships.
Key #1: Develop a Relationship of Trust
– Relationships need to be built before any effective mentoring can take place. An environment of trust and mutuality must be established. It is important for the mentor and client to become acquainted with each other and to build rapport.
– Begin each relationship with a getting-to-know-you session. The Business Mentor should greet the client warmly and help them identify their professional needs and goals.
– The mentor should learn about the clients educational background and experience, and share information about their own background and experience.
– In general, the basic mode of Business Mentoring is having meaningful conversations that will move the needle in areas of your clients life or business that matter most to him or her. The conversations automatically help the client to discover the “forest from the trees” – thus bringing clarity to their goals and actions.
– Getting clarity is a side-effect of a good mentoring relationship. The client is very close to their personal life and business, so it is hard for them to get a “helicopter view” of the same. In a good Business Mentoring relationship, this comes automatically as the mentor is someone who cares about their client’s life and business and by default has a “helicopter view” of both of them.
– The Business Mentor can then continue to build upon the mentees strengths, needs, and goals throughout the mentoring relationship.
Key #2: Define Roles and Responsibilities
Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of both the mentor and the client up front. Typically, a mentee is more receptive to feedback if he or she feels like an active participant in the relationship.
Being a mentee is not a passive role. When you have a Business Mentor, it’s your job to define your own goals, cultivate the relationship, seek out advice, attend meetings or events you’re invited to, and so on.
Key #3: Establish Short and Long-Term Goals
– Establish short- and long-term goals. Business Mentors and mentees should work together to develop mutually agreed goals. These goals then become the basis for the mentoring activities.
– Business Mentors need to provide constructive feedback to mentees on goal progression. Mentees should have an opportunity to be reflective on their actions and be given regular feedback to review and discuss.
Open, respectful, and supportive communication is essential to this process and should include the following:
– Active listening. Business Mentors must be skilled at actively listening to concerns. Feelings are important, and greater trust is established when a mentee feels he or she can safely share thoughts and feelings with the mentor.
– Timing is everything. Mentors must be sensitive to the timing of feedback. If emotions are high or a mentee seems defensive, mentors need to back off and reschedule another time for giving feedback or addressing the perceived barriers.
– Value each other’s feedback. Even experienced Business Mentor can learn new ways of thinking and doing things. Mentors and mentees must value and be responsive to each other’s feedback.
– The relationship must add value for both parties if it is to be successful and long-term.
Key #4: Collaborate to Solve Problems
Be collaborative in solving problems. Business Mentors need to allow mentees the opportunity to identify concerns and potential solutions. Mentors should encourage mentees to take risks and do things differently by implementing creative solutions.
Business Mentors can improve the outcome of their mentoring by doing the following with their client:
– Identify the specific concerns. You can measure the commitment of a mentor by the tough questions they ask, with the intent to get you to see things that you are not otherwise seeing and to get you ‘unstuck.’
– Brainstorm possible solutions. The mentor can offer ideas, but the mentee should be allowed to choose which plan to put into action.
– Implement the plan. The mentor should be supportive and encouraging, and reinforce successful completion of the plan.
– Assess the outcome together. The mentor and mentee should be reflective and discuss the effectiveness of the activity and make adjustments as needed.
– Try another solution, if needed. It is important for mentors to remember that there are many different ways to address an issue and that the mentor’s way may not be the most effective solution for the mentee or the organisation
To read testimonials from people I have worked with that testify to my leadership, motivational and mentoring skills and ability to work as a team leader and team member. Click on link below:
https://davidamer.com.au/testimonials/
Benefits of Business Mentoring
There are many benefits to successful Business Mentor/Client relationships. Here are some of the main ones:
– Mentees (Senior Executives or Leaders) have a trusted and more experienced advisor to work with them and to bounce ideas off, and provide the wisdom, skills and knowledge that come from experience.
– Mentees are able to learn and grow under the mentor’s guidance.
– A good Business Mentor may not give you strength, but will help you discover your hidden strengths and help you move beyond your limiting beliefs.
So having a suitably qualied business mentor, with the right experience can be a better option.
Conclusion
If you believe I might be able to help you to take your business and personal life to the next level, and you would like to learn more, you can book a Free 30 minute strategy call with me personally, so we can discuss whether it is a good fit for you personally and your business at this time.
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My mobile number is 0418 277 137
Email: [email protected]
Thanks for your consideration.