There are times for any business person, or entrepreneur, when we need to call in some support. Knowing who to call, and when, can make a real difference to how fast and how effectively you overcome challenges. This series of blogs explores some of the main types of support available to you, and some things to consider in choosing what type of support you might need. [So far we’ve covered Coaching]

 

Type of Support: Mentoring

 

What is it?

A mentor is someone who has direct experience of the challenges you are facing. They are usually someone who has achieved success is the same, or a similar sector the one you work in.

 

Pros

An experienced mentor may be able to see options which you can’t see and you can benefit from their experience. It can be inspiring to talk to someone who has experienced and overcome the challenges you face.

 

Cons

Conversations with mentors tend to focus on the specifics of what you should do, they may not be as useful for situations where emotional barriers are preventing you from taking action.

 

Ideal for…

Technical challenges, especially those which are specific to your sector, organisation or stage, where you want to draw on the experience of someone who has been through this before.

Things to consider when choosing who to work with:

An ideal mentor has extensive experience of the sector, organisation or stage which you are working in; this experience should also be up-to-date. The best mentors have some breadth of experience, so it’s likely they’ll have faced (or supported others who are facing) the challenge you are facing in more than one setting and be able to talk to you about a range of approaches.

 

Sometimes you will listen to advice from a mentor and still decide to do something different, you should choose a mentor who you think will be comfortable with this.

 

Mentoring is usually a longer term relationship – you need to choose someone who you are confident will be able to support you with a range of challenges over a period of time.

 

 

As with all business support it helps if you work with someone you get on with, someone who shares your values and someone who you trust. Don’t be shy of asking for a taster session, or to meet for a coffee before you decide to work with people, and if possible, meet more than on potential provider before you decide to proceed.

 

[Next week’s blog will be about Peer-to-peer/Action Learning]

 

In the meantime, as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences about business support, why not pop over to fb.com/RubyStarAssociates and join the conversation there.

 

Blog by Isla…