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GOT MENTOR: Finding a mentor of quality.

Guest post by: richard mcgregor

Article Overview: “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants." Scientist Sir Isaac Newton, in a letter to his colleague Robert Hooke, February 1676. A mentor is someone with more experience than you who serves as a trusted confidante over an extended period of time.In other words, a mentor is not just an advisor, a mentor is someone who has been there and done that and is best suited to guide you along the path of profitability in your business.

GOT MENTOR: Finding a mentor of quality.

"If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants." Scientist Sir Isaac Newton, in a letter to his colleague Robert Hooke, February 1676.

Have you ever pictured yourself as being an entrepreneur? Have you ever wanted to be your own boss and determine your own annual income and worth? Have you ever wanted to get away from the office more and spend additional time with your family or close friends? The fact is you can become an entrepreneur. You can even flourish as one much more easily than you might think. Find a mentor. A mentor is someone with more experience than you who serves as a trusted confidante over an extended period of time. In business the mentor is someone who has more entrepreneurial business experience than you and is also a trusted confidante over an extended period of time, usually free of charge. In other words, a mentor is not just an advisor, a mentor is someone who has been there and done that and is best suited to guide you along the path of profitability in your business.

Types of Mentoring

Mentoring is often divided into two types (Buell, 2004):

• Informal mentoring relationships develop on their own as when a person approaches a possible mentor and that person agrees to form a mentoring relationship.

• Formal mentoring relationships refer to assigned relationships, in which the organization oversees and guides the mentoring program in order to promote employee development.

Note that this does not mean it is black and white; rather it is more of a continuum with formal on one end and informal on the other end. For example an organization may guide and oversee a mentoring program, in addition to providing learning opportunities to both the mentors and protégés, but may not assign the relationships.

These two types of mentoring can further be divided into two forms:

• Traditional Mentoring in which there is a long-term relationship where a mentor guides the protégé's career.

• Special Project Mentoring in which a mentor helps to guide a protégé's short-term project (a few weeks to a few months).

Benefits of good mentorship

Why is mentoring important in business and life generally?

• In this economy, you need to take advantage of every available resource to propel your career. Finding a mentor-and preferably a network of mentors-is a critical and smart way to get started. And, it won't set you back financially the way hiring a career coach would.

• Mentoring is a way of giving back to the community and to society at large. It's a way to develop various skills as a teacher, manager, strategist, or consultant. And a true mentoring relationship also works in both directions-they learn about new ideas from you just as you learn timeless wisdom from them. Jack Welch, one of my mentors, of General Electrics is famous for his belief that you must be either number one or number two in your industry or you must get out and concentrate your resources where becoming number or two is possible. If you don't the critical tool of competitive advantage, don't compete.

• A good mentor can provide you with the necessary competitive advantages you will need to be at the top of your field and lead your business into the realm of profitability.

• Your mentor, being an experienced businessperson, is likely to have an extensive network, and can offer you access to far more senior decision-makers than you currently have. And they will be far more willing to open that network up to you than some casual acquaintance from a networking meeting.

• A good mentoring relationship allows both mentor and mentee to develop new talents and build self-awareness. In business settings, the mentee can become more in-tune with a corporate culture and the mentor can hone leadership skills.

Finding a good mentor can often be difficult, if not almost impossible as good mentors are normally very good at their work, thus they already have high demands for their skills and time, thus they might be reluctant to take on a new protégé. To increase your chances, it sometimes helps to be specific about what you want from a mentor. The more certain you are about your needs, the more likely you will find a mentor to meet those needs.

When beginning your search, consider these tips:

Know yourself:

Consider your strengths and weaknesses, and define how a mentor might guide you through your growth.

Be proactive:

Develop a deliberate course of action to find a mentor.

Ask for referrals:

Networks to expand your reach. When requesting referrals, be clear about what you're looking for and why.

Keep an open mind regarding who this person might be:

A mentor is someone who will help you grow in the area(s) most important to you, so look for someone who exemplifies the traits and skills that you want to adopt.

Identify where you may find a suitable mentor:

Good sources of mentors include your management team, industry associations, online communities, your clergy and/or congregation, and professors. Also consider people in your non-workplace communities, such as retirees, local business owners, and people associated with your hobbies. (Note: Some personal coaches advise against choosing your supervisor as a mentor because of a possible conflict of interest.)

Know what you want to achieve from the relationship:

A clear understanding of your purpose and desired result will ensure that you find a suitable mentor, and that you and your mentor find value in the relationship. This clarity also eliminates any future confusion regarding roles and expectations.



Think about people who have been your mentors in the past:

Whether deliberately or not, each of us has had mentors in our lives. Think about the people who have mentored you and the qualities that you appreciated most about them. Use these traits as barometers to finding a new mentor.

GOT VIRTUAL MENTORS?

Imagine having management guru Peter Drucker as your business mentor. As it turns out, many CEOs do and you can. By reading books, listening to tapes and attending seminars these leaders in various fields of business, entertainment etc., can become your mentor too and guide you to personal and business growth. Below is my list of ten most favorite virtual mentors:

Bill Gates-

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates is perhaps the most famous entrepreneur of this era. He had the vision to predict the evolving importance of the personal computer. This allowed him to top Forbes magazine's list of the world's wealthiest individuals, with a 2006 estimated net worth of $50 billion.

Mary Kay Ash - Most Outstanding Woman in Business in the 20th Century

The founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics created a business that has helped some half a million women fulfill their dreams of business ownership. A best-selling author and powerful motivational speaker, Lifetime Television named her the Most Outstanding Woman in Business in the 20th Century.

Oprah Winfrey -Most Admired Entrepreneur

The unmistakable queen of daytime talk and voted the most admired entrepreneur among her peers. Oprah Winfrey stood out head and shoulders above the rest.

Madame C. J. Walker - First Female African-American Millionaire

The daughter of former slaves, orphaned at the age of seven, Walker built a thriving beauty products business in the early 20th century, eventually employing over 3,000 people. Her hard work, honest business dealings and quality products led her to become the first self-made female African-American millionaire.

Richard Branson - The Rebel Billionaire and the Ultimate Multipreneur

A Most Admired Entrepreneur. While perhaps less well known outside of his homeland of England, Richard Branson wins the Editor's Choice for Most Admired Entrepreneur. Learn and the ultimate multipreneur who has succeeded perhaps most of all at "engineering a breathtaking life for himself.

Donald Trump - Billionaire Real Estate Tycoon and Host of The Apprentice

With a long list of accomplishments and assets in real estate development, hospitality and entertainment, the outspoken star and producer of "The Apprentice" is one of the world's most famous entrepreneurs. With his rollercoaster track record, he demonstrates one of the most important entrepreneurial traits: the ability to stand back up when you fall down.

Henry Ford -Founder of Ford Motor Company and Manufacturing Assembly Line Innovator

Henry Ford was not the inventor of the automobile, but his innovations in assembly-line techniques and the introduction of standardized interchangeable parts contributed to making the United States a nation of motorists and produced the first mass-production vehicle manufacturing plant.

Michael Dell: Innovator of the Personal Computer Industry

Michael Dell, born February 1965, started the road to success out of his University of Texas dorm room in with just $1000 and an idea in 1984. Michael Dell is both Chairman and CEO of his company with a net worth of over $30 billion. Dell sells directly to the customer so to avoid middleman mark-ups.

Walt Disney - The Man behind the Mouse

Disney is one of the most recognized brands in the world, but few know as much about the man behind the Magic Kingdom, not to mention the hundreds of animated cartoons, countless feature films and endless toys that bear his name. An influential innovator and entrepreneur in the mid 20th century, Disney went from sketching a rabbit (yes, a rabbit) to running a multi-billion dollar empire. Evan Carmichael

Evan is an entrepreneur and international speaker. At the age of 19, he became an owner and Chief Operating Officer in Redasoft, a biotechnology software company. The company quickly grew to over 300 organizations as clients, including NASA and Johnson & Johnson, in 30 countries. He started Evan Carmichael Communications Group and created EvanCarmichael website with the goal to give entrepreneurs the motivation to follow their passion and the strategies they need to succeed. Evan has also delivered over 100 keynote presentations to entrepreneurs in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Related Articles
  Why Small Business Entrepreneurs Need a Mentor
  How To Effectively Use Business Mentoring
  How to Find the Best Mentor for Your Needs
  The Power and Profit of Mentorship
  Business Mentoring Programs

Article Tags: mentor, shoulders of giants, standing on the shoulders, standing on the shoulders of giants
Referred by: http://jaykubassek.com



Related Forum Posts
Do you have a Mentor? - I have had mentor/mentee relationships throughout my academic and work career. As an entrepreneur I've yet to find a good match for a mentor in my field of business but am always on the lookout. I was wondering for all the young entrepreneurs out there; do you have a mentor?
The Value of Mentoring - Successful mentor pairings (in case there was any doubt as to the value of mentoring): 1. André Ouellet (President, Canada Post) mentor to Mark Whalen (Urban Organics and winner, Young Entrepreneur Award) 2. Marc Lefrançois (President, Via Rail Canada) mentor to Jeffrey Campbell (Core Networks, Inc. and winner, Young Entrepreneur Award) 3. Donald Kendall (former CEO of PepsiCo) mentor to John Scully (former CEO of Apple) 4. Harland Sanders (the Colonel) mentor to Dave Thomas (founder of Wendy's) 5. Stuart Friend (KMart manager) mentor to Wayne Sales (CEO of Canadian Tire) 6. Jim Rohn (author, motivational speaker) mentor to Anthony Robbins (author, motivational speaker) 7. Robert Patterson (CEO, National Cash Register) mentor to Thomas Watson (founder of IBM) 8. Henri-Paul Rosseau (President, Laurentian Bank of Canada) mentor to isabel Rodriquez and Yves Besner (i4design and winners, Young Entrepreneur Award)
Go out and get a mentor - This thread hasn't been discussed for about two months, and I'm surprised because it seems like excellent advice. Most people just starting out in business need a mentor - whether it's one or both of their parents who've run businesses of their own, a teacher or college professor, or even just a friend. Even if a person doesn't need help with the busness aspects, they might need to learn how to handle money - if they've never had a lot before, how to handle people, etc. So everyone should look for a mentor - someone who wants to be a mentor, of course!
Re: Simple Idea - Great Advice. - Thanks for the offer Cheryl. I agree with you that a mentor is important especially when first starting out. If it wasn't for the mentor I have I would not have been around for very long in the internet marketing business. Without her help I would not have survived at all. MichelleJ
Re: On Mentors - [quote="jvprosperity":2v0r5y3z]I've been blessed by having mentors naturally come into my life but if I wanted to approach one how would I go about developing the relationship and then asking them to mentor me?[/quote:2v0r5y3z] Hi Andy, From my past experiences, I find that mentors just gradually take you under their wing. I've never had to formally ask any of them to "mentor" me. For example, in "The Little Black Book of Connections", Jeffrey Gitomer says "Some of them actually want to help you and will take pleasure in helping you, as long as they feel you are both worthy and trustworthy. In other words, deserving" (pg 9). At the end of the day, the best way to get a mentor is to nurture your connections through mutual value exchange.


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