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Mentoring for Fun!

Written by: Nicholas Fraser

Article Overview: “Being an MD is a serious business” Now whoever said that should be first against the wall when the revolution comes! “Business should be fun”

Mentoring for Fun!

“Being an MD is a serious business”

Now whoever said that should be first against the wall when the revolution comes!

“Business should be fun”

Po faces and seriousness are all very well but life is too short for it to be without humour. One of my clients in presenting a business plan to his staff set out on the first slide what the business objectives were:-

1. To be the best supplier in the UK ( of the product they supplied)

1. To be a great and rewarding place to work

I would also quote you from the front cover of a book that most influenced me at the beginning of my career

“If you’re not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing here?”

The author was Robert Townshend, ex CEO of Avis Cars who came up with the line “We Try Harder”. The book was called

“Up the Organisation (or How to stop the company stifling people and strangling profits)”

Sadly this book is out of print and I am not lending you mine because I know I will not get it back!

It is a delightful book, full of quotes and anecdotes that are both humourous and insightful. And to do Townshend justice I should quote the above quotation in full:-

“If you can’t do it excellently, don’t do it at all

Because if it’s not excellent it won’t be profitable or fun and

If you’re not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing here?”

Now there was someone who really understood the principle of being a demanding leader but with a clear focus on fun and profits.

So the question is, are you having fun? Are you happy? I asked a new client this same question last week and scoring himself out of ten, he gave me a score of Four! FOUR - what the heck was he doing there? I made the commitment that our key objective was to get that score up to 7 or even 8 in the next few months. As I said to him

“Life is not a dress rehearsal?”

And I live by the same rule; I work for fun and profit, in that order.

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Business Women Peer Mentoring Spotlight - Hi Ladies, I had an idea on how we could really offer some support to one another here on the Forum. I thought it might be fun if we invited one of the Ladies here to put her business in the spotlight. Then we could all have an opportunity to do a little Peer Mentoring. After a specific length of time, we could then open it up for the next woman to present her business. What do you think? Do you want to be the woman who gets some free tips first? If so, tell us your situation and we'll get started! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think. Warmly, Tami
Different Hats - CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company Strategic Vision 10 Alliances & Growth Strategies 10 Hiring & Managing People 8 Mentoring 8-9 Strategic Planning for Clients 10 Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty) Financial Management 9 Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0 Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff) Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!) Speaking 10 (so I have been told) Self Promotion 9-10 Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+) Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have) Great topic Kevin!! Jude
Women Entrepreneurs On The Rise - Are you a women who owns her own business? I believe that empowered, successful women are one of the keys to causing our world to change to a more peaceful and community oriented society. Did you know that women are now contributing to nearly half of all new small businesses?. Maybe through your business you want to make a difference and of course you also want to have prosperity. According to the Woman's Financial Network, women start businesses at two times the rate of men. While women are starting more businesses than men, they often find it harder to get things going and to sustain them over the long term. What can women do to be more sustainable in the long haul? Business is all about relationships. You have probably noticed that women are more relationship oriented and having that natural bent serves well in the business world. Women tend to be better listeners and develop stronger relationships with customers, clients, and vendors. Developing supportive relationships is also what sustains women. One women I have worked with shares, " Building my business has been about creating a team and investing energy into teach person, knowing that I cannot do all this alone. Men like to be the alpha male and do it themselves. But I need and want to be part of a community." Another women shares. "Mentoring has been crucial for me. I have enjoyed having a female mentor that shows that it is possible for me as a woman to make it." Women need a community and to be with other women entrepreneurs. Fulfillment comes from sharing business, personal, financial and spiritual fulfillment through connections with other like-minded women. Women's support comes from being in a circle, talking, and sharing. In the earliest women's enterprises, this is how it has worked, whether it was quilting bees or canning vegetables in the kitchen. Women have always needed to connect with one another and talk. Women business owners benefit from sharing with each other in many ways including, • Reducing work stress • Confidence building • Self- esteem growth • Laughter • Sharing challenging situations • Life-work balance • Learning from each other Does all this sound good? Here are three suggestions. 1. Find a couple other women who own businesses in your area and set up a regular meeting at a cafe. It is a nice break from work and also can offer support and sharing of resources. 2. Join a women's networking group. Not only will you meet other women but you might benefit from the monthly presentations. 3. Join a facilitated women in business group. This has the benefit of being more focused and committed. Whatever your business make sure you are one of those who succeed in the long run. Find support, find other women to talk to, and once you are successful be a mentor to a new business woman. Being able to give back is the icing on the cake.


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