Do’s and Don’t of Mentoring
Leadership-Tools Original Article Mentoring - Investing In Others Is An Investment In Yourself! As you may know, business owners make a significant contribution to the economic health of our nation and communities.
Their contributions continue to rise as more people become entrepreneurs and current small business owners work to expand their existing businesses.Experienced, successful entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs alike often ask the same question: How can new entrepreneurs learn from the experiences of others? The answer? Mentoring - it is a term historically used to describe a teacher-student relationship. In the business world, a student/teacher relationship occurs when a more experienced professional (the advisor) gives significant career assistance to a less-experienced professional (the protégé). Student/teacher relationships are particularly helpful during a period of transition such as a new business launch, new product introduction or business expansion.
Mentors are wise and trusted counselors for protégés. A counselor's knowledge, experience, tenacity and skills offer the growing entrepreneur guidance, advice and training. However, while an advisor can steer a protégé in the right direction to reach her potential, protégés must still rely upon themselves to succeed.
Roles and Responsibilities
Establishing some basic roles and responsibilities can ensure a successful mentor/protégé relationship. The following chart outlines a few roles for the Advisor, the Protégé and for the Advisor and Protégé together. | Advisor | Protege | Advisor & Protege | - Provide guidance based on past business experiences.
- Create a positive counseling relationship and climate of open communication.
- Help protégé identify problems and solutions.
- Lead protégé through problem solving processes.
- Offer constructive criticism in a supportive way.
- Share stories, including mistakes.
- Assign "homework" if applicable.
- Refer protégé to other business associates.
- Be honest about business expertise.
- Solicit feedback from protégé.
- Come prepared to each meeting to discuss issues.
| - Shape the overall agenda for the relationship - know what you want!
- Establish realistic and attainable expectations.
- Be open in communicating with your advisor.
- Establish priority issues for action or support.
- Don't expect your mentor to be an expert in every facet of business.
- Solicit feedback from your mentor.
- Come prepared to each meeting to discuss issues.
| - Identify roles the mentor can play to help the protégé achieve goals.
- Develop an action plan to achieve agreed upon goals.
- Determine level of structure in the relationship.
- Communicate on a regular basis.
- Set milestones to monitor success of reaching goals.
- Set the agenda for each meeting.
- Schedule formal meetings and cancel only when absolutely necessary.
- Establish guidelines for telephone calls; i.e., calls at home are or are not acceptable.
| Finding an Advisor That's Right for You - Look for someone who has knowledge and business experience in areas you don't.
- Make sure the mentor you choose desires to be your advisor. A quality relationship requires consent by both parties.
- Look for what you can offer the person willing to invest time in you - make the relationship mutually beneficial.
Many organizations have advisor programs. Look for one in your community. Contact your local business center for more information.
Checklist: Are You Ready for a Mentor?
(Instructions: Rank yourself from 1 to 3 on the following issues.)
1=Uncertain 3=Very Certain 1. I know the kind of mentoring I want.
2. I'm willing to accept help, if it is appropriate.
3. I'm a good listener. I hear what the other person is saying.
4. I'm a good follower.
5. I can be counted on to carry out commitments.
6. I learn most new things quickly.
7. I'd be willing to speak up (diplomatically) if I disagreed with an advisor. I'm not a "yes" person.
8. I'm good about thanking and otherwise showing appreciation to people who help me.
9. I feel that my "entrepreneurship potential" is high. I'd be a good risk as a protégé.
Becoming a Trusted Advisor - Identify why you want to be an advisor to others with less experience. See what is motivating you to accept this opportunity in spite of your busy schedule.
- Analyze what you have to offer your protégé in the mentoring process. Be brutally honest with yourself as you consider what influence, skills, knowledge or other contributions you can make. Acknowledge your weak spots also.
- Identify your needs, expectations and limits for your student/teacher relationship. Ask yourself what you would like to have happen and how far you are willing to go.
Do's and Don'ts for Mentors | Do's | Don'ts | - Be clear about your motives for helping your protégé. If you're not sure yourself, the protégé will get mixed messages from you.
- Look after your protégé's needs, but consider your own as well. Be certain about what you want from the relationship and what you're willing to give.
- Be prepared for the relationship to end. The successful mentoring cycle requires that the protégé moves on and the relationship either ends or takes a different form.
| - Don't give up right away if your protégé resists your help at first. She may not recognize the value of what you have to offer. Persistence - to a point - may help.
- Don't try to force your protégé to follow your footsteps. If the footsteps fit, she will follow them voluntarily. Value the protégé's unique path and where she is along that path.
- Don't have a pre-conceived plan for the final outcome of your relationship.
| Myths About the Mentor/Protégé Relationship - Mentoring is going out of style.
- It is best if the advisor is older than the protégé.
- Student/teacher relationships need to be close and last a long time.
- The relationship benefits one party more than the other.
- A person cannot have more than one advisor or protégé at a time.
- Healthy mentor/protégé relationships won't run into difficulties.
- Getting an experienced advisor is the easy way of getting ahead.
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