Who is a mentor and how can he help your business

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

They will not feed you fish, but they will tell you where to get a fishing rod and how to use it so as not to go hungry.

Who is a mentor

A mentor is a person who has already achieved success, has filled a number of cones on his way and, thanks to the knowledge gained, is able to help less experienced people choose an easier path.

The advocates of the Russian language may be indignant: why use a "mentor" if there is already a "mentor". Words are indeed often used synonymously. But not always. The Dictionary of Economics defines a mentor as “a highly skilled or experienced worker who can provide advice or support to other workers.” This includes, among other things, this kind of mentoring, in which one person leads the second, tells him: “I did this, and I succeeded. Repeat after me".

The mentor, on the other hand, does not tell you how to do it. He does not give ready-made solutions, does not take on the problems of the ward, if he does not cope, does not work with him on all the problems. He should push and inspire, look at the situation from the outside and share his opinion, ask questions, suggest how to avoid common problems and spread straws in vulnerable places.

A mentor is more than a coach. They both use similar tools: they work without directives, and they help the person to find the right answers with the right questions. They give a fishing rod, not a fish. But the coach explains how to achieve specific goals. A mentor helps to see points of growth and develop in many ways, this is a larger process.

Another important difference between a mentor and a coach is that the latter does not have to be an expert in the same industry as the client.

Why do you need a mentor

To be able to do something, you have to learn it - an obvious idea. There are different ways to master certain skills. For example, graduate from a university. Or get a job and ask for help from older colleagues. In some large companies, there are even mentoring systems in which experienced professionals bring up young people.

But there are areas where almost anyone can feel as if they were thrown into the middle of a lake and not explained how to swim. For example, business. It requires knowledge and skills in many areas. Even if a person has the ability to delegate, you still need to understand accounting, reporting and other things, in addition to specialized ones, in order to recheck employees. Everything is complicated by the fact that there are no bosses over the entrepreneur, so no one will tell you what to do next.

Situations when a businessman runs up against a wall, which it is not clear how to get around, will begin to repeat. And here the advice of a person who has already dealt with obstacles on his own path is very useful. The mentor brings his knowledge and helps to take a more comprehensive look at what is happening in order to find a solution.

This exchange of experience will be especially useful for novice businessmen who are just testing ideas and do not have a lot of funds. The mentor will save you from losing money and unreasonable investments. He has already gone through all this, and the market knows more deeply.

But even if the business has not existed for the first day and has been developing successfully, it is still good to have a person nearby who stimulates growth, and sometimes just gives the support that helps to pull yourself together and not turn off the intended path. In the end, there will always be a role model in front of your eyes, someone who has succeeded.

At the same time, it is important that the ward, or mentee, as he is also called, is an active position. It is not just a recipient of life wisdom. On the contrary, it is on his shoulders that the main work falls. The mentor gives you a compass and a map. Menti plans a route and follows it.

Why should a mentor help someone become more successful

The mentor may have a financial interest. For example, he takes money from the ward for a meeting, offers a flat rate per month, or claims a stake in a company.

However, the material side of the issue is far from the main thing. Mentors often help for free. But the benefits are still received by:

• Personal brand and business reputation. Of course, business success in itself brings fame, at least in narrow circles. But if a person actively helps others, society is more loyal to him. The effect is the same as from doing charity work, but the mentor is still developing as an expert.
• New experience. Knowledge is not only given, but also received. Everyone's business paths are different, so the mentor's work may be useful to the mentor himself.
• Debt repayment". Often people believe that if they were helped at one time, then they should also repay the same, passing the good along the chain.
• Self-affirmation. Whatever one may say, but the realization that a cool and successful business has grown under your mentorship warms the soul.
• Interest. If a person already has a stable income, he can afford to do something not for the sake of money, but simply because he is curious to see what happens.

What to look for when looking for a mentor

There are several important criteria.

An experience

The mentor should be at least a couple of steps ahead of the ward so that he has something to convey. Ideally, he should have well pumped those skills that the mentee lacks. Then his expertise will close those voids that the ward has nothing to fill with.

Intersection points

The mentor and the mentee should not be copies of each other. Otherwise, their work will not be fruitful: after all, the sum of two worldviews is better than one for two. However, in key issues, it is not bad to look, as they say, in one direction. For example, if the ward wants to build an environmentally friendly business, and for the mentor, benefit is more important than environmental protection, they will argue and stand still. Although, with similar views, they could quickly come to a consensus and already rush towards the goal.

Practice

A mentor is, first of all, a person who could. He works with his wards without interrupting his own production. So information businessmen will not be suitable here, no matter how successfully they create the illusion that "they themselves earn millions and teach everyone."

Energy

One of the tasks of a mentor is to inspire and instill confidence that everything will work out. If it burns out, then the effect of such cooperation will be small. But this criterion is very subjective, so you have to rely on your own feelings.

Involvement

A good mentor listens much more than he speaks. He should not revel in the sound of his voice, but ask questions, helping the menti find answers. And then there are situations where there are no obvious solutions. And it is important that in such cases the mentor does not wash his hands, but analyzes what went wrong and how to fix everything.

Where to find a mentor

There are different ways.

By acquaintances

Most likely, a suitable candidate can be found in your environment or among acquaintances of acquaintances. It is enough to ask around to understand if there is a person nearby who could help you.

At specialized events

One of the main functions of various conferences, round tables and other gatherings is to establish contacts. The content of the reports can be used to assess the expertise of the speakers, their view of the world and energy. It is also convenient here to approach selected people and talk to them.

In thematic communities and social networks

Online events do not take place every day. But on the Internet, life is in full swing. Passions are simmering in pubs and channels, columns of entrepreneurs appear on Vc.ru, Rusbase.ru and similar sites. You can always contact businessmen in comments, private messages or through social networks.

On special sites

There are services created to find a mentor - a kind of thematic Tinder. These include, for example, United Mentors, Experum or Emergentum. The advantages of this approach are obvious: on the site, participants immediately declare their intentions - some want to share their experience, others need a mentor. But this is definitely cooperation on a commercial basis.

What to remember

1. A mentor is a person with experience who will not do anything for you. But he will help you go your way, albeit on your own, but much faster than alone.
2. Mentoring can come in handy at any stage of business development, because difficulties and new challenges are constantly encountered.
3. A mentor helps not only and not so much for money.
4. For mentoring to have an effect, mentee must work very hard. Perhaps even more than if he worked alone.