Thank you for spending a little time with us. Mentorship can be a powerful tool that can be used by both individuals as well as organizations to achieve greater levels of success. We have set up this blog to provide opportunity for you to freely share your insights and perspectives with others. We believe that through collaboration and cooperation we can all benefit from an increased pool of knowledge on this subject. We look forward to growing with you!
Why Mentorship?
Mentorship for Business:
Starting a new business is risky and taking your business to the next level can prove to be an arduous journey. Every entrepreneur recognizes that there are inherent risks in business and no guarantees of success. Of all firms started, about a third fail within one year, and approximately two-thirds have closed within five years. A lack of management experience accounts for nearly 90 percent of all small business failures.Mentorship for Individuals:
Having someone available to help guide you along your career path can provide significant value to the person wanting to advance. If you are fortunate, your organization will have a well established and effective mentorship program. Having said that, chances are that an in-house program does not exist, and if it does, the quality of support provided can vary widely. Regardless, the opportunity to make the most of mentorship rests with those involved in the mentorship relationship - the Mentor (person providing expertise and experience) and the Protege/Mentee (person receiving the primary benefit from the Mentor).
Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. (Pro-Vision) has taken a close look at mentorship and how it can be a valuable resource for today’s business organizations and leaders. Established in 2002, Pro-Vision recognizes that mentorship, in its various forms, can significantly advance the development of individuals along their career paths - be they employees, business owners, or professionals, in either the public or private sector. This increases their ability to contribute to those organizations that engage them, leading to better meeting the needs of their target audiences and the fulfillment of the organization's vision, mission and strategic objectives.
Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. (Pro-Vision) has taken a close look at mentorship and how it can be a valuable resource for today’s business organizations and leaders. Established in 2002, Pro-Vision recognizes that mentorship, in its various forms, can significantly advance the development of individuals along their career paths - be they employees, business owners, or professionals, in either the public or private sector. This increases their ability to contribute to those organizations that engage them, leading to better meeting the needs of their target audiences and the fulfillment of the organization's vision, mission and strategic objectives.
PLEASE - Provide our readers with YOUR THOUGHTS ...
- What's been your experience with Mentorship?
- How has having a Mentor helped you?
- What are the top 3 things you would like a Mentor to help you develop?
- Share your thoughts on how Mentorship can help the Protege, as well as the Mentor!
9 comments:
Congratulations ProVision on initiating your blog on mentorship. If any blog readers (and I know there will eventually be many) are thinking about introducing a mentorship program into their workplace, this blog area will be a great place to gain tips, share concerns, and discuss issues.
Don't be concerned if, at first, others don't seem to share the same sense of eagerness or willingness to contribute. In the long run it will be your persistence and the compelling information that you provide and well as the relationships that you develop that will determine the success of your initial efforts.
Consider starting small, and be sure to thoroughly determine what outcomes or results you expect as a result of engaging in mentoring. Too often enthusiasm for mentoring (which is good) overshadows the business case for mentoring and the concrete value it has for the mentor, the partner and the organization.
Stay tuned to this blog for other tips, ideas, and resources.
Rey Carr
Peer Resources
http://www.mentors.ca
Wow.. Rey you have some thoughtfull commentary.
As an Accountant I have provided mentorship and have recieved mentorship. I 100 % of the cases the mentorship was provided without cost. Either from within a company or from my known associates/Friends. In the role of Public Accountant we engage in mentoring in a minor way as an extension of business reviews.
I have watched how mentoring can help and this is an importatn piece in our new economic development strategic plan. So I am looking forward to gaining more insight and ideas by being part of this blog.
Terry Stacey
Economic Development Director
City of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Thanks for the perspectives on Mentorship.
READERS - What are your thoughts on the questions posted here?
Mentorship - what a great concept! But it's more than a concept, and it's more that just getting together from time to time to check in. Mentorship connections don't always work out. It's a relationship that takes time to develop.
ProVision: Great blog site. Thanks for the opportunity to share thoughts on mentoring.
Currently I am retired, having had a lengthy career as a public servant with the Alberta Government.
In that setting I was never formally associated with a mentorship program. Nonetheless I feel mentoring is very important not only to an individual starting a new business but also to those in the employ of others.
Throughout my career I constantly sought out senior people that were at arms length but knew the structure and the flow of the organization. I feel these mentors were instrumental in helping avoid the land mines.
Through their mentorship I felt confident to help others as a quasi mentor in the latter years of my career. Again, not formally and not often but I would take it upon myself to guide young people, especially when I saw a lot of potential in a person that may be presently pursuing a course of action that could potentially be detrimental to their upward mobility.
One caution for a protege: Do not become too dependent on your mentor. At some point "you have to be you" i.e. Step forward, with conviction, with your own ideas, plans and processes.
Glynn Williams
Director, Alberta Government (retired)
I concur with the comments left by Glynn.
As a business owner I have sought our mentors all my life, both personally and professionally also on an informal and formal basis.
I watched my business blossom under the guidance of a business coach. She was an arms length mentor who would help keep me grounded, provide sage business advice and later became a wonderful friend.
I have also had the pleasure of being a mentor in my business (to other entrepreneurs) and in Toastmasters. The experience is like none other!
I continue to seek out mentors both in my personal and professional life and could not but a price on their value. I loves Glynn's comment about not becoming too dependent on your mentor. It's important to maintain your personality and be ready to move forward on your own. A good mentor recognizes when you are ready to do so!
Warmly,
Michelle Devlin
Seriously Speaking
www.seriouslyspeaking.ca
Great post
Absolutely Jim and research from the International Society for Performance Improvement indicates that is the case. Improving employee productivity, engagment and performance translates into organizational results and ROI.
Margo Murray is one of the top gurus of mentoring in North America: http://www.mentors-mmha.com/articles.php (She's on my Linkedin). I wrote a reference tool on mentoring if you're interested, and can ask Margo if she knows of some data to support ths for new entrepreneurs.
Karen
Post a Comment