Change Happens - Mentor On!

"Do we need to change our direction?"

Change happens all the time, and yet for some reason, we find it uncomfortable when we have to make a change. 

 

Why is that?

For business owners and professionals, as well as those who work for businesses or other organizations, awareness of the changes taking place around us should cause us to ask, "What do we need to do?" However, I think we'd all agree that it would be much better to be pro-active in initiating a change in direction, than to be reactive and forced into it.

In a Mentoring role earlier this year, I was very pleased to meet Vini Costanzo, Director with ViniCostanzo Business Intelligence. Over the course of a weekend in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), we had the opportunity to Mentor many of those who participated in "CrashCourse Jumpstart" - a business start-up event held at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Vini shared from his depth of expertise in marketing, social media and online business solutions, while I enjoyed providing insights drawn from many years of working with start-ups and those planning for the growth and success of their businesses.  

Vini touched on the importance of being flexible to change as it happens around you. As he points out in one of his online Instagram posts: "Sometimes, entrepreneurs get too excited about their products and forget about the customers. Remember, you are in the market to solve a problem for somebody. Be ready to adapt your products if it's necessary."

Thanks Vini. That fits nicely with being "proactive" and ready to "pivot" when necessary!

In the past, I've frequently quoted Rosabeth Moss Kanter from the Harvard Business School. She said: “Change is disturbing when it is done to us, exhilarating when it is done by us.” Kanter also said: “To stay ahead, always have your next idea waiting in the wings.” 

I like both of these quotes because they speak to the importance of: 1) being on top of the change process; and 2) having a "game plan" that anticipates your next moves in the marketplace.

For small business owners, a group that I’ve worked with extensively, the nice thing about being "small" is that you are in a much better position to quickly pivot. Of course, you’ll have your own sense of direction as to what to do, but it’s reassuring to have a Mentor and other trusted Advisors with whom you can discuss a potential danger or an emerging opportunity. 

TIPS: Keep your eyes and ears open, work with your team, listen to your customers and watch your competition. This will help you recognize when a change is likely needed and better judge the timing with which you'll want to execute that change!

At Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. we work with our clients to help them better plan their businesses for the future. We help them understand the risks and opportunities around them, so they can best position themselves for success in the marketplace. Please let us know if you'd like to further explore your situation and join those we've helped with "... a SMARTER Business Start, Growth and Mentorship!"

WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS RELATED TO THIS POST? 

We welcome your creative thoughts and insights related to anticipating and negotiating change, and how Mentorship can help! 

                                                                                 

More information & details on our specific services and areas of expertise can be found on our Website: CLICK HERE

Connecting Mentorship and Job Shadowing ...

Mentorship and Job Shadowing ... Is there a Connection?

I believe that there is.  Both are connected to knowledge transfer and the concepts of learning, development and growth.  I was pleased to read a recent Linkedin Post from a friend and business professional, Randy McLean - Business Development Consultant Alberta at Moneris.  BTW - Randy is familiar with the entrepreneurial group mentioned in our BLOG Post of June 28, 2018 and he added some great perspectives to the "Customer Service Excellence" tips that came out of a recent meeting. 

I asked Randy for permission to mention his article: The Art of Peer to Peer Job Shadowing, within which I believe he points to a key characteristic that's also found in successful Mentoring relationships.  Within a healthy and supportive workplace environment, we "learn the ropes" from others who've been in similar roles before us.  At the same time, and this is frequently under emphasized, there is the potential for reciprocal learning to take place, if and when we’re open also learn from the experiences of others.  Working within the context of a sales environment, Randy says, "It’s good practice to have sales reps going out together. Senior reps can help with education and training for more junior reps.  But there is also a benefit to having reps with different job history experiences going out together.  When we are paired up with different people regardless of our tenure,  We gain exposure to different styles, previous work knowledge and strategies that will help improve even the most senior sales person."
 
Thank you Randy for allowing us to share your experience with our audience. There are definitely some common threads here and value to be gained by those willing to share their insights and experiences, together with "best known practises" to help others develop their full potential. 

* If you'd like to read Randy's full article on LinkedIn: CLICK HERE.


To close this post, please let us know if we can help you explore the potential of Mentorship within your organization.  We’d be delighted to work together with you to discover what Mentorship can do for you and your team!

BTW - We’ve captured some great comments and experiences from those who’ve been Mentors and been Mentored.  View them now for FREE on our YouTube Channel ...
CLICK HERE

PLEASE feel free to share your comments to our post. 

We'd be very pleased to hear from you and let others benefit from comments related to your experiences for improving Mentoring Relationships.

                                                                          

 
QUESTION:  Could you benefit from having a Business COACH and MENTOR?  
IF the ANSWER is YES ...  Take a look at our "NEXT Steps Program!   
 
If you're looking for flexible and cost-effective Business Coaching & Mentoring, you'll like our “NEXT Steps - Program”.  It's been created with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance, designed to fit your busy schedule! 

For more information see:

"Option 3 – “PVS – NEXT Steps - Business Coaching & Mentoring Program” 

It's listed on our Website Registration page:

CLICK HERE

Mentoring = Growth in Entrepreneurs

Learning and growth can happen in a wide variety of ways.  

There is no doubt in our mind that Mentorship can be a powerful vehicle to assist in that development.  One of the reasons we encourage Mentorship as a part of the entrepreneurial programs we facilitate, is because of the great potential for two-way learning to occur.  Naturally, you'd anticipate that Mentees (Proteges) benefit from the process, but Mentors can continue their growth when they too are active participants in this dynamic process. 

Let me try to connect this to something we've been excited to be a part of recently ...

This past year has likely been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding that we've experienced.  When it comes to working with groups of entrepreneurs one of the highlights, and something that we've really enjoyed, has involved a fairly large group from within in our community.  This is a very diverse group in terms of demographics, psychographics, and business sectors. It also has a blend of participants from across the business life cycle - those who are "new to business", together with those who've seen outstanding "successes".  And it's been quite the journey that we've been on, perhaps best describes as being, "a journey of discovery!" 

Here's just one of our discoveries, although we anticipated it would be a contributing factor to success.  While we were confident that we had good materials, a solid program, and proven processes, the greatest "discoveries" for participants may have been less connected to what we shared, and more about the personal alignment they began to see develop.  Regardless of their stage of business, as they explored the potential of the opportunity in front of them, they discovered ways to "shape" their business that "rang true" with their personal values and priorities.  As they worked on their business, there appeared to be a better fit with who they truly wanted to be, and what they aspired for their businesses to represent.

Coming back to "Mentorship" ... Interest has been expressed within the group to seeing more of a "Mentorship Program" added, and that's something we're looking at introducing as we go forward.  Having said that, there's already been much that's happened by way of informal mentorship.  It's been great to see what's happened as individuals get to know each other, gain that requisite level of trust, and build relationships with others in the group.  We've had an absolutely fantastic time together, and we're excited to see further development and growth with this group in the fall!

To close this post, please let us know if we can help you explore the potential of Mentorship within your organization.  We’d be delighted to work together with you to discover what Mentorship can do for you and your team!

BTW - We’ve captured some great comments and experiences from those who’ve been Mentors and been Mentored.  View them now for FREE on our YouTube Channel ...
CLICK HERE

PLEASE feel free to share your comments to our post. 

We'd be very pleased to hear from you and let others benefit from comments related to your experiences for improving Mentoring Relationships.

                                                                          

 
QUESTION:  Could you benefit from having a Business COACH and MENTOR?  
IF the ANSWER is YES ...  Take a look at our "NEXT Steps Program!   
 
If you're looking for flexible and cost-effective Business Coaching & Mentoring, you'll like our “NEXT Steps - Program”.  It's been created with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance, designed to fit your busy schedule! 

For more information see:

"Option 3 – “PVS – NEXT Steps - Business Coaching & Mentoring Program” 

It's listed on our Website Registration page:

CLICK HERE

MENTORSHIP - A Huge Jump-Start

"Hey 

Mentorship 

Fans!" 

This post applies to a wide variety of career path choices!  

Sure - I've worked with entrepreneurs and organizations that help them grow and develop for many years. Here's what I've seen ... I've found that Mentorship provides one of the greatest methods of accelerating the development and potential of individuals, as well as the businesses or organizations these people work within, when there is a formalized and coordinated Mentorship Program!

One of the great things about being an entrepreneur and having your own business is the independence and freedom offered by that career path. 

Work with me on this for a moment! 

Imagine for a moment: Being your own boss, with no one telling you what to do, or when to do it …  Just the idea of that alone can have a lot of appeal! However, another side to be considered is that being the owner of a business, particularly a small business can also be a relatively lonely experience. That is even further exacerbated when confronted with a daunting challenge or a complex potential opportunity. So let me ask: Who would you turn to for some much needed perspective, or to act as a sounding board?

While there are many ways to mitigate that ‘sense of isolation', one option that we’ve seen to be both effective and highly beneficial is to have a Mentor!  A good Mentor can help you find your way through those inevitable challenges that you’ll face, in life, and in business. Having said that, to be perfectly clear, a good Mentor doesn’t come with a ‘magic wand’ and make things disappear! A good Mentor will help you (the Mentee/Protege) explore the situation that you face, review what’s transpired to this point in time, and then help you explore potential options. Once that’s been done, it’s still up to you to decide what you’ll do with that new-found insight and perspective. After all, it's your decision to make, right?

When we work with those considering establishing a Mentorship Program, we encourage them to go into it with a solid understanding of what they want the program to accomplish for their participants. In fact, that's something we like to work with them on prior to launching a Mentorship Program. Mentors and Mentees/Proteges are then brought together and provided with an opportunity to begin their Mentorship journey with a clearer understanding of what's ahead. Even better than that, participants come away having identified some specific, high-priority, individual goals to pursue over the time they agree to work together in the Mentoring Relationship.  

"Mentorship is a huge 'Jump-Start' on any career path. It gets things moving forward and in the right direction!" - Jim Ewing, Co-Founder - Pro-Vision Solutions Inc.

What have you experienced in a Mentoring relationship?  

• What was the BEST thing that you gained from Mentorship? 
• If you could offer even ONE suggestion to improve the experience for others in a Mentoring relationship, what would that be? 

Feel free to leave a comment. We'd be pleased to hear from you!

BTW ... if you're interested in establishing a Mentorship Program for your organization or for the audience you work with, please get in touch with us. We'd be happy to further explore that with you! 

Cheers,
 - Jim Ewing, for the TEAM
Pro-Vision Solutions Inc.

P.S. - Be sure to visit our YouTube Channel to view any of the Mentorship related videos we've made available. CLICK HERE

Mentorship adds Value for Lean Start-Ups

Innovation takes what is known and finds new ways of adapting it for the future! 

An interesting application of Mentorship is frequently incorporated into many of the Lean Start-Up events that catapult entrepreneurs into a new venture. We’ve participated in a number of hybrid events designed to assist new entrants and have also customized similar programs for some of our clients to meet their specific requirements. 

Participants learning at "Crash Course: Jump Start"

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to view things from a different perspective - that of being a “Mentor” to participants in the “Crash Course: Jump Start” weekend. This event was hosted by the Mawji Centre for New Venture and Student Entrepreneurship at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).

As a Mentor, it was a privilege to assist several individuals and teams, together with other business professionals who volunteered. Each of us brought our unique backgrounds and areas of expertise into play and collectively, when combined with the imaginations and energy of these creative people, we helped move their innovative concepts forward!

(Left to Right) Vini Costanzo, Jim Ewing, James Petryk, David Lord

While the Mentoring experience in this type of event is different from that found within a Classical Mentorship model, the immediate input received by participants was certainly appreciated. And as a Mentor, it was definitely exciting to "jump in" with the team - listen to the challenges to be tackled, explore value propositions with each opportunity, and collectively discover ways to answer questions along the way!


Here are a couple of thoughts that were provided by some of my fellow Mentors who also enjoyed exploring the many great business ideas being refined by these enthusiastic upstarts!

David Lord, CPA, CMA  
"Getting a chance to work with the students is great because their energy and enthusiasm are infectious. It's rewarding being able to contribute advice and provide direction to the students to help them develop their ideas. But selfishly, the motivational boost I get from interacting with these young, ambitious students is something I get to take away and harness in my Financial Planning Practice: Red Seal Financial Ltd. When I volunteer my time, I find I often get as much as I give."
Website: RedSealFinancial.com
Website: DavidLord.ca
 
Vini Costanzo, Founder of ViniCostanzo Marketing Coaching: a company focused on guiding small businesses and startups to the rights decisions in marketing. 
"Being a mentor for me means learning. Every single entrepreneur has a different history and a different motivation. However, all of them share the same dream: They want to be big. Mentoring them helps me to understand better the challenges they have towards their goals and improve the services my company provides."  
Website: vinicostanzo.com

The experiences and comments shared by my fellow Mentors in the “Crash Course: Jump Start” echoes my own, and that of other Mentors I’ve known and worked with over the years. Mentorship really is a two-way street, where both the Mentor and the Mentee/Protege benefit from the Mentoring relationship. 

Please let us know if we can help you explore Mentorship within your organization. We’d be delighted to explore what Mentorship can do for you and your team!


BTW - We’ve captured some great comments and experiences from those who’ve been Mentors and been Mentored. View them now for FREE on our YouTube Channel ...
CLICK HERE

PLEASE feel free to share your comments to our post. 

We'd be very pleased to hear from you and let others benefit from comments related to your experiences for improving Mentoring Relationships.

                                                                          

 
QUESTION:  Could you benefit from having a Business COACH and MENTOR?  
IF the ANSWER is YES ...  Take a look at our "NEXT Steps Program!   
 
If you're looking for flexible and cost-effective Business Coaching & Mentoring, you'll like our “NEXT Steps - Program”. It's been created with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance, designed to fit your busy schedule! 

For more information see:

"Option 3 – “PVS – NEXT Steps - Business Coaching & Mentoring Program” 

It's listed on our Website Registration page:

CLICK HERE

Going "Full-Circle" with Mentorship

In a Mentorship Post of last month we mentioned the powerful imagery seen in the painting, “The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo. However, what we didn’t go into at the time, and what we’d like to focus on here, is something we see as being at the heart of Mentorship.

 In fact, it goes beyond that very important "point of contact” - the point at which there is an authentic impartation of transformative teaching by the Mentor, that is matched by a genuine appreciation and appropriation of that learning by the Mentee.

Having successfully achieved that notable objective, it would seem to be somewhat anticlimactic to then have the two parties simply walk away from Mentorship. Rather, we would encourage both Mentor and Mentee to find ways in which each can continue participating in future meaningful mentoring relationships.

We’ve seen great value in Mentors continuing to mentor others and at the same time find those who can be a Mentor to them in aspects of their continued development. And for those who’ve been Mentees and benefited from the input of a Mentor, we encourage them to take on a new role of mentoring someone else. This is the type of ‘full-circle’ mentorship that continues to add tremendous value to both organizations and individuals. It’s an aspect of Mentorship that we like to see built into Mentorship Programs. After all, if there was something to be gained by having participated in Mentorship the first time, surely there must be even more that can be shared the next time!

PLEASE feel free to share your comments to our post. 

We'd be very pleased to hear from you and let others benefit from comments related to your experiences with Mentoring Relationships.

                                                                          

 
QUESTION:  Could you benefit from having a Business COACH and MENTOR?  
IF the ANSWER is YES ...  Take a look at our "NEXT Steps Program!   
 
If you're looking for flexible and cost-effective Business Coaching & Mentoring, you'll like our “NEXT Steps - Program”. It's been created with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance, designed to fit your busy schedule! 
 
For more information see:

"Option 3 – “PVS – NEXT Steps - Business Coaching & Mentoring Program” 

It's listed on our Website Registration page:

CLICK HERE

Where's the Benefit within Mentoring?

There is a striking image that grabbed my attention early in my researching of Mentorship. You’ll likely recognize the image as well as the artist. The image is from, “The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo, and it was painted on to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel c.1508–1512. While I wasn’t there personally at the time of it being painted, I did have opportunity to see to it several years ago when visiting Rome and the Vatican.

There is something that happens within a successful mentoring relationship. 

And while we typically acknowledge that the Mentee is intended to receive value from a Mentoring relationship, what does the Mentor receive? Shouldn't the Mentor also benefit from having participated in the Mentorship relationship?

The answer in my opinion and experience with good mentoring relationships is that BOTH the Mentee and the Mentor can gain value from the experience. As one of the Mentors in our very first Mentorship Program so aptly responded when I asked why he was a Mentor: “I love to give back and help others, and being a Mentor helps to keep me sharp!" 

To quote Lois J. Zachary, a well know authority on Mentorship and author: “Mentoring is a reciprocal learning relationship in which mentoring partners agree to a partnership in which they work collaboratively toward achieving mutually defined goals that focus on developing mentee skills, abilities, knowledge, and/or thinking.”

Here are a few of the Benefits of Mentorship that we’ve seen for entrepreneurs …

Benefits for Protégés (Mentees):

·      Receive support and advice on strategic, technical, financial and ethical issues
·      Increase the chances of succeeding in business
·      Learn business strategies and techniques in a non-threatening way
·      Grow through greater awareness of challenges and opportunities available
·      Introduced to other business resources and networks


Benefits for Mentors:

·      Positively influence another individual by sharing skills, values and experiences
·      Enjoy the satisfaction of seeing others succeed
·      Make productive use of own knowledge and individual expertise
·      Enhance technical, communication and leadership skills
·      Expand professional contacts through interaction with other Mentors
·      Revitalize interest in own work through connection to new entrepreneurial energy
·      Boost self-esteem through recognition by Protégé (Mentee), peers and community

To close, defining the perimeters and boundaries on "the front end" provides important direction over the life of the Mentoring relationship. We’ve used Mentoring Agreements that are negotiated between the Mentor and Mentee to set "the ground rules" that guide participants forward.

Our experience has been that both the Protégé (Mentee) and the Mentor should see benefit from this important relationship. Both should be able to look back over their experience and feel that they’ve seen individual growth and development that leaves them better prepared as they move forward and help others find success! 

PLEASE feel free to share your comments to our post. 

We'd be very pleased to hear from you and let others benefit from comments related to your experiences for improving Mentoring Relationships.

                                                                          

 
QUESTION:  Could you benefit from having a Business COACH and MENTOR?  
IF the ANSWER is YES ...  Take a look at our "NEXT Steps Program!   
 
If you're looking for flexible and cost-effective Business Coaching & Mentoring, you'll like our “NEXT Steps - Program”. It's been created with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance, designed to fit your busy schedule! 
 
For more information see:

"Option 3 – “PVS – NEXT Steps - Business Coaching & Mentoring Program” 

It's listed on our Website Registration page:

CLICK HERE