Building Healthy Mentoring Relationships

Ideally, Mentorship should result in a mutually beneficial experience for both the Mentee (Protégé) as well as for the Mentor. 

The degree of benefit derived by either party will of course vary depending upon the circumstances. As we’ve mentioned in other BLOG posts, and perhaps you’ve noticed from within your own experiences, mentoring can take place across a wide variety of forms. And with that, the benefits can also vary when we contrast mentorship within a “formal” program versus mentoring within an “informal” setting. The same might be said of variation resulting from mentoring within a “one-to-one” mentoring relationship versus what comes from mentoring within a larger “group” context.

Regardless of the format, "mentorship is a journey" that can be experienced and enjoyed, as we travel down life’s road together. The key in my opinion is for the participants to be very clear on what they hope to gain from having participated in the mentoring relationship, and to make a full effort towards achieving the results that were anticipated and agreed to at the outset.

I like this quote from John Maxwell which speaks to the true intent of Mentorship:

“All of the certificates of recognition we receive in life will fade. The monuments we build will crumble. The trophies will corrode. But what we do for others will make a lasting impact on our world. True success comes only when every generation continues to develop the next generation, teaching them the value and the method of developing the next group of leaders.”

Source: John C. Maxwell – “Developing The Leader Within You”

What are some of the things that make for a healthy mentoring relationship? 
Here are a couple of the key characteristics that we’ve found evident within high-quality mentoring relationships:

Respect - Mutual appreciation, as both the Mentor and Protégé have important information and knowledge to share, as well their respective contribution of time and energy in to the relationship.

• The Mentee/Protégé should recognize the knowledge, skills and abilities of their Mentor.
• The Mentor should appreciate the measure of success experienced to date by the Mentee/Protégé, as well as the drive and determination they have to develop in their career path or business.
  

Integrity and Honesty - Integrity and honesty are the cornerstones of a mentoring relationship.

• Both are vital to the achievement of the goals within the mentoring relationship.
• By agreeing that questions and mistakes are okay, and by being honest with each other, mentors and their Mentee/Protégé strengthen and build their mentoring relationship.
  

Note: We’ve uploaded a number of short video clips to our YouTube Channel that address Key Characteristics within Healthy Mentoring Relationships. Each video features a number of those we've spoken with in the past regarding their mentorship experiences. Here are some quick links to the following:

Mentorship Characteristics - "Commitment"

Mentorship Characteristics - "Collaboration"

Mentorship Characteristics - "Free Expression"

Within a healthy mentorship relationship, it is quite natural to see that the level of respect, trust and openness between the Mentor and Protégé develops. We endeavour to build these characteristics into the working relationships we build with our clients at Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. 

PLEASE feel free to add your comments to our post. We'd be very pleased to hear from you as you share your experiences related to improving Mentoring Relationships.

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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 that 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 Relationships That Work

Ideally, the Mentoring relationship should be a positive experience for both the Mentor and the Mentee. 

However, if you've been in a Mentoring relationship for some time, you know that differences of perspective and opinion can easily arise between those involved. 

How many times have you seen a mentoring relationship where the participants seem to 'battle' for power and position? Perhaps you've been in this type of a mentoring relationship, either as a protégé or as a mentor.

Finding a good and healthy balance within these complex interpersonal relationships can be a challenge. I've come to think of it not so much a case of 'give and take' between the mentoring partners, but perhaps a more 'gentler' one of 'offer and receive'. Can you see a difference between these positions? I believe there's a subtle difference, but one that can make 'a world of difference' in the quality of the relationship!

In healthy mentoring environments, both parties are contributing to the development of the relationship, and each other. I've spoken with mentors who've told me that they've received ‘good value’ from being in a healthy mentoring relationship. I think it comes down to each of those involved choosing to respect the other party, acknowledging that both bring something of value to the mentoring relationship.

To add his expert insight to this, I invited my friend, Dr. William Gray to shares some of his observations. Dr. Gray's kindly provided the following comments for this Mentoring BLOG Post. In addition, we've uploaded some new, related comments that were recorded in an earlier video interview with Dr. Gray. These are now available on our YouTube Channel through the link we provide below.

Thank you Dr. Gray for providing the following thoughts on building and maintaining a healthy mentoring relationship.

Why Mentoring Style Flexibility is Essential

    By Dr. William A. Gray
    President, Mentoring Solutions

Researchers of mentoring agree that the mentoring relationship between mentors and their protégés is the key to successful mentoring and achieving desired goals. If you cannot work well with your partner, you stop meeting and no goals are attained. I also discovered this and then created the Mentoring Style Indicator (MSI) in the early 1980s as a tool for training mentoring partners. Mentors learn to use two Mentoring Styles to equip protégés like the dictionary definition or classical concept describes – passing on knowledge, wisdom and practical know-how. Mentors also learn to use two other Mentoring Styles to empower what protégés want to learn, do and become. During Partner Training, proteges learn to be receptive to these different kinds of assistance – and to request appropriate assistance when needed. Employing such Mentoring Style Flexibility has helped over 100,000 mentoring partners to develop a good working relationship that achieves desired outcomes. If inflexibility occurs, mentoring relationships fall apart and goals are not achieved.

* Thank you Dr. Gray for your insights, and for the related comments which can be found on our Youtube Channel at: https://youtu.be/jQWWqmQudPE


PLEASE feel free to add your comments to our post. 
We'd be very pleased to hear from you as you share your experiences related to improving Mentoring Relationships.

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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 that 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 in Starting a Professional Practice

MENTORSHIP is all about the GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT of those involved in the Mentoring relationship.

One of the first Mentorship Programs I explored in the early years of my investigation was with The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). 

That connection resulted in my attending several of their excellent Mentoring Conferences, and introduced me to many of the outstanding speakers on their program agenda. Since then, it's been my privilege to have presented various Professional Development sessions to APEGA members. 

The most recent speaking opportunity was at the APEGA Summit Annual General Meeting and Conference, April 21 and 22 in Edmonton. A group of about 100 members participated in the 90-minute session called: Set Up and Organize a Small Professional Practice. This was an opportunity to explore some of the important factors, opportunities and challenges that impact those thinking of becoming an independent consultant, and establishing their own professional practice. Was it a lively session? Absolutely! We had some great interaction with members who were engaged, asking questions, and highly supportive of their colleagues. I certainly appreciate the opportunity to support APEGA in this way and assist their members in their development, through these challenging economic times in Alberta.
 
One thing that I've discovered is that as an independent contractor, new doors of opportunity can open for you in the future. It's defining success in your own terms. It's more than making a living in a profession that you enjoy - it's finding satisfaction in what and how you do, the work that you do! As Albert Schweitzer said: "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."


In closing this post, while speaking at the APEGA Summit a few weeks ago, I was reminded of my having first met Dr. Francis Thomas Hartman. He was on the speaking program at one of the Mentoring Conferences that was mentioned earlier.  I sat in on one of the sessions he conducted and we had opportunity to chat over the day. I followed up with him, connecting through LinkedIn and exchanging information on topics of mutual interest. After a number of discussions, Francis agreed to my video recording some of his comments on the topic of “Business Success”. In doing so, he shared some of his experiences and valuable insights as a consultant in professional practice. 

It was with sadness I heard that Dr. Hartman passed away in March 2014. Francis was known by many as an innovator, a recognised thought leader, and is fondly remembered as a loving and generous family man. We deeply appreciate his contributions and friendship. He will be missed. 

Our conversation with Dr. Hartman is available in two video clips on our YouTube Channel - simply click the Title to view either of the following:

 Francis Hartman - Business Success - Overview (12:01 mins)


 Francis Hartman - Business Success - People (7:23 mins)

                                                                                          

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 designed with you in mind, and provides 12 months of valuable assistance that 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 in the Moment - Dan Gaynor

Dan Gaynor

I had the opportunity about five years ago to get together in Calgary, Alberta with Dan Gaynor of Gaynor Consulting Inc.  I asked Dan, and he very generously made time in his schedule to provide a few thought on the topic of Mentorship. 

Dan brings a wealth of experience to this topic and has been on both sides of Mentoring relationships over his career. Dan’s comments were captured in a short video interview on my YouTube Channel, and I’d encourage you to watch it, after reading this post. They fit very nicely with the article that follows. You'll find a link to the video further below.

On January 1, 2016, Dan shared a post on LinkedIn, and with his permission, I’m pleased to extend this post to those in my circle of contacts. The post was called: “Mentoring in the Moment” (Sourced at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mentoring-moment-dan-gaynor ) It provides a positive perspective on what a mentoring relationship could be – certainly something worth trying to cultivate between a Mentor and Mentee. 

Now, enjoy this 'repost' from Dan Gaynor, and feel free to share your comments! 

 

Mentoring in the Moment

Mentor: An experienced and trusted advisor and guide

Mentoring receives a lot of attention these days and rightly so. Good mentors inspire us to reach for our potential. They encourage us when we need it and guide us along the path, passing on what they have learned in going there before us. Mentors build relationships that are often remembered fondly for many years.

Like so many other good practices though, we have over the years systematized mentoring in ways that have created onerous expectations and made it less appealing. Chief among these is the expectation that good mentoring must be regularly scheduled. My experience with mentoring runs contrary to this. The best mentoring is much more an organic exercise.

I would say that I have benefited from two mentoring relationships over the course of my professional life. Neither was systematic or forced. Both would be best described as mentoring in the moment. In both cases there were not all that many mentoring moments, however both individuals contributed in valuable and memorable ways to my development as a leader. Both met my criteria for mentoring. We had a warm relationship that became a friendship. They enjoyed teaching; I enjoyed learning from them. Both were trusted advisors, and when we did meet, we enjoyed our time together.

I remember well the day I went to Don Babick (then publisher at the Edmonton Journal) to present my work in redesigning our sales territories. I’d put a lot of work into the project, coming up with three progressive levels of sales positions: entry, intermediate and expert. I had developed a more complicated solution than was necessary. Don listened then offered his thoughts, “Dan I think you are making this more complicated than it needs to be. I think you should just make sure you know what a good sales rep has to be able to do and make sure they can all do it.” Then he added, “Most people think the ability to handle complexity is a sign of intelligence. The really smart people take what’s complex and make it simple.”

It was a mentoring moment that has remained with me over the years and shaped my approach to thinking and problem solving. Over the years there were other encounters and other lessons. Every now and then I find myself quoting something Don said to me, passing on what he gave me to the leaders coming after me - this is classic mentoring. We had no formally arranged systematic approach and we didn’t meet in a formal mentoring program. Our mentoring was infrequent and yet still important. It was natural. Today, many years and lessons later, I am more often in the role of mentor. Many of the best relationships I have enjoyed have been this way, more mentoring in the moment. Sometimes with people I no longer work directly with, years pass between moments. With others the encounters are closer together. Always there is a relationship.

It seems to me that systematized mentoring often misses the mark. Forcing relationships and timetables doesn’t work. We discourage potential mentors and disappoint everyone involved. Instead, let’s encourage a more natural approach. My bet is we’ll have a more more successful and satisfying experience.

Want to go deeper on leadership? Check out my book, The Heart and Hands of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices of Effective Leaders, available in soft cover and in all major e-book formats. I wrote it to equip leaders at all levels with practical and powerful skills. Or check out the half-day workshops and keynote speeches I offer.

Discussion questions:

1. How many mentors have you benefited from over the years?

2. How did the relationship begin and evolve?

3. What were the most memorable lessons learned from the relationship?

Thank you Dan! Now, let me encourage those reading right now to consider their responses to the discussion questions that Dan’s listed.

Curious?  Here are my answers:

1) I’d have to say that I’ve found benefit from every mentoring relationship that I’ve had. That’s one of the reasons why I feel mentorship offers entrepreneurs such great value.

2) I’d tend to agree with Dan observation and would say that most of my mentoring relationships have been informal and grew over time. Still, I believe there’s much to be gained through an intentional and planned mentoring relationship. With that, it needs to be recognized that a certain amount of flexibility needs to come into play, so that the schedule doesn’t become a point of contention between those involved.  

3) One of the most memorable lessons I’ve learned from a mentor is that when you’re in business, you have to look after the needs of your customer, and you need to take care of that relationship better than your competition if you’re going to stay in business.

Thank you once again for sharing these important Mentoring insights with us Dan. I think you’ve underscored the importance of building what would be seen as a great, trusting relationship – one that allows for the candid sharing of our individual hopes, as well as our fears. 

And to quickly acknowledge the other side, as I’ve noted in my response to Dan’s second question, I’ve come to appreciate the value of Mentorship that takes place with an intended development and growth objective.  

Flexibility is most important and should flow naturally when there is mutual respect between the participants. Putting a workable structure into place helps to guide the relationship and addresses the desired outcomes both participants hope to achieve.

To close, something I’ve shared with my contacts: “It’s great to HOPE for things to get better – but we really need to PLAN and take ACTION for it to happen!”

CLICK HERE to view my video interview with Dan Gaynor on Mentorship.

 

Let us know if you'd like to further explore mentorship for your organization or business. 

We welcome your comments to this Post.

 
FYI: If you’re interested in business, we invite you to access the FREE information on our Business Success BLOG as well the many FREE videos on our YouTube Channel. You'll find a wealth of helpful suggestions on both Mentorship and Business Success.  ALL of these can all be accessed from the "Resources" tab on our website at: www.pvs4u.ca

Building Great Teams - A Mentorship Mindset

There is an interesting dynamic that occurs within good Mentoring relationships over time. I see it as a natural part of the development process, occurring as the Mentee puts their new skills and confidence into action. In the positive Mentoring relationships we've seen, this has been encouraged and nurtured with the guidance of an experienced and supportive Mentor. 

It's in this developmental process where I feel that the Mentor and Mentee are in fact, a TEAM. And while it may just be the two of them, the mindset that's adopted and the process they work through is very much one of TEAM BUILDING.  And TEAM BUILDING is the topic I'm going to address in this BLOG Post.

Teams are 'formed' for a specific purpose, 

but they don't always 'come together' as a TEAM. 

Why is that? 

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a discussion on the topic of TEAM BUILDING at a Futurpreneur Canada event on February 11, 2016. Futurpreneur Canada invited entrepreneurs and those assisting them to an Action Entrepreneurship Community Exchange event at Business Link in downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

       Above: (Left to Right) Jim Ewing, Camille Wallach, Amanda & Richard Maxim, Roberto Alas, and Tracy Sharuga
 
Here's a photo of the group I was with over the lunch break. Perhaps you'll notice that we're holding up VISA gift cards. Our "winning team" worked very well together and correctly answer all of the questions put to the audience by "Quiz Master" Rob Price, Alberta Director with Futurpreneur Canada. Thank you Futurpreneur Canada, and thank you to my follow team members for a terrific collaborative effort on our win! 

The day provided us with a great time of learning, networking, and for those at my discussion table, a collaborative sharing of thoughts on the topic of “Building Your Team”. Here are a few of the key thoughts and comments that came from that day.

In one of the early sessions, referenced as a "Fireside Chat", Karen Unland - Founder at Seen and Heard in Edmonton interviewed Ken Bautista, of Flightpath Ventures. I first met Karen when she was co-founder of Capital Ideas Edmonton (capitalideasedmonton.com) and Capital Ideas Calgary (capitalideascalgary.com). Now she's doing some very interesting work showcasing independent media producers, bloggers and podcasters in Edmonton. Ken Bautista, is with Flightpath Ventures, an early-stage tech fund based in Edmonton. Ken co-founded Startup Edmonton - one of several entrepreneurial ventures that he's assisted. Ken said that Mentors can provide great value to early-stage entrepreneurs and I totally agree with him. Mentors are important resource people that entrepreneurs should have as a part of their TEAM of professionals advisors.

I like to say that, “Entrepreneurship is a TEAM sport!” The odds are against you if you think you can make it totally on your own. A good Mentor can be a valuable team member to the owner of a growing business. They can help accelerate your growth and development, avoid some of the dangers ahead, and help you become a better leader within your organization.

Teams that work well together have the potential to accomplish more and develop better solutions than through any one member working on their own.

Here are some comments related to TEAM BUILDING that I believe are equally applicable to those building the working relationship between Mentors and Mentees. 

Camille Wallach, is a Workplace and Corporate Registered Massage Therapist. On TEAM BUILDING she said, "One of my favourite quotes from John Maxwell is, 'All leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less'. Positive influence leads to positive results."  

Roberto Alas kindly provided the photo seen above. (Thanks Roberto!) He is Director, Business Relations and Operations at Alpha & Omega Construction Ltd. and provided these thoughts ... "TEAM BUILDING: Is the capacity to identify the strengths and weakness of different people that you are interested in bringing together to collaborate simultaneously as a 'Team' with one or many goals in mind." 

We welcome your comments to this POST on what TEAM BUILDING or TEAM WORK means to you and we'd be happy to share your insights with others. 

Whether you're the leader of a team, or a member of a team, here are,  

"Seven Keys for Building Great Teams"

1) Purpose and Objective - Team members need to clearly understand, appreciate, and value the importance of the purpose and objective they are pursuing. 

2) Foundation of Trust - Teams depend upon all members 'pulling their own weight' and to actively do what's required to help the team succeed.

3) Open Communications - Clear and timely communication helps members coordinate and stay on track. Better communication leads to better results!

4) Clear and Specific Goals - Ideally, the 'game plan' has been developed with input from all team members, with full understanding of responsibilities, time lines, and needed resources.

5) Cooperation & Collaboration - Teams need to work together. To be successful, each member needs to bring their best efforts in order for the job to get done.

6) Positive Attitude - When we are enthusiastic about what we’re doing, we will take set-backs as a challenge and find an innovative solution. 

7) Professional Behaviour - Positive teams demonstrate mutual respect for fellow team members. They overcome individual differences to work together and achieve their goals.

I've enjoyed working within teams and helping to build effective teams. Teams may be large or they may be small ... even as small a Mentor and a Mentee, working as a team of two. The important thing to remember is that in order for a team to work well together, each of us must choose to work as a valuable team member! Adopting a Mentorship mindset will help.

At Pro-Vision Solutions Inc., it’s been our experience that ‘there’s more to be gained by working together than can be achieved on our own.’ 

Let us know if you'd like to further explore Team Building and the use of Mentorship for your organization or business. 

We welcome your comments to this Post.

 
FYI: If you’re also interested in business, you may wish to access the FREE information on our Business Success BLOG and tap into some of the many FREE videos on our YouTube Channel where you'll find a wealth of helpful suggestions on both Mentorship and Business Success.  These can all be accessed from the "Resources" tab on our website at: www.pvs4u.ca

"No PAIN - No GAIN" - Are WE Ready Now?

You may have heard that the western-Canadian economy has taken a real 'kicking' over the past year, with a number of indicators pointing to challenging times. A low Canadian Dollar, oil prices around $30 per barrel, energy and construction job losses, and higher unemployment levels, are just a few that we could name.  
 
There's no denying that many sectors have experienced significant pain. But as they say: "No PAIN - No GAIN".  

Pain has a way of getting our attention! And as a result, we become increasingly motivated to find new and creative ways to transform that 'pain' into some sort of beneficial 'gain' - finding new opportunities for people to realize their Hopes, their Dreams, and their Aspirations.  Many of these individuals will be very interested in exploring the potential of building a business of their own.  And that's the exciting type of work that we enjoy doing at Pro-Vision Solutions Inc. as we assist those looking at starting, growing and developing their business potential.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

One of the key moments in a speech by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was when he pressed the "RESET BUTTON" - moving everyone beyond our reputation as a provider of raw materials and resources, to a new vision, saying: "... I want you to know Canadians for our resourcefulness."  It's a bold statement that was “put out” to the world, but it's also one that I believe Canadians are ready to embrace as we adapt to our changing realities.

See the related articles, photos and videos on the World Economic Forum at: http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/leadership-lessons-from-canada-s-prime-minister-justin-trudeau

Having said that, it needs to be recognized that not only will we need to become more innovative and entrepreneurial, we also need to better prepare those looking down the entrepreneurial career pathway. We recognize that not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Historically, about 15% to 18% of the Canadian workforce has been self-employed. We also know that after 5 years of having been in business, about 60% of those businesses have ceased operations, and about 80% have disappeared within 10 years. These are sobering statistics, so we ask: Is there a way to improve the prospects for business success?
 
We believe that Mentorship can provide entrepreneurs with a valuable support structure to assist them through their growth and development. The choice is ours to make.  

We can choose to learn things the hard way and experience all of the painful lessons taught in the ‘School of Hard Knocks’. Or we can take advantage of learning from the insights provided by an experienced Business Mentor – someone who can fast-track their Mentee towards a more successful future. 

We believe that the SMARTER choice is to look into what a Mentorship Program can do.  We'd be pleased to further discuss how this valuable business development resource can assist business owners as well as those who work with entrepreneurs.

Let us know if you'd like to further explore Mentorship. 

We'd be more than happy to bring well planned Mentorship Programs to other organizations and industry sectors. 

We welcome your comments to this Post.

FYI: If you’re also interested in business, you may wish to access the FREE information on our Business Success BLOG and tap into some of the many FREE videos on our YouTube Channel where you'll find a wealth of helpful suggestions on both Mentorship and Business Success.  These can all be accessed from the "Resources" tab on our website at: www.pvs4u.ca

Mentorship = Capacity Building

When it comes to Building Capacity, what is the right direction for growth? 

How does one increase their skills, abilities, and potential to advance in their career? 

Education and experience within previous workplace settings are certainly helpful. But what happens while the individual is working within a workplace environment?

It’s an important question that touches the public sector, not-for-profit organizations, as well as those in the private sector. Having worked with entrepreneurs over the past 30 years, the ability of a business and those within it to improve their efficiency and productivity has been top of mind for entrepreneurs at every scale of operation! And every organization needs to find ways to effectively pass knowledge and skills on to those who work there today, while building improvements into the organization for the future. In a competitive environment, a failure to develop the capacity of your people, could very well lead to the failure of your venture. So how can we build the capacity of our people and our organizations?

One of the things I frequently hear from entrepreneurs is their desire to have someone Mentor them. Personally, I think that’s great, and here’s why. Perhaps you’ve noticed ... Entrepreneurs thrive on change! They’re constantly looking for new ways of doing things, making improvements - coming up with better products or services that match an opportunity in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs are open to learning, and what better way to learn, than from the experiences of those who’ve been down a similar road! Mentorship provides an ideal opportunity to learn from others - others who are willing to invest their time into the development of another entrepreneur.

In my personal experience, I’ve found that a Mentor can tremendously add to the breadth and depth of our business and life experience. As I reflect over my years of working with entrepreneurs, whether that’s as a facilitator, an instructor, a business coach, or as a mentor, I recognize that I've also grown from the input of those in my circle of contacts. Needless to say, there is a vast and deep ‘pool’ of valuable expertise available, and I’ve been most fortunate to have benefitted from tapping into some of that expertise on my journey.

If it’s helpful, here are a few thoughts for your consideration, drawn from my past experiences, and those relayed to me by others:

Mentors have a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their sincere interest in a business Mentee through the sharing of relevant aspects of their personal business experience. This seems to be more beneficial for the Mentee after the Mentor has taken some time to get to know the Mentee and their priorities for the mentoring relationship.

For me, this speaks to the importance of building a positive foundation for the mentoring relationship in the very early stages. Gaining a better understanding of why both parties feel that mentorship is of value, what each can contribute, their respective priorities, and the basis of the working relationship can all be established during this time period. For both the Mentor and the Mentee to say that their mentoring relationship was a worthwhile ‘investment’ of their time, the mentorship experience must be positive, with evidence of progress having been made in their growth and development.

A Mentorship Agreement can serve as a guide over the duration of the mentoring relationship, and is very important to have in place. With this, the Business Plan might be viewed as being both a ‘map and a compass’, keeping the entrepreneur on track and headed in the right direction. A business plan shouldn’t be seen as an added weight that holds you back! Rather it should be a valuable tool to help you identify important targets that you set for yourself. It should serve as a place where you ‘zero-in’ on your priorities, and contain useful notes on how you will achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself. Does it take a little work? To be honest - Yes, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming either!

(BTW - We’ve helped many business owners with our simplified approach to exploring their business planning. Let us know if you’d like to make business planning easier for your business!)

Mentors add value ... by sharing their experiences and expertise, and by asking some very good questions for the Mentee to consider. Mentors will find that their ability to communicate with their Mentee improves as they better understand what the Mentee hopes to achieve, the Mentee’s current strengths and weaknesses, and use their personal experiences to help the Mentee look at the road ahead.

Just in case you’re wondering, we’ve not found it critical for the Mentor to have been in the exact same business or industry sector as their Mentee.  Mentors typically have a broad-base of business knowledge and experience that provides a valuable depth of helpful insights for growing entrepreneurs.

Openness, caring and listening will go a long way towards building mutual understanding, confidentiality and trust in a mentoring relationship. Get to know each other by sharing some of your experiences – things you’ve seen along your career path or in business. Mentors could talk about the challenges they’ve faced and overcome, 'sticky' situations that required finesse and tactful negotiation. Mentees could share some of their previous experiences, things they’ve learned as a result, and how that may be helpful in the future!

Mentorship – it won’t solve all of the problems that you’ll encounter in your career or in your business, but it will definitely help you to build the capacity that’s needed to move you forward with your business, and continuing in your personal development and growth!

We’re currently working with ... a number of groups, organizations and individuals in various aspect of Mentorship and Mentorship Program development. 


We’d be pleased to speak with you regarding your interest in using Mentorship as a "Capacity Building" tool in your Workplace!  

Please let us know if you’d like to explore that further.

We welcome your comments to this Post.

FYI: If you’re also interested in business, you may wish to access the FREE information on our Business Success BLOG and tap into some of the many FREE videos on our YouTube Channel where you'll find a wealth of helpful suggestions on both Mentorship and Business Success.  These can all be accessed from the "Resources" tab on our website at: www.pvs4u.ca