8 steps to mentoring success
by Miki SaxonIn the comments on Learning to lead Luke says, “…Anyway, after having the ability to look back with 20/20 hindsight I can see a great deal of improvements that could’ve been made if I had the benefit of some well thought-out guidance. At what point does doing need to be tempered by hearing and seeing (teaching)?”
Luke doesn’t have “…the ideal is to work for a leader, learn by watching, apply what you’ve learned and receive thoughtful critiquing…” so I suggested creating “an informal leadership advisory board.”
To reach their goals entrepreneurs and other small businesses are big users of advisory boards and there’s no reason you can’t create one on a more personal level.
Here’s how to do it, but don’t just think it, write it down.
- Think through what you want to accomplish and how the advisors can/will help.
- Describe specific areas in which you want assistance, e.g. leading, managing, career planning, job hunting, parenting, etc.
- Describe in what you want from each advisor and how doing this may also benefit them.
- For each area think about someone you respect, who will listen to you and to whom you will listen.
- Present your request with enough context for them to understand the above points, the approximate time commitment and your specific reasons for asking them.
- Discuss it with the person, don’t push them or guilt them into doing it. You want people who are excited/pleased to work with you.
- In terms of benefits there are many things you can offer other than formal compensation, e.g., be appreciative; if appropriate offer to do the same for them, take them out and discuss stuff over a meal; send flowers; give them chocolate; use your imagination and knowledge of the person.
- Never overload or abuse your advisors time/energy/interest
How many advisors do you need? That depends on a) what you want to accomplish, b) the people you can access and c) the time involved. Don’t put your advisory group together to impress others (yes, I’ve seen this done), because advisors don’t commit for life and don’t grow on trees you want to access them wisely.
Finally, your advisors aren’t there to stroke you—if you want strokes call your mom—they’re there to tell you hard truths, help sort out confusion and assist you to overcome challenges.
No matter their age they have wisdom, experience and smarts—otherwise why did you ask them in the first place?
Do you think a board of advisor could help you?
Your comments—priceless
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January 28th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
In adding to your comment about entrepreneurs and other small businesses using advisory boards, I think senior managers, CEO’s, etc. could benefit from using a mentor or someone similar for consultation purposes. Working with a mentor could help executives strengthen communication skills and develop confident leadership abilities. See article on A Mentor for the Senior Manger – Why Not?