Mentoring

When I first set up in business for myself I made sure I had as much business training as I could get hold of. Once I was on my own, I joined networks to get the ongoing business support & community I needed. When I was in my 3rd year I found myself looking for someone who “had been there, done it and had the tee-shirt”. I needed to have a relationship with a person who had experience of the same kind of business I was in and who would understand what I was going through. I needed the ear and wisdom of a mentor. Over the years I have been lucky to have several mentors and I still find the support of a mentor as a key factor in my business success.


What is mentoring?

A definition of Mentoring; “help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking” David Clutterbuck


As a trainer I aim to help people change through a process that assists someone to learn new skills, knowledge and attitudes; as a coach I aim to help people change through a process of raising personal awareness and responsibility. Another process which facilitates learning and change is mentoring. A mentor helps someone learn and problem solve in areas specific to the needs of the mentee. Like training, the mentor is expected to have knowledge and experience in the specific area the mentee needs the support, however unlike training mentoring is always a one to one relationship.


Whereas any coach is expected at all times to be impartial and reflective in her approach, a mentor will be expected to be directive and guiding. In fact it has been suggested that a good mentor is more like a “critical friend”. However a mentor also needs to help facilitate change and development and this includes adopting a more passive role, often acting as a “sounding board”.


As a mentor myself, I find the process a good reminder of the skills and knowledge I already have and sometimes it shows me of any gaps I need to plug! It also reminds me of the importance of a good one to one relationship especially in business, which can be a lonely and discouraging place from time to time.


Benefits of mentoring