MENTORS Magazine

(MENTORSMagazine) #1

MENTORS MAGAZINE | EDITION 1 | 17


Serve as a Guide
According to the Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary, a mentor is a “trusted counsellor
or guide.” The secondary definition is “tutor,
coach.”

Most experts agree that someone in a men-
toring position plays a different role than a
coach would. Coaches typically help busi-
nesses set and meet goals. They focus on
helping entrepreneurs, business owners and
managers come up with the most efficient
ways to achieve their objectives.

A good coach doesn’t tell someone what to
do. Instead, coaches help draw out
someone’s inherent wis-
dom through structured
tasks, exercises and ques-
tions. For this reason, a
business coach doesn’t
need experience in an
individual’s industry to help them develop
the skills that are necessary for a productive,
efficient business.

A mentor, on the other hand, usually has di-
rect experience in the same field as the
mentee. Those in mentorship positions help
entrepreneurs and business owners learn
how to work industriously, make assess-
ments and set priorities.

But their guidance doesn’t stop there. They
have been through the same challenges that
their mentees are undergoing. They can ex-
plain how they navigated certain obstacles
so that their protégés can identify their op-
tions and understand what works without
having to experiment themselves.

They are advisers. They are teachers. They
are leaders, examples and guides.

A mentor can help an individual create a
map to steer through the stumbling blocks
that come with starting, managing or run-
ning a business.

Create Structure
When someone is launching a business,
mentoring can help them create a business
plan and structure the business. A colleague
in this position can offer advice for setting up
the foundation of the company.

The relationship usually goes on for a long-
term period. Mentoring advisers continue to
work with individuals
when they have ques-
tions about the intri-
cacies of the business,
including understand-
ing the cost structure, setting up marketing
strategies, making hiring decisions and allo-
cating resources.

When difficult decisions have to be made,
people in mentorship positions can help
their mentees look at the pros and cons of
the available options. In many cases, the
mentor has been through a similar situation.
Mentoring can offer specific advice from a
personal perspective when the business
owner otherwise has access to only general
recommendations.

Give Advice and Feedback
A relationship of this kind gives individuals a
chance to get advice and feedback when
they need it. Mentees can look to their ad-
visers to provide an objective outlook.

They are advisers. They are
teachers. They are leaders,
examples and guides.
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