You can find your own path and feel confident about acting on your ideas to create a better future for the world with meaning, intelligence and sensitivity.
The ability to understand and collaborate with others has become an indispensable skill for the development of relationships between individuals, cultures and ideas.
Many business owners, executives and entrepreneurs are used to doing things their own way and find building self confidence and trust with others challenging at different times, therefore find it difficult to accept criticism or guidance. Yet, one of the best sources for an unofficial business education and a learning experience is a good mentor coach.
What is a mentor coach?
Someone who is really interested in helping you accomplish your goals. You can talk to them when you run into problems or want to prevent problems from developing.
Why find a mentor coach?
If you get into a situation that feels uncomfortable, simply talking to your mentor coach can clear up the cobwebs. Mentoring used to be the norm. People would spend time with a master craftsman as they learned their trade. As we've moved to a technical information economy, those kinds of relationships seem to be lost. But we need high touch as well as high tech.
What do you talk to a mentor coach about?
Anything you'd like some perspective on. Pressing decisions, setting priorities, personal or professional plans, challenges. They can also put you in touch with people who can assist you to reach your goals.
What qualities should you look for in a mentor coach?
The short answer is a mix of real-world business experience, competencies and insight. It should be someone who has had a similar experience that you wish to have. Someone with high integrity who can be trusted. Someone who is politically savvy. Someone who believes in "tough love" and can tell you the way it is.
How do you find a mentor coach?
Look for someone you respect and make sure you "click." Look for people who have worked with a professional executive/business coach within all of your social and professional networks. When you find them, ask about their experience working with their mentor coach. Mentors don’t have to be from your business or organisation, or even your industry, and it is a good idea to have more than one mentor.
Once you identify a prospective mentor coach, it is up to you to engage that person in an open-ended mentoring/coaching relationship. Have realistic expectations; a mentor coach is not going to solve all your career or personal challenges. However, you may be surprised at the new clarity and confidence you will acquire through this new interpersonal relationship.
