How can you use your mentor's insights to identify emerging trends?

Leverage your mentor's depth of experience to craft open-ended questions that uncover the underlying patterns and shifts in your industry, inviting a broader discussion on nascent trends and overlooked opportunities. Encourage your mentor to share anecdotes and personal observations, using these narratives as a springboard to ask questions that explore the fringes of current trends, thereby uncovering emerging movements before they hit the mainstream. Utilize your mentor's network and knowledge base to ask probing, open-ended questions about anomalies and contradictions within your field, often a fertile ground for spotting disruptive trends and innovations poised to reshape the market.

Here are few more open-ended questions that you use to understand trends from your mentor: 1. what problems are you seeing in the industry? 2. what are your biggest challenges or frustrations with today's solutions? 3. what new technologies or ideas are you excited about? or think will change the world in the next 10 years 4. how do you see consumer behaviour changing in the next few years? 5. what do think are the unmet needs in the market? 6. what bold predictions do you have for the future? 7. What do you think the winning trends in technology will be in the next few years?

"How do you [blank]?" "How WOULD you [blank]?" "WHY would you do it that way?" Curiosity is key. Open-ended questions are "curiosity questions" because they keep the conversation moving forward. And people love giving advice about things they have deep knowledge of. (Advice is a form of nostalgia!) Ask all the questions. A good mentor will not only be happy to answer them but will likely be stimulated by the conversation since it's a passion you both share. #mentorship #communication #creativity

From my experience, if you are seeking advice from your mentor, always start with appreciation, and ensure you listen more than you talk: 1. pay close attention to their observations and concerns 3. ask clarifying questions to fully understand their perspective 4. acknowledge their expertise and experience 5. identify recurring themes or patterns in their insights 6. don't interrupt, give them space to elaborate on their thoughts 7. summarise key points to ensure your understanding and encourage further discussions with them 8. book a follow up meeting with them if this is needed

"As it is inside, so it is outside" There is no one better as a mentor than yourself; It is only important to develop the ability to listen carefully to your inner voice and learn from it. Your intuition and your own knowledge are important to have wise responses to your everyday situations. If you want to increase the power of your inner mentor, you just have to cultivate it with interesting readings, empowering talks and mindfulness.

Taking advice from your mentor is great, but though might be more experienced, they are human, and you need to validate for yourself, if their advice is applicable to your situation. Here is what I do: 1. Industry reports & data: look for research reports, industry publications, and data sources that align with your mentor's insights. 2. Compare across different perspectives: seek out viewpoints from other experts, analysts, or competitors to see if the trend holds weight. 3. Identify early adopters & experiments: research companies/individuals who are already testing ideas related to the trend. 4. Analyse market response & user behaviour: see if there is any existing user data or market research that supports the potential of the trend.

In my experience, this can help: 1. Access senior managers in your mentors network and build your exposure 2. Discuss with colleagues & peers: bounce ideas off colleagues and peers who might have different industry knowledge or experiences. 3. Attend industry events & conferences they recommend: network at conferences and events to connect with experts who can shed light on the trend's validity. 4. Join online communities & forums where your mentor is a member: participate in online communities or forums related to your field to see if others are discussing the trend. 5. Collaborate with potential partners: explore collaboration opportunities with companies or individuals who might benefit from the trend.

As the world becomes closer with technology, trends are becoming more frequent and short lived. Though your mentor might give a concise list, the list of choices might be long, so here is what I'd do: 1. develop prototypes & test concepts: create low-fidelity prototypes or mockups to test the feasibility and user reception of the trend. 2. conduct small-scale experiments: run pilot projects or A/B tests to gather data and refine your approach to the trend. 3. gather user feedback & iterate: actively seek feedback from potential users and adapt your ideas based on their needs and preferences. 4. learn from successes & failures: analyse the results of your experiments and iterate your approach based on what works and what doesn't.

Para utilizar los conocimientos de tu mentor en la identificación de tendencias emergentes, establece una comunicación abierta y regular con él. Aprovecha su experiencia para discutir noticias y desarrollos recientes en el campo. También observa cómo ha manejado cambios en el pasado para obtener ideas sobre cómo abordar las tendencias emergentes. Su red de contactos también puede ser útil para obtener información adicional.