You're an experienced entrepreneur looking for guidance. How can you find a mentor who can help you grow?

When looking for a mentor, it's important to consider more than just the relationships you want to build. Take a look at your own weak points, areas of growth, struggles, and strengths. Identify the exact areas of entrepreneurship that you're struggling to improve in so that you can find a mentor who is well-suited to help you in those areas. Remember that mentorship is a two-way street, so be prepared to contribute to your mentor's growth.

It's not always true that a successful person can be a successful mentor, as mentorship is an art where how effectively a mentor can communicate his/her learnings to to the mentee is the most important factor. We can take numerous examples specifically in sports where the top performers when given opportunity to lead as a coach were not that much successful. So, a good mentor is one who can identify the strength and weaknesses of the mentee and not only further strengthen the strong points but also give an action plan to improve upon the weaknesses.

For me, when I was seeking a mentor I was clear on my goals and needs. My advice would be before approaching a mentor, identify specific areas where you seek guidance and support. Clearly define your objectives and desired outcomes to ensure a productive mentorship dynamic. Be open to feedback and willing to implement suggestions for growth. That what worked for me in the past and now.

To find a mentor as an experienced entrepreneur, clearly define your goals and areas needing growth. Leverage your network, attend industry events, and utilize professional associations. Engage in online communities and consider formal mentorship programs. When approaching potential mentors, personalize your request, offer value, and respect their time. Build relationships before formally asking for mentorship, be open to multiple mentors for varied guidance, and explore online platforms like SCORE for connections. Show appreciation and apply their advice to demonstrate your commitment to growth.

To find a mentor as an experienced entrepreneur you have to start by defining your needs. Then it's about leveraging your network, attending industry events, exploring online platforms, approaching potential mentors thoughtfully, considering peer mentorship, and joining entrepreneurial programs while approaching the relationship with humility and respect. As I wrote in my best selling book, IN Security, I my personal preference is for you becoming a magnet, so you're attracting investment in you from a position of strength.

In my opinion if you have an expanded network beyond your buddies in your professional courses and your professional colleagues with diverse fields then you have an advantage of getting wide and varied inputs and ideas that will help your business. It is the art of part of business that is much more important than the science and technology part of your business. It is the people who matter the most. Building customer relationships, supplier networks, employee engagement and stakeholders participation is the ongoing aspect of any enterprise. This is an important point in giving the entrepreneurship ventures that extra edge over your competition.Take every opportunity to have meetings with diverse sets of individuals and organizations.

Your network is key! I am currently working as a mentor for someone that didn't know we were in the same business but a mutual connection helped us connect and I am helping her work through similar things that I experienced in my own firm. Again not telling her what to do but talking through issues and problems she is experiencing so that she can determine what is right for her.

Join your local chamber of commerce or other appropriate professional associations. Great way to build your network and meet accomplished leaders in your industry.

There is a saying your Network is your Net worth. In my experience, finding mentors and building your brand can be done effectively and efficiently through expanding your network. Networking will allow you to meet like minded people. This will give you an an avenue to connect and build relationships with leaders who share the same values as you, with skills and experiences you want to learn from, and with insights and guidance you want to gain.

In my experience there are two types of mentors Active and Passive. You can also learn from people by observing them provided you have opportunity to spend enough time around them or with the content they produce. Being a part of an organisation whether paid or unpaid has its own benefits. I have personally met so many mentors who have impacted my life in some way or the other. If I was not a part of this non profit organisation then I would have never been able to meet these lovely people. Therefore, open avenues for yourself that will facilitate interaction with people of common objective. It is magical.

Essa prepara??o é essencial por várias raz?es: 1. Alinhamento de Valores e Objetivos 2. Estratégia de Abordagem Personalizada 3. Verifica??o de Credibilidade e Conquistas 4. Prepara??o para a Mentoria 5.Constru??o de Confian?a 6. Maximiza??o do Relacionamento 7.Conex?o Pessoal e Profissional Dedicar tempo para pesquisar sobre mentores potenciais n?o é apenas um passo crucial no processo de escolha do mentor certo, mas também uma forma de mostrar que você está seriamente investido em sua própria jornada de desenvolvimento.

Reviews or testimonials from their previous mentees or colleagues can offer valuable perspectives on their effectiveness as a mentor. This can include feedback on their coaching style, the growth opportunities they provide, and the outcomes of their mentorship.

?? Research is important and one should ensure that they use multiple avenues to find information about the Mentor(s) they are interested in and see if they will be a good fit. Apart from Reviews & Testimonials that are vital to this process, first-hand information can be gained via Online Courses and interaction with their intended Mentor.

It is important to do your homework on your mentors. The kind of research they do, their strengths and how have their mentees faired over all. Also do they really fit in your line of interest or you just want to approach them because they are influential.

Testimonials can provide valuable insights into a mentor's effectiveness. If you're looking for a mentor, asking for reviews or testimonials can ensure you find the right fit for your professional development. Feedback on coaching style, growth opportunities, and mentorship outcomes all contribute to a better understanding of a mentor's impact. Don't underestimate the power of mentorship!

Set out the quid pro quo (terms of exchange) as early as possible; mentors are often reluctant to give up the one thing most valuable to them: their time. If you don’t know what you might offer, don’t be shy to ask what the mentor might seek in return. It helps a mentor too to know it isn’t a one way street.

Have a trusted peer review your request to ensure it is not off-putting. Research around to ensure you are approaching someone in the best way to have a positive outcome

After thorough research, initiate contact respectfully and succinctly. Craft an email, message, or call introducing yourself, expressing admiration for their expertise, and outlining why you seek their mentorship. Specify the type of guidance you're seeking. Emphasize the value you can bring, whether through feedback, referrals, testimonials, or collaboration. Facilitate a positive response by proposing a convenient time and format for an initial meeting. Be prepared for potential rejection and have alternative mentorship avenues in mind.

Don’t be afraid the reach out to someone you don’t know or aren’t familiar with. The worst that can happen is that they say they can’t at this time. Which is understandable. If this happens continue to reach out to others.

Once the individual has been identified to be a mentor, you must seek references of their success rate and knowledge. Review the references and approach the mentor for an informal chat to discuss the way forward before formalising the relationship. It is always a good idea to have shortlisted more than one probables.

Mentorship is a two-way street. Invest time and effort in building a relationship with your mentor. Be proactive in seeking their advice and demonstrate your commitment to learning and growth. Show appreciation for their guidance and support.

Focus on building a strong connection with a few potential mentors rather than seeking a large number. Explore ways you can contribute to the mentor's professional journey as well. This fosters a two-way learning experience. While qualifications and experience are important, prioritizing relationship building ensures you find a mentor who becomes not just a guide but also a trusted confidant and supporter in your professional development.

En choisissant bien votre ou vos mentors vous vous sentirez pousser des ailes et tout deviendra possible à mon tour je peux devenir votre mentor et vous former à mon métier ou plut?t votre tuteur car vous grandissez et vous vous épanouissez en vous appuyant sur mes expériences.

Relationship building is one of the cornerstones of building a successful business. A focused effort to develop advanced relationships skills will bring very fruitful returns to you!

At the core of the fulfilled mentoring relationship lies Earned Trust, Inspiration and Accountability. Mentor fosters the development of his/her Mentees, in professional and educational area. He/she inspires & role models desired behaviors, encourages, challenges, testing mentee’s vulnerability. Saboteurs (limiting beliefs, behavioral blocks etc.) might show up to hijack such relationship. One way to ensure the FIT between Mentor & Mentee, is to take Saboteur Assessment (Positive Intelligence) prior to engaging in the mentoring relationship. This relationship plays a major role in realizing key positive outcomes, like: increase in effective leadership, influencing others; increase in self-‘awareness, confidence, resilience, achievement.

For me, alignment with goals and aspirations was something else I had to consider. I offer this advice. Select a mentor whose expertise, insights, and guidance align with your short-term objectives and long-term vision for your business. Ensure that your mentor can help you address specific challenges, capitalize on opportunities, and achieve your strategic goals effectively. This has worked and helped me as well.

It is really important to find someone that complements you. Is a good storyteller and does follow up. For me sense of humour is a must have as well. It makes the communication and the feed backs easier.

Networking, undoubtedly, plays a pivotal role in locating a mentor who can guide and shape one's entrepreneurial journey. Here's my proposed contribution, emphasizing the significance of networking and offering effective strategies to leverage it in mentorship acquisition: 1. Attend Industry Events, 2. Seek Referrals, 3. Leverage Online Platforms, and 4. Participate in mentorship programs. Networking is not merely a means to an end; it's strategic for entrepreneurial success!

Another important thing to understand in a mentoring relationship is to set the tone and the pace. Frequency of interaction and duration of each session needs to be set in the begining. Thereafter the mentee has to follow the regime and do/take whatever actions are advised by the mentor. A mentor is not a consultant who will create and give you solutions ,but someone who will upgrade you into identifying and making the best choices and then implementing them. So get into a mentoring relationship when you are very serious about going through it with all seriousness and heart. Once begun, it is an awesome journey of learning and growth for both mentee and mentor.

A good mentor is someone that you admire for their values, what they have achieved and where they are or where they arrived at some point in their career. A good mentor is someone you trust and feel confident talking to. The more honest and open the relationship with that person the better. Find someone that can dedicate time to you and if you set mutual expectations from the beginning it can help a lot.