Intentional Mastery #7

In this issue...

• The Business Book Awards.
• The real problem with books.
• What is a business mentor?
• Should you consider having a business mentor?

The Business Book Awards.

I'm delighted that "Intentional Mastery" has been entered into the Business Book Awards. I'll visit London in a few days to a competition event and find out if it is shortlisted as a finalist. Here's hoping! and it's all quite exciting to be in the company of so many other great authors. (If you want to get your hands on a copy, you can buy it here...)

Talking of books, the real problem with books...

…is that reading them takes an age. It may take hours you don’t have to uncover that you just don’t like the book. It might have no value for you, or it might have a style that you don’t like. Your time is precious, and yet you want to learn and develop your mastery. So what can you do?

In the Un-Book Group, there’s no commitment to read the monthly book, so what does happen? Read more?here…

What is a Business Mentor?

Mentors are active guides. A mentor is a person with knowledge, skills and experiences relevant to you. Mentoring is an ongoing relationship of learning, challenge, conversation, and shared experience. Its aim is for you to reach your goals more quickly and effectively.

The idea of mentorship is nothing new. Since ancient Greece, apprentices have worked beside masters to learn a trade. This journeyman tradition was so strong that it became the foundation of surnames like Carpenter, Fisher and Baker. But mentoring has changed too. It is no longer a simple transaction about passing on experience. Mentoring has become a collaborative relationship occurring between the master and their mentee.

A mentor brings mastery to your business, but they are not employees. They will not (usually) undertake the identified work, but they will hold you accountable for ensuring it gets done.

Should you consider having a mentor?

Many small businesses could not operate successfully without access to knowledge, skills and experience that a business owner doesn’t yet have but needs quickly. A personal relationship-based business coach or mentor often provides that provision.

Being mentored is a strategic choice taken by a business owner, manager or director when they recognise the need for support and help. An essential element of selecting a mentor is remembering that this is a significant and ongoing relationship; the chemistry must be positive, supportive and mutually respectful.

To check that, it’s important to identify the key areas where mentoring is needed. This could be where your knowledge is lacking; for example, you may be strong at delivery but weak at marketing, so seek mentorship to support developing a solid marketing strategy. It could be where you have the knowledge but need support to develop and hone skills. Most often, it is to benefit from the mentor’s experience to make better decisions on your journey to mastery. Mentors should only work with those whose experience is wholly appropriate. You can read more about whom?I work with here…

Before working with a paid mentor, ask them some searching questions. Ensure they will be the right person, bring the skills and experience you need, and that you like their approach and style.