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The meaning of business mentoring :
The best way to analyze mentoring is to compare
it to another business term. Such business
methods as “mentoring” and “coaching” are very
popular nowadays. Both of these terms are
identical, but the principle difference lies in
the fact that “coaching” concentrates on
revealing the possibilities, it is leading the
employee basing on support. So, coaching is a
partner or liberal type of interaction and
mentoring is an authoritarian type of
interaction. Mentoring can be carried out both
with individuals and groups. If we mentoring as
interactions in happening pairs it may be
portrayed as the next schemes: teacher - pupil,
leader - subordinate, consultant – client.
Mentoring is support in the first place and
coaching is revealing the possibilities and the
potential of the employees. Mentoring directs
the employee into the right direction for the
organization.
Further Reading: Business Mentoring :
If interested in researching or learning more
about business mentoring, please review the
following scholastic and newsworthy
articles about
business mentoring.
Mentoring at all organization-levels :
Mentoring should not be provided to the
executives only. In our opinion it should be
carried out in all the levels of an
organization. Of course the ordinary scheme is
providing mentoring to linear workers,
specialists and providing coaching for the upper
management of organizations. This secures an
exact execution of the instructions from the
“top management” and gives the executives of an
organization the possibility to be more creative
and reveal new abilities. In other words, the
"young" and inexperienced workers require mainly
mentors, and coaching works with "champion
leaders" - specialists of high level and top
leaders.
Business mentoring services :
Mentors are
empathetic and experienced business people who
help your business achieve its goals. With
experience developing and operating successful
businesses, they offer advice and guidance.
The advantages of using a mentor
:
Mentors can
help you step back from your business and look
at the “big picture”, identifying strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats that you
may have overlooked. They can also serve as a
sounding board for your ideas, and help you to
develop these ideas. Providing connections to
key business people and customers is another
role that a mentor will serve.
A successful, growing business brings new
challenges such as hiring new staff, raising new
capital and entering new markets. A mentor can
offer helpful advice, caution against potential
pitfalls and in still confidence in your plans.
Having a mentor won’t automatically fix all your
business challenges. It takes time and effort to
implement changes. A mentor can help you set
goals and milestones as well make you
accountable for delivering on them.
The
Value of a Business Mentor :
Why Every Entrepreneur Should
Have One Your friends and family, the Web,
periodicals, and even casual acquaintances can
provide you with a steady daily flow of
information regarding news, industry
developments, and opportunities. Industry
analysts, consultants, employees, and good
networking contacts can share their expert
knowledge with you regarding particular
situations and needs you may encounter. But only
a mentor can truly share wisdom with you on an
ongoing basis.
Choosing a Business Mentor (and Getting Them to
Choose You) :
Now that you've decided you want
a business mentor and understand the value of
having one, how do you go about finding the
right one? It all depends on how selective you
want to be. A number of Web sites and
organizations offer free mentoring. Some will
offer a great deal of information about your
potential mentors, while others simply match you
with whoever is available. Once you have
someone, in mind, remember, you're asking for a
lot — show them you're serious and will respect
their time.
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